Comprehend the Women in the Middle Ages from The Parisian Household Book

Abstract

The late Middle Ages is a crucial period in the history of Western Europe for the transition to modern times. The social outlook of this period has changed a lot compared with the previous times. People who were in this context have generated their own expressions corresponding to the society at this time, mainly manifested as the change of views and values. This paper is aim at selecting the material called The Parisian Household Book (Le Mnagier de Paris) to do primary source analysis, then extensively collecting other documents about women, marriage and family in the Middle Ages for a more comprehensive interpretation. Through the research, we know the living conditions of urban women in the late medieval ages and the requirements of family or society to them from this instruction manual. Meanwhile, the following conclusions are drawn: in medieval marriage, both husband and wife had rights and obligations to fulfill. Some men with high social status taught their wives to manage the family well in order to maintain the stability of their class. For women, those who came from the countryside to the city were willing to accept such guidance, because these might become favorable tools for the improvement of their social standing.