Precieuses

By: Caty Millar and Alyssa Fowler

Who are the Precieuses?

While France was under the rule of Louis XIV, comical and intelligent women often attended the salon of Catherine de Vivonne to escape the royal courts mannerism. The women, les precieuses, wrote romantic novels that embodied the preciosite style of literature.

What is the French Literary Style Preciosite?

In the 17th century, the precieuse women began to write and speak in preciosite. When womens roles were prominent, the style of writing was preciosite. To describe preciosite, it would relate to the hardships that France encountered, and through the network of literature. It was a witty style of writing.

The Precieuses and the Salons.

The Precieuses went to the salons. At the salons, the intellectual women would sit together and write novels. The novels were filled with feminine writing, romance, and elegance. The romance connected the medieval courtly love, which is a type of love that is kept secret within noble people.

What influence did the prcieuses have on the arts at the time of Cyrano (and Molire)? The precieuses influenced the way that noble people appreciated literature. The preciosite style of writing was not only romantic but it also refined the womens outlook on artful and elegant writing. It affected fairy tales and plays.

What conditions bound their behavior and freedom?

Men had negative thoughts on feminism and were opposed to the preciosite literature. Money was also an issue because the women were mostly middle class. The government thought it was inappropriate for women to speak their minds.

Catherine de Vivonne, Madam de Rambouillet

Catherine de Vivonne was a salon hostess for the precieuse women. She had a huge impact on French literature in the 17th century.

Salon
A Salon is a gathering where an inspiring or important hostess has people over and they gain knowledge of literature. The salons were entertaining and educational.

Works Cited
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pr%C3%A9cieus es http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_de_Viv onne,_marquise_de_Rambouillet http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salon_(gathering)