Talk:Belle/@comment-9548674-20180303193951/@comment-34367497-20180911130636

Well, Enlightenment is Enlightenment, but Belle lived in provincial town, not in Paris. While education and idea of liberty flourished among elites, the majority of commoners were illiterable, especially women,they didn't read Bible themselves, and perhaps didn't consider books as a good activity for woman, who shoul cook, give birth to children etc. (ehh...). When it comes to higher-class females, they maybe could write a fairy tale, but not really be engaged in philosophy etc.

A feminist pioneer Marie Olympe Gouges published A declaration of woman's law in 1791, two years after French Revolution. She was executed two years later (not exactly for that, but still)."A citizen" meant "a man" back in these times even among revolutionists, so I'm afraid that in real life Belle would meet a fateworser than being ostracised.