A la recherche d'une figure maternelle: L'image de la mère dans L'œuvre de Christine de Pizan

This essay examines the depiction of the mother in Christine de Pizan's literary works. The author's mother is mentioned in several texts and every time represents an ambiguous attitude towards the position and the role of traditional women in medieval society. This ambiguity concerns primarily the author's personal life, her upbringing and her education. Most importantly however, it leads the poet to search for a role model in various allegorical female figures that she describes throughout her works. By endowing them with maternal characteristics, Christine de Pizan imagines, creates and presents her readers with a positive image of an ideal mother. © 2002 Kluwer Academic Publishers.