[ Followups | Post Followup | History 101 Discussion Forum | Help ]

Abstract: Men and Fatherhood

Posted by Lindsay Theile on February 26, 2001 at 20:51:06:

Lindsay Theile
February 27, 2001
History 101
Mr. Schwartz

Main Point: Parenting styles changed dramatically during the eighteenth century from a style of father who was to be feared by his children, to a style of father who was more affectionate and understanding with his children. As well, the role of the father transformed from the role of a decision maker, to the role of an opportunity bearer. This dramatic change is illustrated through Pierre and Edme in Restif’s My Father’s Life.

Historical Change: Restif, through My Father’s Life, illustrates the changes which take place in the parenting style from Pierre’s generation, to Edme’s generation. Pierre raises his children during the time when society believed that “fathers, then, were to be feared. Love for a father meant fear of a father” (Poster, 227). Pierre gains respect from his children, through his harsh reprimands and high expectations that they obey and revere him. In contrast to Pierre, Edme raises his children during the time when “the treatment of children in Sacy had undergone a significant change” (Poster, 234). He lets his children have more freedom in making their own choices and decisions.

Representation by Observer: Restif depicts Pierre, his grandfather, as a very strict and regimented father. He shows him as a man who is the sole decision maker in the family and he does not allow his children to make the major choices in their lives. Edme cries, “I shall obey you father, were it to be the death of me,” (Restif, 45) in reference to Pierre ordering Edme to leave Rose Pombelins and marry Marie Dondaine, a tremendous turning point in a young man’s life. However, when depicting Edme, Restif’s own father, Restif portrays an understanding, caring father who wants his children to learn the consequences of their actions and give them many opportunities. “Whereas Pierre was a hide-bound traditionalist, his son [Edme] was a forward-looking agent of change” (Schwartz, 17). Edme, in contrast to Pierre, wants his children to explore and learn as much as they can about life. Encouraging them to venture to Paris he exclaims, “the huge city offers an unending spectacle, in which the scenes change every instant and with every step one takes” (Restif, 129). It is clear that Pierre wanted to control his children’s lives and Edme motivated them to make their own decisions and explore life, illustrating a major change in parenting between their generations.

Reality of the Observed: In reality, sources show that Edme was not as saintly a father or man as Restif depicted him. Restif creates an ideal society and portrays his father as an exemplary man, in order to make a statement like his mentor, Rousseau. Schwartz comments, “Echoing his mentor [Rousseau], Restif presented his homage as a just celebration of a new kind of heroism” (Schwartz, 5). His goal was to represent the peasant life as honorable and wonderful, therefore he paints Edme as the perfect human being who cannot do wrong. Restif gives Edme saint like qualities and mirrors his image after characters in modern romances, therefore selecting “the events of his father’s life that best represented his admirable character” (Schwartz, 6). In addition, Poster states, “With some exaggeration, to be sure, Nicolas presents an idealized picture of his father’s [Edme’s] paternal loyalty” (Poster, 227). Clearly, Restif did not render Edme entirely accurately. He may have been truthful in his observations, but in order to depict peasant life in a favorable light, he chose only to include the positives.

Historians’ differing interpretations: It seems that most of the historians we have read are in agreement that there was a change in parenting styles between Pierre and Edme. However, the reasons which they offer are differing.
Charlton describes the extensive change which patriarchy went through, saying, “Patriarchal control within the family grew weaker, and young gained more freedom to choose their own pattern of life and, most notably, their own spouse” (Charlton, 138). This is prominently shown in My Father’s Life when Edme allows his children more freedom to make key decisions in their lives. Also, Charlton notes that during Pierre’s time, “the practice of beating, whipping, abusing, and scolding children as being ‘almost universal’,” (Charlton, 143) whereas during Edme’s time, a father was more willing to “naturally and readily feel affection for his children” (Charlton, 169).
Poster similarly describes the changing role of fathers, but does make it clear that “Patriarchy was the rule in Sacy as elsewhere in eighteenth-century French village life” (Poster, 225). He goes more in depth, declaring that it was natural for children to be “afraid of men, not just [of their] father, but all the men of Sacy” (Poster, 227). Poster calls the new fatherhood style “the new regime,” (Poster, 234) obviously showing that there was a “new” time period and that family life had undergone a significant change. Poster supports his ideas with My Father’s Life and clearly states that “a patriarch like Edme could be loved my his children, at least a little, whereas Pierre could only be feared” (Poster, 235).
Schwartz agrees with these two perspectives, in relation to the changes between Pierre and Edme’s parenting, yet he shows why Restif represented his father as “a new kind of hero” (Schwartz, 1). He explains that “in writing about his father, he was more determined than ever to challenge negative characterizations of peasantry” (Schwartz, 2). Therefore, Schwartz is showing us that it is unclear how much of My Father’s Life is a correct representation of real and true father’s in eighteenth century France.

Connections: Father Besnard, in Souvenirs d’un Nonagenaire, does comment that “the gentleness of manner of men and women alike that words and, with all the more reason, acts of brutality were extremely rare within families” (Besnard, 151). Besnard’s observation of peasant life was published in 1880; therefore, I am interpreting this observance to have occurred during Edme’s child raising years, showing that there was not a lot of physical, or even verbal, cruelty.

Works Cited

Besnard, F.Y.. Souvenirs d’un Nonagenaire. Paris: Librairie H. Champion, 1880.

Bretonne, Rétif de la. My Father’s Life. Trans. Richard Veasey. Great Britain: Alan Sutton Publishing Limited, 1986.

Charlton, D.G.. New Images of the Natural France: A Study in Europena Cultural History 1750- 1800. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1983.

Poster, Mark. “Patriarchy and Sexuality: Restif and the Peasant Family.” The Eighteenth Century. 1984.

Schwartz, Robert M.. The Peasant as Hero: Rousseau, Restif de la Bretonne, and the Representation of Rustic Virutes. 1999.

Followups

Post a Followup

Name:
Email:

Subject:

Comments:
: Lindsay Theile : February 27, 2001 : History 101 : Mr. Schwartz : Abstract: Men and Fatherhood : Main Point: Parenting styles changed dramatically during the eighteenth century from a style of father who was to be feared by his children, to a style of father who was more affectionate and understanding with his children. As well, the role of the father transformed from the role of a decision maker, to the role of an opportunity bearer. This dramatic change is illustrated through Pierre and Edme in Restif’s My Father’s Life. : Historical Change: Restif, through My Father’s Life, illustrates the changes which take place in the parenting style from Pierre’s generation, to Edme’s generation. Pierre raises his children during the time when society believed that “fathers, then, were to be feared. Love for a father meant fear of a father” (Poster, 227). Pierre gains respect from his children, through his harsh reprimands and high expectations that they obey and revere him. In contrast to Pierre, Edme raises his children during the time when “the treatment of children in Sacy had undergone a significant change” (Poster, 234). He lets his children have more freedom in making their own choices and decisions. : Representation by Observer: Restif depicts Pierre, his grandfather, as a very strict and regimented father. He shows him as a man who is the sole decision maker in the family and he does not allow his children to make the major choices in their lives. Edme cries, “I shall obey you father, were it to be the death of me,” (Restif, 45) in reference to Pierre ordering Edme to leave Rose Pombelins and marry Marie Dondaine, a tremendous turning point in a young man’s life. However, when depicting Edme, Restif’s own father, Restif portrays an understanding, caring father who wants his children to learn the consequences of their actions and give them many opportunities. “Whereas Pierre was a hide-bound traditionalist, his son [Edme] was a forward-looking agent of change” (Schwartz, 17). Edme, in contrast to Pierre, wants his children to explore and learn as much as they can about life. Encouraging them to venture to Paris he exclaims, “the huge city offers an unending spectacle, in which the scenes change every instant and with every step one takes” (Restif, 129). It is clear that Pierre wanted to control his children’s lives and Edme motivated them to make their own decisions and explore life, illustrating a major change in parenting between their generations. : Reality of the Observed: In reality, sources show that Edme was not as saintly a father or man as Restif depicted him. Restif creates an ideal society and portrays his father as an exemplary man, in order to make a statement like his mentor, Rousseau. Schwartz comments, “Echoing his mentor [Rousseau], Restif presented his homage as a just celebration of a new kind of heroism” (Schwartz, 5). His goal was to represent the peasant life as honorable and wonderful, therefore he paints Edme as the perfect human being who cannot do wrong. Restif gives Edme saint like qualities and mirrors his image after characters in modern romances, therefore selecting “the events of his father’s life that best represented his admirable character” (Schwartz, 6). In addition, Poster states, “With some exaggeration, to be sure, Nicolas presents an idealized picture of his father’s [Edme’s] paternal loyalty” (Poster, 227). Clearly, Restif did not render Edme entirely accurately. He may have been truthful in his observations, but in order to depict peasant life in a favorable light, he chose only to include the positives. : Historians’ differing interpretations: It seems that most of the historians we have read are in agreement that there was a change in parenting styles between Pierre and Edme. However, the reasons which they offer are differing. : Charlton describes the extensive change which patriarchy went through, saying, “Patriarchal control within the family grew weaker, and young gained more freedom to choose their own pattern of life and, most notably, their own spouse” (Charlton, 138). This is prominently shown in My Father’s Life when Edme allows his children more freedom to make key decisions in their lives. Also, Charlton notes that during Pierre’s time, “the practice of beating, whipping, abusing, and scolding children as being ‘almost universal’,” (Charlton, 143) whereas during Edme’s time, a father was more willing to “naturally and readily feel affection for his children” (Charlton, 169). : Poster similarly describes the changing role of fathers, but does make it clear that “Patriarchy was the rule in Sacy as elsewhere in eighteenth-century French village life” (Poster, 225). He goes more in depth, declaring that it was natural for children to be “afraid of men, not just [of their] father, but all the men of Sacy” (Poster, 227). Poster calls the new fatherhood style “the new regime,” (Poster, 234) obviously showing that there was a “new” time period and that family life had undergone a significant change. Poster supports his ideas with My Father’s Life and clearly states that “a patriarch like Edme could be loved my his children, at least a little, whereas Pierre could only be feared” (Poster, 235). : Schwartz agrees with these two perspectives, in relation to the changes between Pierre and Edme’s parenting, yet he shows why Restif represented his father as “a new kind of hero” (Schwartz, 1). He explains that “in writing about his father, he was more determined than ever to challenge negative characterizations of peasantry” (Schwartz, 2). Therefore, Schwartz is showing us that it is unclear how much of My Father’s Life is a correct representation of real and true father’s in eighteenth century France. : Connections: Father Besnard, in Souvenirs d’un Nonagenaire, does comment that “the gentleness of manner of men and women alike that words and, with all the more reason, acts of brutality were extremely rare within families” (Besnard, 151). Besnard’s observation of peasant life was published in 1880; therefore, I am interpreting this observance to have occurred during Edme’s child raising years, showing that there was not a lot of physical, or even verbal, cruelty. : Works Cited : Besnard, F.Y.. Souvenirs d’un Nonagenaire. Paris: Librairie H. Champion, 1880. : Bretonne, Rétif de la. My Father’s Life. Trans. Richard Veasey. Great Britain: Alan Sutton Publishing Limited, 1986. : Charlton, D.G.. New Images of the Natural France: A Study in Europena Cultural History 1750- 1800. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1983. : Poster, Mark. “Patriarchy and Sexuality: Restif and the Peasant Family.” The Eighteenth Century. 1984. : Schwartz, Robert M.. The Peasant as Hero: Rousseau, Restif de la Bretonne, and the Representation of Rustic Virutes. 1999.

Optional Link URL:
Title of Link:
Optional Image URL: