Sunday, November 21, 2004
"My profession is to be free."
"That women differ from men, that heart and intellect are subject to the laws of sex, I do not doubt. But ought this difference, so essential to the general harmony of life, to constitute a moral inferiority? And does it necessarily follow that the souls and minds of women are inferior to those of men, whose vanity permits them to tolerate no other natural order?" George Sand
"What will become of the world when all women are like George Sand?" Balzac
I am happy today, mostly because I found, and purchased, an English translation of "Consuelo" by George Sand.
"George who?" comes the plaintive voice out of the darkness of the big ole internet(s).
Ah. Let wikipedia elucidate on my behalf.
"But that's a fairly obscure thing for you to know, Zuckerbaby. How on earth did you find out about her? I thought you were all about the pop culture, not some cultured French feminist who shagged famous composers and wrote romantic and political novels and hung out with Victor Hugo! Say it ain't so! It's like the world is all askew. And cockeyed!"
Hmmm. Best not to mention here that I occasionally groove along to Chopin, eh? That's going to completely blow whatever popcred I have. Good thing I didn't mention it then.
Oops.
That aside, glad you asked.
My fascination with this wonderful, complex, forthright and feminist woman is all due to a teenage crush on Hugh Grant.
No. Really. Bear with me on this one, it starts making sense eventually. And, thankfully, it's all due to a movie. ("Ah, see. I knew you were all about the pop culture.")
In 1991(ish) I went to see "Impromptu". Not because I had any interest in the content, but because said object of teenage crush was starring in it.
Unfortunately, said object of teenage crush was hampered by the combination of a more-than-usually-floppy-yet-boofy hairdo and one of the more ridiculous attempts at a Polish accent that it has been my misfortune to encounter. And I've encountered some ridiculous attempts at accents (*cough* Van Helsing *cough*).
Fortunately, "Impromptu" also starred Judy Davis, Julian Sands (yes, I said "fortunately", people. I've watched "Boxing Helena" and I still harbour a fondness for him. Which, admittedly, is my problem, not yours), Mandy Patinkin, Bernadette Peters and Emma Thompson, and remains one of my favourite films.
And yet more fortunately, I left the cinema after the film with a burning desire to find out about George Sand. Her life is more fascinating than her novels, and I wondered why, having been raised as a feminist, I had never heard of her.
A major part of the reason I had never heard of her, I suspect, is because her novels essentially tanked in England when they were originally released there, and trying to find English translations is pretty darned difficult (thus my happy at finding one today).
Luckily, I found her novels in the local library (praise libraries!!), and I also found her autobiography "History of My Life". I discovered that she had been involved in the French Revolution of 1848. Her salon in Paris had involved Balzac, Delacroix, Flaubert and many other great artists. Her funeral oration was written by Victor Hugo. She had flouted convention by living apart from her husband, dressing in male fashion, and having affairs - often with younger men. She supported herself with the written word - at which she was prolific, producing anywhere between 50 and 70 published works.
I became so enamoured of George Sand, and of her times, that I wanted to replicate her as far as I could. I remember saying to my uncle that I wanted to "dress like George Sand." He pointed out to me, quite reasonably, that I already did. Of course, at the time, I just got sulky, and mumbled something about how "that's not what I meant", before leaving in a teenage huff.
But now I get it. And I'm thankful.
I wear trousers. I have short hair. I smoke in public. I own my sexuality and the choices I make as to how I use it. I have a well paid job. I am unmarried and live out of home. I have the right to vote. I have control over my reproductive rights (for the moment). I alone am responsible for, and make, the decisions that take me through life.
And for that, I thank George Sand, and every other woman who has had the bravery to reject the role that society has decreed is hers. I raise a toast to all the feminists, past and present, and am thankful that I am in their ranks.
Seriously, rent the movie, ignore the awful accent and occasional scenery chomping moments, find "History of My Life" or one of the many biographies, and discover this beautifully unconventional woman.
"What will become of the world when all women are like George Sand?" Balzac
I am happy today, mostly because I found, and purchased, an English translation of "Consuelo" by George Sand.
"George who?" comes the plaintive voice out of the darkness of the big ole internet(s).
Ah. Let wikipedia elucidate on my behalf.
"But that's a fairly obscure thing for you to know, Zuckerbaby. How on earth did you find out about her? I thought you were all about the pop culture, not some cultured French feminist who shagged famous composers and wrote romantic and political novels and hung out with Victor Hugo! Say it ain't so! It's like the world is all askew. And cockeyed!"
Hmmm. Best not to mention here that I occasionally groove along to Chopin, eh? That's going to completely blow whatever popcred I have. Good thing I didn't mention it then.
Oops.
That aside, glad you asked.
My fascination with this wonderful, complex, forthright and feminist woman is all due to a teenage crush on Hugh Grant.
No. Really. Bear with me on this one, it starts making sense eventually. And, thankfully, it's all due to a movie. ("Ah, see. I knew you were all about the pop culture.")
In 1991(ish) I went to see "Impromptu". Not because I had any interest in the content, but because said object of teenage crush was starring in it.
Unfortunately, said object of teenage crush was hampered by the combination of a more-than-usually-floppy-yet-boofy hairdo and one of the more ridiculous attempts at a Polish accent that it has been my misfortune to encounter. And I've encountered some ridiculous attempts at accents (*cough* Van Helsing *cough*).
Fortunately, "Impromptu" also starred Judy Davis, Julian Sands (yes, I said "fortunately", people. I've watched "Boxing Helena" and I still harbour a fondness for him. Which, admittedly, is my problem, not yours), Mandy Patinkin, Bernadette Peters and Emma Thompson, and remains one of my favourite films.
And yet more fortunately, I left the cinema after the film with a burning desire to find out about George Sand. Her life is more fascinating than her novels, and I wondered why, having been raised as a feminist, I had never heard of her.
A major part of the reason I had never heard of her, I suspect, is because her novels essentially tanked in England when they were originally released there, and trying to find English translations is pretty darned difficult (thus my happy at finding one today).
Luckily, I found her novels in the local library (praise libraries!!), and I also found her autobiography "History of My Life". I discovered that she had been involved in the French Revolution of 1848. Her salon in Paris had involved Balzac, Delacroix, Flaubert and many other great artists. Her funeral oration was written by Victor Hugo. She had flouted convention by living apart from her husband, dressing in male fashion, and having affairs - often with younger men. She supported herself with the written word - at which she was prolific, producing anywhere between 50 and 70 published works.
I became so enamoured of George Sand, and of her times, that I wanted to replicate her as far as I could. I remember saying to my uncle that I wanted to "dress like George Sand." He pointed out to me, quite reasonably, that I already did. Of course, at the time, I just got sulky, and mumbled something about how "that's not what I meant", before leaving in a teenage huff.
But now I get it. And I'm thankful.
I wear trousers. I have short hair. I smoke in public. I own my sexuality and the choices I make as to how I use it. I have a well paid job. I am unmarried and live out of home. I have the right to vote. I have control over my reproductive rights (for the moment). I alone am responsible for, and make, the decisions that take me through life.
And for that, I thank George Sand, and every other woman who has had the bravery to reject the role that society has decreed is hers. I raise a toast to all the feminists, past and present, and am thankful that I am in their ranks.
Seriously, rent the movie, ignore the awful accent and occasional scenery chomping moments, find "History of My Life" or one of the many biographies, and discover this beautifully unconventional woman.
