In Book One of Confessions, Jean-Jacque Rousseau’s writings reveal many of his interactions with women from an early age and the impacts they made on his development into a young man. While critics debate on Rousseau’s view of women and their place within society, some argue that given his earlier work he tended to view women as inferior to men and that they belonged in the home for child-rearing. In fact, he was even known to have argued with Mary Wollstonecraft on whether women should be educated just like men. Interestingly, his views seem “inconsistent in educating women to be submissive and dependent, given his emphasis on the value and importance of equality, self-sufficiency, and freedom” with the Enlightenment movement and what he reveals in his Confessions (Weiss 81). His memoirs seem to show him in a different light and shows that he did not think of women merely as inferior and destined for the house since he writes about the many women that contributed to his personal growth. These women ultimately left impressions on him that contributed to his passion for music, his own sexual awakening, his understanding of love, and the rediscovery of his love for reading which lead him to leave his job in order to fully embark on his writing pursuits. Because of his writings on many well-educated and often times sexually experienced women in the first book of Confessions, proves that Rousseau expresses a progressive view on women within society since he writes about them admirably and possibly superior to men, which disproves any notion that he viewed women as inferior.
The first woman Rousseau writes in detail about is his Aunt Susan who cared for him when he was a young boy while his father was away. In Rousseau’s memoir he expresses a high admiration for his aunt and states: “I am convinced that it is to her I owe the taste, or rather passion, for music, which only became fully developed in me a long time afterwards” his realization on the impact his aunt made in his passion for music begins to reveal how he views the impact that women can make as he is fascinated with her repertoire of songs she sang to him when he was a boy (Davis 376). His admiration is further expressed with his declaration of the fact that this “excellent woman’s cheerfulness of soul banished dreaminess and melancholy from herself and all around her” goes to show his awe of a woman and her abilities to impact others around her since she can affect the mood of a situation (376). This awe that Rousseau expresses towards his Aunt Susan is not something a man with views of women as inferior would express especially in his memoir since he would not have devoted writing about his Aunt in the first place. Here he gives her acknowledgement for making an impact in his life, specifically to his discovery of a passion for music. Furthermore, as his memoir continues it is evident that,
“the women to whom Rousseau appealed most strongly were often those who, because of their superior gifts and idealistic expectations, were least able to content themselves with the limited role he prescribed for them” (Trouille, “The Failings of Rousseau's Ideals” 455)
or, in other words, Rousseau is fascinated with the abilities that women can have including talents or ideas that men do not necessarily possess. He also seems enamoured with his aunt’s gift of song and her knowledge of music even though he was initially a novice of musical knowledge. His expressed admiration towards his aunt proves that Rousseau did not view women as inferior and he does not condemn them for having talents that he or other men may not possess. He even appreciated his aunt’s ability so much that it triggered him to expand his knowledge of music and find a passion for it as well as he grew older.
Another woman that made an impact in Rousseau’s personal development and alludes to the fact that he did not view women as inferior was the headmistress at his boyhood boarding school in Bossey, Mademoiselle Lambercier. Lambercier is the individual that initiates his sexual awakening through punishments of being hit or humiliated. He expresses that “nothing troubled me more than to observe signs of restlessness and dissatisfaction on Mademoiselle Lambercier’s face” or she made Rousseau aware of his internal feelings and his sexual desires (Davis 384). He even goes further to share that when he was hit or humiliated out of punishment, and notes that her “chastisement made me still more devoted to her who had inflicted it” and he even felt a sense of a “mixture of sensuality” and he becomes aware of a “precocious sexual instinct” or otherwise known as his own sexual awakening into adulthood (384). The detail that Rousseau gives over his memoirs on his interactions with Mademoiselle Lambercier are a bit bizarre given that he was a young boy and she was an authority figure at the school, the masochistic feelings he experiences contributes to his own sexual awareness and transition to adulthood. Rousseau’s interaction with Lambercier undermines the argument that he was misogynistic and that the argument of “knowledge in women and other ‘masculine’ traits make them unappealing, even threatening, to men” and that “love and learning are incompatible and mutually exclusive domains” since Mademoiselle Lambercier plays both roles as a mother figure and a disciplinarian (Trouille, “The Failings of Rousseau's Ideals” 465). He shares that his view on Mademoiselle Lambercier as of “the safety of a person whom I loved as a mother and, perhaps, even more” and this admiration for Mademoiselle goes to show that he does not view women as inferior and rather he seems to find admiration that a woman can play a nurturing role yet also take on a masculine role as an authoritative disciplinarian (Davis 384).
The third experience that he meticulously writes about is his dual love affair with Madame de Vulson and her daughter, Mademoiselle Goton. He contributes these affairs to acquainting himself of the “two very distinct and very real kinds of love, which have scarcely anything in common, although both are very fervent, and which both differ from tender friendship” (387). The affairs he has with both of the women shows a further level to his sexual awakening but he also finds fascination with the sexual power women have, thus undermining the argument that “Rousseau’s position […] reflects his belief in women’s inferiority and that it is simply a sign of the times in which he wrote” since he goes in depth on Madame de Vulson and Mademoiselle Goton’s promiscuity that he experiences with them (Weiss 81). He writes on the one love affair with de Vulson:
“I could have spent all my life with Mademoiselle de Vulson, without ever thinking of leaving her; but, when I approached her, my joy was tranquil and free from emotion. I loved her above all fashionable society; the witty sallies, railleries, and even the petty jealousies attracted and interested me; I felt a pride and glory in the marks of preference she bestowed upon me in the presence of grown-up rivals whom she appeared to treat with disdain. I was tormented, but I loved the torment. The applause, encouragement, and laughter warmed and inspirited me. I had its passion and broke out audacious sallies” (Davis 388).
Rousseau’s writing on de Vulson expresses admiration and the view that she could be a longer-term relationship. He even seems to be enraptured and empowered that she chose him over other, more mature rivals. The expression he gives off in the passage proves that he did not see women as inferior since de Vulson clearly is the one in control of their affair and he seems to even become a slave to this experience since he even shares that he could have spent his entire life with her and he finds himself lost in its passion and breaking out in audacious sallies or what seems like childish giddiness. On the other hand, the affair Rousseau has with the daughter, Mademoiselle Goton serves more as a merely physical, short-term geared relationship since he does not really find her neither attractive nor as well-versed compared to her mother. However, like her mother, he notes that Goton “had a proud and commanding air, which suited her part admirably, and which in fact had suggested the first idea of it to us” (388). Again with Rousseau acknowledging his admiration for the young Goton as the one initiating their love affair undermines the criticism that Rousseau believed in women’s inferiority since both de Vulson and Goton clearly knew what they wanted and were not afraid of openly expressing their sexual desires to men—which is also rather progressive and even scandalous act for Rousseau to even write about during his time even though affairs were not rare events. These women both seem to be illustrated even a sort of masculine power since they both controlled the relationships with Rousseau.
The last woman that Rousseau acknowledges in his first book of Confessions is Madame La Tribu, “a well-known lender of books”, whom he reveals made him rediscover his love of reading (396). Although she does not come off as domineering or authoritative as the other women that he wrote about. She appears to be an individual that he admires for being well read and lending her books to him which seems to put him back in line after his affairs and sexual experiences. He admires her for curing him of “childish and knavish propensities” by his passion for reading (397). In addition, he writes it “filled my heart with nobler sentiments than those with which my sphere of life had inspired me” and this epiphany he has of reconnecting with his lost passion of reading from his youth causes him to leave his job and fully pursue writing (397). Although La Tribu’s impact may not have been conveyed as powerful than to his experiences with his sexual awakening, her impact nonetheless is the most important since she is the one who brought back his lost passion and talent for literature. The description he gives of Madame LaTribu coming in to Rousseau’s place of work all on her own and interacting with the men at the business also undermines the argument that in “Rousseau’s view, women are by nature denied not only the right, but even the desire for freedom” (Trouille, “Sexual Politics in the Enlightenment” 17). This woman, Madame LaTribu, that he admires and writes about clearly does not embody this misogynistic view since she comes and goes as she pleases to the office and she is not shy to interact with the businessmen or even lend her property, books, to enlighten them.
Overall, Rousseau comes across with progressive views on women during his time even though it may not be as obvious in some of his previous works. The first book in his Confessions undermines any misogynistic argument critics may have of him since this section of his memoir is completely devoted to his personal growth that was shaped by interactions he had with women. If he did not admire these women or even viewed them as inferior, he would not have devoted so much time to express in meticulous detail of his interactions with them and the impacts they all made on him. For instance, right at the start his admiration for his Aunt Susan is dutifully noted as he admits to being in awe despite how long its been since he was a boy that his aunt had such a repertoire for music and acknowledges that this woman is who spurred his life long passion for music. Madame Lambercier, de Vulson, and Mademoiselle Goton is to whom he acknowledges their authoritative abilities to be in control, yet also be able to express love, and even sexual prowess. These three women are whom he attributes to giving him his sexual awakening and in a way a transition into adulthood as he was growing up and he comes across again in admiration for the sexual power and influence these women can have over him for their own needs and desires. Lastly, Madame LaTribu proves again Rousseau’s admiration for women to have more freedom than remaining in the house since this woman gets involved with business affairs at his office and likes to share in her well-read abilities through the lending of her books. Moreover, her generosity and freedom to interact with businessmen also impresses and fascinates Rousseau since she comes across as an equal to her male counterparts. The detailed writings on the many well-educated and experienced women in the first book of Confessions, proves that Rousseau views women admirably and possibly even superior to their male counterparts and disproves any notion that he viewed women as inferior.