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The Literary Salon

The British literary salon evolved from an idea and practice in France. It started as a gathering of men and women who wanted to focus on creating and maintaining an intellectual exchange... [more]

A Brief History

The French Salons The British literary salon owes much to the foundation of such social gatherings in France. [more] Salon as Women's Place These salons became important for women’s social development because they provided an area for women to exhibit their learning. [more] The British Twist English women learned of the value of the salons from their French sisters, mainly due to the influence of French war refugees and the overall communication exchange between the countries. [more]

Educational Process

Early Childhood Education In 18th century England, education was not a formalized process for either gender, as the government claimed no responsibility to educate its citizens. [more] Schooling for Young Women Based on the believed qualities of gender at the time, many educational experts suggested that girls be minimally educated. [more] Continuing Education Women were often not educated after 12 years, as it was thought to irreparably damage their luck in love and spark an insatiable (and highly unfeminine) curiosity. [more]

Gender Roles

Gender Constructs A universal belief in the 18th century was that both women and men naturally possessed distinct characteristics – mainly, that women were biologically, socially and intellectually inferior. [more] Men vs. Women Men were the “stronger” sex – intelligent, courageous and determined. By nature, they were supposed to be aggressive, ruling over their wives and owning all property. [more] 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. [more] Gender Attire Differences [more]