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Helen Maria Williams wrote several letters about her experiences in France. She describes the emotional climate just after the French revolution. We see through her imagery the sacrifices of the citizens, the strength of the women, and political and historical consequences of assassinating the King of France.
In a letter about the “Depiction of the Federation” Williams describes the sacrifices citizens from all walks of life made to erect The Champ De Mars into an amphitheatre. “Twenty days[‘] labour, animated by the enthusiasm of the people, accomplished what seemed to require the toil of years. Already in the Champ De Mars the distinctions of rank were forgotten; and, inspired by the same spirit, the highest and lowest orders of citizens glorified in taking up the spade, and assisting the persons employed in a work on which the common welfare of the sate depended.” (Page 38). I immediately imagined people of all walks of life mingling together digging. After a long while of working, it would be difficult to tell them apart, all equally sweating and dirty. The scene in my head had men acting like comrades as they drank water from a wooden ladle out of the same bucket, slapping each other on the back, huge smiles on their faces while laughing and cheering. Williams’ comment gives us an idea of the electricity in the atmosphere.
Helen Maria Williams held the women of France in high regard. Her comments regarding the sacrifices made by the women of France show us her admiration for their deeds. “The number of those who have murmured at the loss of rank, bears a very small proportions to those who have acted with a spirit of distinguished patriotism; who with those generous affections which belong to the female heart, have gloried in sacrificing titles, fortune, and even the personal ornaments, so dear to female vanity, for the common cause”. (page 41) Do you hear the admiration in her voice for these women? I cannot begin to equate this to modern times, but we could probably start with no makeup, hair products, designer clothes, and handbags and not come close to the sacrifices these women made. She later explains the role of women in the French revolution. “The women have certainly had a considerable share in the French revolution for, whatever the imperious lords of the creation may fancy, the most important events which take place in this world depend a little on our influence; and we often act in human affairs like those secret springs in mechanism, by which, though invisible, great movements are regulated.” (page 41). There is a very small but powerful word in that last statement; that word is our. Williams speaks of “our influence,” because women no matter status tend to stick together in our plight against a common enemy, men.
In life, we must be accountable for the consequences of our actions. Williams talks about historical consequences for the assassination of Lewis the Sixteenth. She acknowledges the evidence of the king’s guilt and her confidence that history will also condemn him. Her concern lies in the guilt of his accusers. “But Lewis the sixteenth will not stand alone at the bar of posterity. His judges also must appear at the tribunal; on them, also, the historian will pass sentence.” (page42). She goes on to explain that the king was not only stripped of his rights to the monarchy, but of his rights as a citizen, as they are not mutually exclusive. This seems eerily close to home for our generation. Lewis the sixteenth did commit many crimes against his people. How is his execution different from what we did to Osama Bin Laden? We were his trial, judge, and jury. I am not saying his death was not warranted. What will the historical consequences for his death be for our country? Where do we draw the line in the future? The leader of Iraq received a trial before his execution. How will Bin Laden’s execution dictate our actions against future antagonists? Did we open a can of worms or put a lid on one?
Helen Marie Williams offers us a firsthand account of the atmosphere in France following one of the most important political events in history. She provides us with personal accounts as well as raising important questions to consider regarding France’s history.
***remember be nice in your responses! I am very patriotic and celebrate the fact that my father is a veteran and my son wants to join the Navy.
On your question of Osama Bin Laden, I really can't see any consequences for his death in battle. He did die in battle. War was waged on terrorism and he was well aware that he was at war with the United States and other nations. He hid as well as he could and he went down with his comrades in a blaze of glory when his hiding place was found.
ReplyDeleteIf he were still alive and were to live for another fifty years, he would still scheme to commit acts of terrorism and he would still finance those acts to the best of his means and ability. The only consequence of his death is that no one knows who has taken his place...yet.
As concerning the women of the French Revolution...I too admire them just as much as I admire the women of the American Revolution and the American women of World War II, or the women of any country that has ever fought for a righteous cause.
I too loved William's descriptions of the women, and agree that very little has occurred without feminine influence. However, I disagree than men are a common enemy. I would argue that the sisterhood that grows between women is instead built instead on deep empathy that comes from a common perspective. This echoes the the reasoning behind Willaim's passion for the revolution. Because of shared beliefs and principles, she can identify with women (and people in general) of another country. By including descriptions of the women, Williams shows that this truly is a universal movement in France, involving both men and women. Also, I would argue that because both play important roles, the two genders are being equalized in the new enlightened society.
ReplyDeleteA key difference between the deaths of Louis the 16th and Osama Bin Laden is that Louis the 16th was sentanced to death by his own people. We as outsiders (with good cause) pursued Osama Bin Laden. Louis's actions were aimed at maintaining the power and country that he inherited. Osama Bin Laden's goals were directly aimed at hurting innocent people (including his own soldiers and civilians). Who is to say that Osama Bin Laden would not have been given a fair trial had his men not opened fire on the American troops? And even if he had been given a trial, he would have been given a death sentence. A trial would just be going through the motions. Was Sadam Hussein ever going to be acquitted? Did Louis ever really have a chance? Their crimes were different, but the trials were all the same. As to your question of worms, I think we did both. We stopped one man, one out of ... do we even know how many? And we incurred their wrath, and perhaps even a little international scorn. Only time will tell whether we did more good or harm.
Joan,
ReplyDeleteVery good first blog post! I very much like the way you focus on a particular author and text in this section, and devote close attention to specific passages in that text. You effectively point your reader's attention to the specific words in those passages, and raise very intriguing questions about their possible meanings. I also like the way you connect the content of one quotation to events in our own world. All of these strategies in writing and communicating your insights and observations help make for an interesting and thought-provoking post (as indicated by your responder's comments). Nice job, and keep it up!
First, I will say that I do not care much for politics or current events. I love your comments, but I think the most interesting part is Williams' statement, "the historian will pass sentence". Looking back at the other comments on this blog, you can see this process in action. Whatever the truth of the event is, people who review it and comment after have the power to change perception. When you look at history, each battle fought is different depending on whether the tale is told by the winning or the losing side. I think it is interesting that what you have started here continues the process. The ideas and comments y'all have made after the event add to it and change it for future generations. In effect, we have become the historians. . .
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