TY - BOOK ID - 77881945 TI - The worth of women AU - Fonte, Moderata AU - Cox, Virginia PY - 1997 SN - 1281125636 0226256839 9786611125639 9780226256832 9780226256818 0226256812 9780226256825 0226256820 0226256812 0226256820 9781281125637 6611125639 PB - Chicago, Ill. University of Chicago Press DB - UniCat KW - Women KW - Human females KW - Wimmin KW - Woman KW - Womon KW - Womyn KW - Females KW - Human beings KW - Femininity KW - Social conditions KW - History KW - Early works to 1800 KW - 1450-1600 (Renaissance) KW - Women - Social conditions - Early works to 1800. KW - women, gender studies, italian, italy, europe, european, renaissance, venice, venetian, moderata fonte, modesta pozzo, motherhood, marriage, literature, literary study, femininity, chivalric romance, dialogue, conversation, noblewomen, nobility, nobles, status, private vs public, vernacular, ambition, social expectations, cultural, unity, tradition, fortunes, influence, equality, giustizia delle donne, worth. UR - https://www.unicat.be/uniCat?func=search&query=sysid:77881945 AB - Gender equality and the responsibility of husbands and fathers: issues that loom large today had currency in Renaissance Venice as well, as evidenced by the publication in 1600 of The Worth of Women by Moderata Fonte. Moderata Fonte was the pseudonym of Modesta Pozzo (1555-92), a Venetian woman who was something of an anomaly. Neither cloistered in a convent nor as liberated from prevailing codes of decorum as a courtesan might be, Pozzo was a respectable, married mother who produced literature in genres that were commonly considered "masculine"-the chivalric romance and the literary dialogue. This work takes the form of the latter, with Fonte creating a conversation among seven Venetian noblewomen. The dialogue explores nearly every aspect of women's experience in both theoretical and practical terms. These women, who differ in age and experience, take as their broad theme men's curious hostility toward women and possible cures for it. Through this witty and ambitious work, Fonte seeks to elevate women's status to that of men, arguing that women have the same innate abilities as men and, when similarly educated, prove their equals. Through this dialogue, Fonte provides a picture of the private and public lives of Renaissance women, ruminating on their roles in the home, in society, and in the arts. A fine example of Renaissance vernacular literature, this book is also a testament to the enduring issues that women face, including the attempt to reconcile femininity with ambition. ER -