Just a thought from my notes about canto 5, before going to sleep:
The fact that Dante encounter as first individual sinner a woman gives us a hint about his consistence with the Bible. A woman was the origin of damnation (EVE) and a woman was the carrier of salvation (MARY).
There are no hidden derogatory thoughts. As a matter of fact, the image of woman that the Poet is building in the whole poem is the true image that Christianity offers in the Gospel: a positive image.
Today, we live in a world where the women are not considerate inferior and are not subordinate to different laws than men...because of the Gospel! The story of the mother of God has permeated our Western culture for 2000 years and slowly, but continuously, has moved women from the lowest position in society to equality, both giving strength to the women and opening the heart of the men in power to pass good laws to protect them.
The moment you take away Christianity, women are removed from the image of “carriers of salvation” (as in Beatrice and Mary) and go back to Eve, “carrier of sin”, or even worse, as visible in countries where Christianity has not been the base of the general cultural choices.
Moreover, the moment countries reject Christianity and go toward a clear atheism, women are pushed to abandon the position of fundamental elements for the construction of the future of humanity, through birth, education and protection of children, in order to attain apparent power and freedom through work and activities that in reality are conducive to a path of social instability and even depopulation.
I don’t know any country where culture is based NOT on Christianity, that have a condition of freedom and equality for women as in the Christian so-called Western World.
DANTE, IN THIS IDEA OF WOMEN, IS NOT AN EXCEPTION, BUT A NORMAL CHRISTIAN THAT UNDERSTOOD THE GOSPEL AS MANY OTHER CHRISTIANS THAT HELPED BUILT OUR SOCIETY.
I think about this: the first sinner we meet personally is a woman, Francesca, with a silent and crying man, and the last person we will meet at the end of Paradiso is a woman, Mother Mary, more than a saint, addressed by Saint Bernard with a petition in favor of Dante’s salvation.
Do you see any connection with the relation between Eve and Mary? What else could give more importance to women for a Christian, but indicate them as pillars of a path of conversion, exalting them all in the final figure of Mary.
Hi Claudia, your comparison between Eve and Mary brings Francesca's drama into a whole new light! And I hadn't really considered before that the first and last characters we encounter with Dante are women, but it makes so much sense given the trajectory of his story. I agree with you about the impact that Christianity has had on elevating women's status in society along with giving us an appreciation for true femininity. While Dante fell under the spell of "courtly love" early in life (which we see in many of his early writings and poems), he definitely matured in his understanding of Christian love over the course of his life and writing (which is why the Commedia is such a great work!). Thanks again for your comments.
Just a thought from my notes about canto 5, before going to sleep:
The fact that Dante encounter as first individual sinner a woman gives us a hint about his consistence with the Bible. A woman was the origin of damnation (EVE) and a woman was the carrier of salvation (MARY).
There are no hidden derogatory thoughts. As a matter of fact, the image of woman that the Poet is building in the whole poem is the true image that Christianity offers in the Gospel: a positive image.
Today, we live in a world where the women are not considerate inferior and are not subordinate to different laws than men...because of the Gospel! The story of the mother of God has permeated our Western culture for 2000 years and slowly, but continuously, has moved women from the lowest position in society to equality, both giving strength to the women and opening the heart of the men in power to pass good laws to protect them.
The moment you take away Christianity, women are removed from the image of “carriers of salvation” (as in Beatrice and Mary) and go back to Eve, “carrier of sin”, or even worse, as visible in countries where Christianity has not been the base of the general cultural choices.
Moreover, the moment countries reject Christianity and go toward a clear atheism, women are pushed to abandon the position of fundamental elements for the construction of the future of humanity, through birth, education and protection of children, in order to attain apparent power and freedom through work and activities that in reality are conducive to a path of social instability and even depopulation.
I don’t know any country where culture is based NOT on Christianity, that have a condition of freedom and equality for women as in the Christian so-called Western World.
DANTE, IN THIS IDEA OF WOMEN, IS NOT AN EXCEPTION, BUT A NORMAL CHRISTIAN THAT UNDERSTOOD THE GOSPEL AS MANY OTHER CHRISTIANS THAT HELPED BUILT OUR SOCIETY.
I think about this: the first sinner we meet personally is a woman, Francesca, with a silent and crying man, and the last person we will meet at the end of Paradiso is a woman, Mother Mary, more than a saint, addressed by Saint Bernard with a petition in favor of Dante’s salvation.
Do you see any connection with the relation between Eve and Mary? What else could give more importance to women for a Christian, but indicate them as pillars of a path of conversion, exalting them all in the final figure of Mary.
Hi Claudia, your comparison between Eve and Mary brings Francesca's drama into a whole new light! And I hadn't really considered before that the first and last characters we encounter with Dante are women, but it makes so much sense given the trajectory of his story. I agree with you about the impact that Christianity has had on elevating women's status in society along with giving us an appreciation for true femininity. While Dante fell under the spell of "courtly love" early in life (which we see in many of his early writings and poems), he definitely matured in his understanding of Christian love over the course of his life and writing (which is why the Commedia is such a great work!). Thanks again for your comments.
Wow!