The New Middle Ages: Italian and English Mystics, Boccaccio, Chaucer, and Beyond

Amsel, Stephanie

Late Medieval Female Subject Consciousness: Italian and English Mystics brings together disparate feminist theoretical approaches to explore the formation of medieval female subject consciousness in writings by female mystics including Angela of Foligno, Catherine of Siena, and Margery Kempe, as well as secular writings of Christine de Pizan, and powerful female characters of Giovanni Boccaccio and Geoffrey Chaucer. The rise of what Amsel calls “medieval female subject consciousness” shows that increased self-awareness and sense of self relates to how the authorship of texts reconstructs traditional female roles, particularly in Italian and English. These writing women challenged prevailing norms as they forged literal and figurative spaces to self-actualize through writing, even if the act of writing was performed by male amanuenses. This book explores how Boccaccio and Chaucer serve as witnesses by creating female characters who reflect changes in women’s writing in late medieval society in Italy and England.

Details

Published by: Palgrave Macmillan

Publication Date: 2026-01-28

Format: Hardcover

ISBN-13: 9783032072313

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-07232-0

Dimensions: 210cm x148cm

Pages: 170