Title: Sexual politics in the Enlightenment
First published: 1997
Description: Sexual Politics in the Enlightenment constitutes the first book-length feminist study of Rousseau's sexual politics and the reception of his works by women readers. By today's standards, Rousseau's sexual politics appear reactionary, paternalistic, even blatantly misogynist; yet, among his female contemporaries, his works often met with enthusiastic approval and had tremendous impact on their values and behavior.

To probe Rousseau's paradoxical appeal to eighteenth-century readers, Mary Trouille examines how seven women authors responded to his writings and sexual politics and traces his influence on their lives and works. The writers include six Frenchwomen (Roland, d'Epinay, Stael, Genlis, Gouges, and an anonymous woman correspondent who called herself Henriette) and the English feminist Mary Wollstonecraft.
Subjects: Feminism and literature, Influence, History and criticism, Criticism and interpretation, Sex role in literature, French literature, Women authors, Women and literature, Enlightenment, History, Rousseau, jean-jacques, 1712-1778, French literature, women authors, French literature, history and criticism, 18th century
Places: France
People: Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)
Time periods: 18th century
LC classification: PQ2053 .T74 1997