ABSTRACT
There are three interconnected aspects of the form of The Book of the City of Ladies which are central to a rich and complex interpretation of the moral defense of women it offers: her argumentative technique, its presentation of moral truths, and the way it requires reader involvement. Central to Christine's de Pisan "defense" of women is her critique of the misogynist images and ideals of the literary and religious traditions. Yet Christine is not simply critiquing these images and ideals in order to dismiss them, instead she transforms and controls them through her allegory of the city so that, ultimately, these images are transformed from being oppressive to being a liberation for women. The use of the allegorical form brings with it a specific notion of the appropriate presentation of the truths of a text.
