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The Visionary Queen argues that sixteenth-century noblewoman Marguerite de Navarre is more than a French author, political figure, or non-schismatic religious reformer. She is a visionary, as demonstrated in her efforts to better society, especially for women, in her literary writings (notably the
Heptaméron), in her writings’ responses to her male contemporaries, and in the symbolism of the labyrinth reflected in her life and works.
List of contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction. Marguerite de Navarre:
The Visionary Queen Part I: Labyrinthine Motifs in Marguerite's Era, Endeavors, and Spiritual Outlook
1. The Labyrinth as Structure and Symbol:
From Experience to Writing in the Medieval and Early Modern Contexts 2. From the Labyrinth, a Vision:
Competing Influences on Marguerite's Religious, Political, and Creative Endeavors 3. "We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight":
Exegesis, Pilgrimage, and Labyrinthine Connections in the Reformation Part II: The
Heptaméron as Textual Labyrinth
4. Into the Labyrinth:
Mirroring Sin, Prompting Reform 5. Down Tortuous Paths:
Exploring Approaches to Justice and Reform 6. Above the Labyrinth:
A Higher Vision for Reforming the Self and Society Conclusion. The Empirical Reader at Labyrinth's End:
Responding to Marguerite's Vision Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the author
THERESA BROCK is assistant professor of French Studies at Smith College. She received her PhD from Penn State and has published articles on women writers, literary genre, and religious studies in the early modern era, with particular emphasis on the sixteenth century.
Summary
Affirms Marguerite de Navarre’s status not only as a political figure, author, or proponent of non-schismatic reform, but also as a visionary. In her life and writings, the queen of Navarre dissected the injustices that her society and its institutions perpetuated against women.
