✒️
Sara E. Melzer, and Leslie
Rabine, eds., Rebel Daughters:
Women and The French
Revolution
CH 4,5 ,12
INCORRUPTIBLE MILK; BREAST FEEDING AND
FRENCH REVOLUTION
This passage discusses the politicization of breast-feeding during the
French Revolution, focusing on the symbolic and cultural meanings
associated with maternal nurture. The author explores the historical context
of wet-nursing, the Enlightenment's advocacy of maternal breast-feeding,
and its intersection with the symbolic realm of revolutionary allegories.
Key points in the passage:
1. Politicization of Breast-Feeding: The author reflects on a 1791
communication from women citizens of Clermont-Ferrand to the French
National Assembly, where they claimed to feed their children with
"incorruptible milk" symbolizing liberty. This statement prompts a
consideration of the symbolic and political aspects of breast-feeding
during the French Revolution.
2. Wet-Nursing as a Social Institution: The text acknowledges that wet-
nursing was a social institution and a state-regulated industry during the
eighteenth century. It was not just a personal matter but also had
implications for the economy and family dynamics, particularly among the
urban artisan class.
Sara E. Melzer, and Leslie Rabine, eds., Rebel Daughters: Women and The French Revolution 1
, 3. Enlightenment Advocacy of Maternal Breast-Feeding: The author
suggests that Enlightenment writings on maternal breast-feeding should
be seen as reflecting changing cultural attitudes towards mother-infant
relations and family structures. Rousseau's influence is noted, with a
focus on the symbolic implications of breastfeeding in the context of
revolutionary thinking.
4. Symbolic Realm of Revolutionary Signs: The passage delves into the
symbolic realm of the French Revolution, exploring the allegories and
festivals that featured representations of the Republic as a nursing
mother. The author argues that questions about the relationship between
historical practices and cultural symbols become particularly complex in
this symbolic realm.
5. Contradictions and Ambivalences: The author points out that women
during the French Revolution were simultaneously viewed as guarantors
of the family and of an "incorruptible" sign-system. This involves an
analysis of contradictory and ambivalent deployment of the symbolic
figure of the breast-feeding mother.
Overall, the author aims to explore the multifaceted meanings and implications
of breast-feeding within the historical, cultural, and symbolic contexts of the
French Revolution.
The passage discusses the depiction of Rousseau in eighteenth-century
engravings, examining his advocacy for maternal breast-feeding in "Emile"
and its contradictions with his own life choices. It explores Rousseau's call
for a return to breast-feeding, his idealization of the maternal nurse, and the
complexities surrounding the abandonment of his own children. The
passage further delves into the implications of Rousseau's views on
swaddling, wet-nursing, and the establishment of a regulated system for
breast-feeding.
Depiction of Rousseau in Engravings:
Two eighteenth-century engravings depict Rousseau in various symbolic
scenarios promoting maternal breast-feeding.
One engraving portrays Rousseau as "l'homme de la nature" presenting a
nosegay to a nursing mother, emphasizing the return to nature and
happiness.
Sara E. Melzer, and Leslie Rabine, eds., Rebel Daughters: Women and The French Revolution 2
, Another engraving from 1784 depicts Rousseau as a sensitive philosopher
guiding charity to support breast-feeding mothers, referencing
Beaumarchais's charity initiative.
Rousseau's Advocacy for Breast-Feeding in "Emile":
Rousseau's work "Emile" condemns socialite mothers for neglecting
their maternal duties and advocates for the idealized figure of the
maternal nurse.
The text erases economic conditions supporting wet-nursing and
replaces the socialite mother with an imaginary natural family
characterized by mutual love.
Rousseau's own life choices, including abandoning his children to the
Foundling Hospital, create a contradiction in his self-representation as a
man of nature.
Contradictions and Issues in Rousseau's Views:
Rousseau's apology for abandoning his children suggests an underlying
subtext, revealing a social issue tied to high infant mortality rates
associated with abandonment.
The passage discusses Rousseau's argument that surrendering children to
the Foundling Hospital aligns with an idealized, classless parental state,
concealing the problems associated with child abandonment.
Rousseau's Critique of Wet-Nursing and Swaddling:
Rousseau criticizes the practices of swaddling and wet-nursing,
attributing negative effects on the infant's psychic state and moral
development.
The wet-nurse is portrayed as a mother-substitute, suspect in
Rousseau's eyes, and class division becomes a symbolic nexus for
institutionalized alienation between mother and child.
Ideological Implications and Ambiguities:
Rousseau's advocacy for maternal breast-feeding aligns with
conservative views, reinforcing traditional gender roles and relegating
mothers to a secondary nurturing role.
"Emile" suggests that no mother can be considered good enough,
contributing to a broader fear of corruption and endemic issues within
Sara E. Melzer, and Leslie Rabine, eds., Rebel Daughters: Women and The French Revolution 3
Sara E. Melzer, and Leslie
Rabine, eds., Rebel Daughters:
Women and The French
Revolution
CH 4,5 ,12
INCORRUPTIBLE MILK; BREAST FEEDING AND
FRENCH REVOLUTION
This passage discusses the politicization of breast-feeding during the
French Revolution, focusing on the symbolic and cultural meanings
associated with maternal nurture. The author explores the historical context
of wet-nursing, the Enlightenment's advocacy of maternal breast-feeding,
and its intersection with the symbolic realm of revolutionary allegories.
Key points in the passage:
1. Politicization of Breast-Feeding: The author reflects on a 1791
communication from women citizens of Clermont-Ferrand to the French
National Assembly, where they claimed to feed their children with
"incorruptible milk" symbolizing liberty. This statement prompts a
consideration of the symbolic and political aspects of breast-feeding
during the French Revolution.
2. Wet-Nursing as a Social Institution: The text acknowledges that wet-
nursing was a social institution and a state-regulated industry during the
eighteenth century. It was not just a personal matter but also had
implications for the economy and family dynamics, particularly among the
urban artisan class.
Sara E. Melzer, and Leslie Rabine, eds., Rebel Daughters: Women and The French Revolution 1
, 3. Enlightenment Advocacy of Maternal Breast-Feeding: The author
suggests that Enlightenment writings on maternal breast-feeding should
be seen as reflecting changing cultural attitudes towards mother-infant
relations and family structures. Rousseau's influence is noted, with a
focus on the symbolic implications of breastfeeding in the context of
revolutionary thinking.
4. Symbolic Realm of Revolutionary Signs: The passage delves into the
symbolic realm of the French Revolution, exploring the allegories and
festivals that featured representations of the Republic as a nursing
mother. The author argues that questions about the relationship between
historical practices and cultural symbols become particularly complex in
this symbolic realm.
5. Contradictions and Ambivalences: The author points out that women
during the French Revolution were simultaneously viewed as guarantors
of the family and of an "incorruptible" sign-system. This involves an
analysis of contradictory and ambivalent deployment of the symbolic
figure of the breast-feeding mother.
Overall, the author aims to explore the multifaceted meanings and implications
of breast-feeding within the historical, cultural, and symbolic contexts of the
French Revolution.
The passage discusses the depiction of Rousseau in eighteenth-century
engravings, examining his advocacy for maternal breast-feeding in "Emile"
and its contradictions with his own life choices. It explores Rousseau's call
for a return to breast-feeding, his idealization of the maternal nurse, and the
complexities surrounding the abandonment of his own children. The
passage further delves into the implications of Rousseau's views on
swaddling, wet-nursing, and the establishment of a regulated system for
breast-feeding.
Depiction of Rousseau in Engravings:
Two eighteenth-century engravings depict Rousseau in various symbolic
scenarios promoting maternal breast-feeding.
One engraving portrays Rousseau as "l'homme de la nature" presenting a
nosegay to a nursing mother, emphasizing the return to nature and
happiness.
Sara E. Melzer, and Leslie Rabine, eds., Rebel Daughters: Women and The French Revolution 2
, Another engraving from 1784 depicts Rousseau as a sensitive philosopher
guiding charity to support breast-feeding mothers, referencing
Beaumarchais's charity initiative.
Rousseau's Advocacy for Breast-Feeding in "Emile":
Rousseau's work "Emile" condemns socialite mothers for neglecting
their maternal duties and advocates for the idealized figure of the
maternal nurse.
The text erases economic conditions supporting wet-nursing and
replaces the socialite mother with an imaginary natural family
characterized by mutual love.
Rousseau's own life choices, including abandoning his children to the
Foundling Hospital, create a contradiction in his self-representation as a
man of nature.
Contradictions and Issues in Rousseau's Views:
Rousseau's apology for abandoning his children suggests an underlying
subtext, revealing a social issue tied to high infant mortality rates
associated with abandonment.
The passage discusses Rousseau's argument that surrendering children to
the Foundling Hospital aligns with an idealized, classless parental state,
concealing the problems associated with child abandonment.
Rousseau's Critique of Wet-Nursing and Swaddling:
Rousseau criticizes the practices of swaddling and wet-nursing,
attributing negative effects on the infant's psychic state and moral
development.
The wet-nurse is portrayed as a mother-substitute, suspect in
Rousseau's eyes, and class division becomes a symbolic nexus for
institutionalized alienation between mother and child.
Ideological Implications and Ambiguities:
Rousseau's advocacy for maternal breast-feeding aligns with
conservative views, reinforcing traditional gender roles and relegating
mothers to a secondary nurturing role.
"Emile" suggests that no mother can be considered good enough,
contributing to a broader fear of corruption and endemic issues within
Sara E. Melzer, and Leslie Rabine, eds., Rebel Daughters: Women and The French Revolution 3
