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Finding the True Self

Finding the True Self

An important shift that occurred around the time of the literary salon was the idea that women could find their true selves by actually defying the existing social and traditional order. Bluestocking women assisted in evolving femininity to be associated with overall industriousness and seriousness in relation to productive work in any given arena. This new class of “feminist intellectual” attempted to make further modifications to female gender roles, without necessarily adopting an active stance. While these intellectuals were a small group, predominantly daughters of professional and aristocratic families, they were willing and able to pursue and master social knowledge and attempt to shift social order to reflect these new gender definitions.

Many Bluestocking women believed that viewing a truer self, and rejecting pre-existing gender identity was a strong attempt to redefine traditional social hierarchy. These feminist intellectuals made contributions to feminist thought; however, true feminists were engaged in distributing and applying the theories of others to their own specific social problems. Feminists and intellectuals worked together to create a mental space that was unoccupied by external social pressures, and instead allowed people to define themselves through a series of reflections and conversations. Bluestocking women suggested that, by refusing their socially constructed place, women would be able to gain access to their true selves and make lasting changes to the existing gender order.