ABSTRACT

A prominent salonnière, Madeleine de Scudéry (1607–1701) was a prolific author renowned for her novels, literary dialogues, and orations. In her works, she argued that women as well as men were to cultivate the same moral virtues but in ways that reflected differences in gender. She denounced social traditions that oppressed women, such as forced marriage, and defended the liberating value of writing and publication for women.