Book SummaryNormal Women, by Philippa Gregory

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Normal Women

The historical events and transformations have deeply shaped the paths, societal roles, and life experiences of women in Britain.

The Norman invasion resulted in significant changes to the legal and property rights of women.

In her book, Gregory underscores how historical events within England were pivotal in transforming the roles, societal standing, and life experiences of women, frequently to their disadvantage. Gregory emphasizes how the Norman Conquest in 1066 significantly altered the trajectory of English women's history, signifying a crucial turning point beyond just a shift in rulership.

The shift from the Anglo-Saxon legal traditions, where women had the right to possess property, to the Norman laws that made women legally dependent on men.

Before the Normans established their rule, the societal hierarchy in England, although patriarchal, afforded women more legal rights than they would have under Norman authority. In Gregory's portrayal, women are depicted as having autonomy over land ownership, control of their wealth, the freedom to select their spouses and successors, and the capacity to engage in diverse occupations and commercial activities. They fulfilled their civic and financial responsibilities by managing estates and composing their wills, in addition to signing their names. The author notes that Wynfled bequeathed to her female heirs not only land and valuable possessions but also people who were in servitude and enslaved.

The establishment of the Norman legal framework considerably reduced the freedoms that women once enjoyed. Norman rule established the concept of femme couvert, which effectively subsumed a woman's legal identity into that of her husband's, stripping her of independence and handing over control of her possessions and any earnings she might have to her spouse. Gytha Thorkilsdottir, who was once a landowner with vast holdings, is depicted in the narrative as a maternal figure to King Harold and as someone whose properties were seized by the invading Normans. This began a period during which women from England faced persistent societal and legal obstacles, the repercussions of which resonated throughout history.

The introduction of feudalism resulted in diminished land ownership rights for numerous Anglo-Saxon women, as it generally elevated the status of male dominance.

Gregory emphasizes the significant imbalance that emerged in land ownership following the invasion. In England's Anglo-Saxon era, a considerable proportion of women were landowners, with a few holding territories as vast as their male counterparts. William the Conqueror ordered an assessment of wealth within his new domains, which showed that women's landownership had significantly decreased compared to the period prior to his conquest, as documented in the survey known as the Domesday Book.

After the conquest, the allocation of land reinforced a feudal system dominated by male authority. The system of inheritance put in place by the Norman conquerors ensured that the eldest son would inherit the family estate, often resulting in daughters receiving little to no inheritance. This practice further reduced women's participation in the economy by prohibiting their ownership of land. The writer highlights the decline in the amount of land owned by women, especially in regions like Essex and certain areas in the North of England, pointing out that Norman laws lessened women's economic participation.

The Black Death pandemic resulted in the collapse of feudal systems, thereby paving the way for new prospects for women.

Gregory portrays the disaster, often referred to as the Black Death, as more than just a devastating epidemic. During this period of profound social transformation, the severe immediate consequences inadvertently laid the groundwork for women's progress.

As feudalism's influence waned and the pool of available laborers shrank, women stepped into roles that had been left unoccupied.

The catastrophic impact of the Black Death resulted in a significant reduction of the workforce and precipitated a deep transformation in societal hierarchy. Gregory emphasizes the transition into a period when women started to occupy roles that were once predominantly male-dominated, including involvement in farming, skilled trades, business, and community governance positions. The feudal system's inherent disorganization granted women enhanced leverage to negotiate better terms for their labor and property contracts.

The author provides the compelling story of Olivia Cranmer, a serf's daughter, who became an independent landowner and successful farmer after her male relatives perished in the plague. During this period, the number of single women rose markedly, a shift attributable to the consequences of widespread disease, which disrupted usual marriage practices and thus provided women with greater autonomy and control over their personal matters.

Women saw their wages rise and encountered more opportunities to initiate businesses and take possession of land.

The pandemic, often referred to as the Black Death, led to higher wages for men and women due to a shortage of workers. However, Gregory suggests that when freed from the constraints of medieval servitude, women became more adept at negotiating and securing equal pay for work of comparable worth. In some instances, women managed to secure earnings that exceeded the financial gains of their male counterparts, highlighting their crucial economic contributions following the outbreak.

In this period, a significant rise was observed in the instances of women coming into possession of and receiving property as inheritance, while they also took an active role in business ventures and significantly bolstered the urban economic landscape. The writer thoroughly describes how women's involvement in different guilds expanded, highlighting their growing financial autonomy. Women secured more...

Normal Women Summary The idea of "Separate Spheres" had a profound impact on societal norms regarding the schooling of women, their participation in the workforce, and their domestic duties.

The development of separate spheres for various activities.

The concept of dividing labor by sex, originating from the times of ancient Greece and continuing through the era of Victorian convictions about the intrinsic distinctions between genders.

In her work, Gregory delves into the societal construct of differing roles based on gender, investigating its origins in the philosophies of ancient Greece and tracking its evolution across various epochs and societies. She argues that these convictions solidified and justified gender inequalities, shaping social norms and limiting the spectrum of acceptable behaviors and roles for people according to their sex.

The notion that the public domain was the realm of men, whereas the private sphere was reserved for women, originated from the philosophies of intellectuals like Aristotle, who argued that the intrinsic qualities of men and women were fundamentally different. The holy texts emphasized the secondary status of women and highlighted their key duties as partners in marriage and as parents. Throughout history, this ideology crystallized into a strict structure that depicted men as logical beings naturally suited for...

Normal Women Summary Throughout history, women have struggled to gain access to education, employment opportunities, political involvement, and legal recognition.

Efforts to pursue learning

Throughout history, women have persistently pursued their right to higher education and career training, starting from the time when female monastics established centers of learning during the medieval period, particularly during the Victorian era.

The author highlights the persistent struggle to enhance educational opportunities for women throughout history, showcasing the establishment of academic institutions for women in the face of societal obstacles and the intense advocacy for their inclusion in educational institutions that were once exclusively for men. Throughout the medieval era, as monasteries emerged as centers of scholarly activity, and continuing into the Victorian period when women campaigned for entry into higher education and professional fields, Elizabeth Gregory charts a history characterized by both resistance and achievement.

The author emphasizes the different tactics women used to surmount barriers to their learning, such as joining their brothers in their studies, seeking guidance from teachers and mentors, self-educating via literature, and establishing collectives centered on the empowerment of women. Women's...