Olympe de Gouges and the Emergence of a New Sense of Self - Research Paper

Introduction

The society, as well as the laws governing it, is capable of shaping people's perspectives about themselves. For example, some communities value societal needs over individual needs. Such views are shaped by the norms and the values of society. The declaration of man's right and the French revolution brought a new perspective of how people viewed themselves.

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A new sense of self emerged as a result of gender activists. Olympe arose to challenge the 1789 declaration for man's rights, terming it as unfair to women. Olympe highlights the key challenges that are not addressed by the constitution (De Gouges, 2019). During her time, women had no right to vote, to own property, and to participate in public debates, among others. De Gouges (2019), accuses men of being distinct from all other created things. She reminds them of how created beings exist mutually. Her works gave other women the courage to stand and fight for their rights.

Freedom of speech led people to speak their minds. The declaration of man's right in 1789 gave man the freedom of speech, which they called the right to proper communication (Jellinek, 2018). The right enabled people like Olympe to express how they felt about the government. She showed her contribution to what she thought would constitute good governance (De Gouges, 2019). However, the freedom of speech had no much attention at that time since Olympe was later charged with treason for proposing new rights of women. Freedom of speech is much respected in 21st CenturyCentury. People feel important and part of society when they are allowed to freely express their thoughts through songs, play, and media.

The right to participate in any practice that is not harmful gave people the freedom to live a private life. According to Jellinek (2018), the declaration provides people the right to do everything they want as long as it is not harmful to another individual or society. People could freely join any religion and practice any other activity without the interference of the government. The government used to control the life of people to the extent that people were unable to live a private life. People who are fighting for LGBT families are quoting this declaration. The group claims that their activities are not harmful to anybody, and therefore they should be protected by the law.

The end of racism brought the acceptance of all individuals as equal. The 1789 declaration extended the civil rights to Jewish people (Jellinek, 2018). Previously, the Jewish were treated as lesser beings because of their race, and they had no right to vote or to own property. The Jewish therefore lived as if they were in bondage, and they were unable to advance their interest. The declaration of man's right brought self-esteem and acceptance of the Jewish community. Many people stated accepting themselves regardless of their race, and they no longer saw themselves as lesser human beings.

The proposed declaration for women's rights made women view themselves as essential members of society. Olympe's play stirred the minds of women to consider their place in society (De Gouges, 2019). In her play, she is telling women to wake up from the idea that there are specific jobs for men and others for women. She proposes that women people should be given community responsibility accruing to their talents and capabilities and not according to their gender and race. Though she was later killed, a revolution of women arose to protest for their rights in the whole world.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the new sense of self seen in the era of the revolution was attributed to many factors. People protested against various injustices that prevented them from realizing their full potential. As a result, various constitutional changes were made, which allowed individuals to have a sense of belonging. Women recognized that they are essential members of society, and they deserve to be treated equally with men. The inclusion of the Jewish community in the declaration of man's right removed the racism barrier that had made some men be seen as inferior to others.

References

Declaration of the Rights of Woman, 1791. Retrieved 16 December 2019, from https://csivc.csi.cuny.edu/americanstudies/files/lavender/decwom2.html

Jellinek, G. (2018). The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens. BoD-Books on Demand.