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From Eve to Dawn #4
From Eve to Dawn: A History of Women in the World, Vol. 4
“The issues [French] raises cannot be ignored. . . . No history you will read, post-French, will ever look the same again.”—The Times (London)
From the author of The Women’s Room, the best-selling novel that defined the issues that ignited the women’s movement, comes a vibrant history of the political revolutions of the twentieth century, ending with a thoughtful investigation into feminist movements throughout the world and into the future.
Marilyn French received her PhD from Harvard and taught at Harvard University and Holy Cross College.
Margaret Atwood is best known for her novels The Handmaid’s Tale and The Blind Assassin.
496 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2008
25 people are currently reading
502 people want to read
About the author
Marilyn French
49 books279 followersShe attended Hofstra University (then Hofstra College) where she also received a master's degree in English in 1964. She married Robert M. French Jr. in 1950; the couple divorced in 1967. She later attended Harvard University, earning a Ph.D in 1972. Years later she became an instructor at Hofstra University.
In her work, French asserted that women's oppression is an intrinsic part of the male-dominated global culture. Beyond Power: On Women, Men and Morals (1985) is a historical examination of the effects of patriarchy on the world.
French's 1977 novel, The Women's Room, follows the lives of Mira and her friends in 1950s and 1960s America, including Val, a militant radical feminist. The novel portrays the details of the lives of women at this time and also the feminist movement of this era in the United States. At one point in the book the character Val says "all men are rapists". This quote has often been incorrectly attributed to Marilyn French herself. French's first book was a thesis on James Joyce.
French was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 1992. This experience was the basis for her book A Season in Hell: A Memoir (1998).
She was also mentioned in the 1982 ABBA song, "The Day Before You Came". The lyrics that mentioned French were: "I must have read a while, the latest one by Marilyn French or something in that style".
French died from heart failure at age 79 on May 2, 2009 in Manhattan, New York City. She is survived by her son Robert and daughter Jamie.
In her work, French asserted that women's oppression is an intrinsic part of the male-dominated global culture. Beyond Power: On Women, Men and Morals (1985) is a historical examination of the effects of patriarchy on the world.
French's 1977 novel, The Women's Room, follows the lives of Mira and her friends in 1950s and 1960s America, including Val, a militant radical feminist. The novel portrays the details of the lives of women at this time and also the feminist movement of this era in the United States. At one point in the book the character Val says "all men are rapists". This quote has often been incorrectly attributed to Marilyn French herself. French's first book was a thesis on James Joyce.
French was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 1992. This experience was the basis for her book A Season in Hell: A Memoir (1998).
She was also mentioned in the 1982 ABBA song, "The Day Before You Came". The lyrics that mentioned French were: "I must have read a while, the latest one by Marilyn French or something in that style".
French died from heart failure at age 79 on May 2, 2009 in Manhattan, New York City. She is survived by her son Robert and daughter Jamie.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 2, 2013
There could be some slightly better editing. For instance, in the start of a section on Russia in the 1970s, French claims that no one died of starvation under the communists. Maybe post-WW II, but I’m not willing to buy such a statement. I wouldn’t buy it about any country in the world.
Still, this last volume is worth reading, though it is far more political centered then the others. The political looks I what makes it worth reading. Though, as in the other three, the history is limited to a few countries. Apparently, there was never feminism in Canada, for instance.
Still I am glad I read it.
Still, this last volume is worth reading, though it is far more political centered then the others. The political looks I what makes it worth reading. Though, as in the other three, the history is limited to a few countries. Apparently, there was never feminism in Canada, for instance.
Still I am glad I read it.
August 4, 2025
Author Marilyn French (1929-2009) is probably best known for her feminist novel, ‘The Women’s Room.’ But her most ‘important’ work is certainly her 4-volume history of women.
She outlines, “Women, at the bottom of every class, oppressed and discriminated against under the old system, remain so in the new. No revolutionary struggle, no matter how vocal its commitment to sexual equality, actually achieved it… Women’s experience in struggle had local particularities, but men’s treatment of women as a caste after the struggle is over is strikingly similar from nation to nation.” (Pg. 19-20)
She summarizes, “In principle, socialism is radical democracy, a philosophy holding that all humans are fundamentally equal... No new philosophy can simply offer equality as a principle. Special efforts must be made to counter ingrained sexism, yet male socialists everywhere, on grounds of practicality, give equality of classes priority over equality of sexes. But it is foolish to imagine that an egalitarian society can be created omitting women… The heartbreaking fact about socialist revolutions is that… they managed only to substitute one elite for another and to change the standards that determine class.” (Pg. 50-51)
In the 1920s, “Sexual freedom meant liberty for men and maternity for women. Wanting sex without responsibility, men charged women who rejected them sexually with ‘bourgeois prudery.” (Pg. 79)
She explains, “Western historians call colonial liberation ‘decolonialization’ suggesting that divestment of colonies was voluntary… But colonized people in Latin America, Asia, and Africa fought for their independence, often against harsh suppression… When European powers finally relinquished their colonies, they substituted economic for political domination and reaped even greater profits. Economic hegemony created what are now called Third World countries.” (Pg. 147-148)
She reports, “Women were central to Gandhi’s nationalist agenda, and he attacked dowry, child marriage, and polygamy. He never derided female chastity, but claimed it was an inner quality, not one imposed by external forms… he insisted that political and social agendas must be promoted simultaneously… he believed in male supremacy and complementary spheres, though he felt that women should be decently treated within them. He urged men to defer to women’s greater knowledge of domestic affairs, and women not to devote their lives entirely to domestic work… He created a special role for women in the nationalist movement that did not compete with men’s but relied on women’s greater moral and spiritual capacity for suffering to serve others. As a result, women thronged to him.” (Pg. 219)
She notes, “When politicians include women in nation-building or development, they usually view them as homemakers, and channel assistance to them through community development and social welfare agencies.” (Pg. 317)
She reports, “Colonialism profoundly and irreversibly altered African society… African men suffered from the collision of African customs and European law… But men’s traditional view of themselves did not change… Men retained dominance over their wives. Women as a group were profoundly changed. African women’s traditional identity was mainly as mothers. Most African societies endowed motherhood with a near-sacred mystique.” (Pg. 323)
She points out, “Colonialism did not really end. It left a legacy in law, in ownership… and above all in borders… It is a cruel irony that exploitive and brutal as colonialism was, what has followed has sometimes been worse… European colonial governments were totally irresponsible … They had every interest in making sure that [the liberated colony] remained reasonably prosperous and was not stripped of all its assets.” (Pg. 347)
She summarizes, “The feminist movement is the most important evolution that has ever occurred on earth. Its nature is so radical that many people, even women themselves, do not perceive it; moreover, it is rooted in qualities so natural they go unspoken… The feminist movement challenges the very root of patriarchy, the idea that one person can be humanly superior to others and entitled to have authority over them. But to create a nonpatriarchal world in the face of 5000 years of patriarchal culture is a massive and overwhelming task. It cannot compassed in a century and a half… It will require years of gradual change, as human values rise to the surface of life after the millennia of suppression.” (Pg. 377)
She states, “Feminism is a global revolution, the most important revolution in philosophical thought since patriarchy emerged. Because it is antipatriarchal, feminism does not conform to patriarchal structures… Feminist acts are immersed in real life: campaigns arise when they are needed, then they fade…” (Pg. 379)
She suggests, “All feminists are in some sense activists, seeking the most effective means to change harmful institutions and practices. But patriarchal laws and customs limit women’s courses of action and render them powerless, voiceless… Before people can act for themselves, they must think for themselves. All societies conceal---mystify---the facts of subjugation, largely though language and religion. Most cultures profess that the sexes are equal… or that women enjoy---or need---subordination. To think otherwise women have to defy their culture. Women who do so… suspect they are mad. Their first strategy is to talk to each other; their second is to read… The third is acting in solidarity with other women on an issue of passionate concern.” (Pg. 401)
She asserts, “Most North American antifeminists are part of a New Right that is a coalition of three main groups: businessmen threatened by changes in capitalism, religious fundamentalists, and groups dedicated to specific issues like abortion…. Antifeminist women … fear a feminist agenda, which they believe devalues the work and security of mothers and wives… Antifeminist women are not fools… Seeing the sexes as virtually separate species, these women cast men into the role of protectors whose manliness depends on their fulfilling this role. They exploit male rivalry and fear of other men to persuade their men to protect them from those men, who are presumed to be predatory or irresponsible.” (Pg. 480-481)
She summarizes, “Feminism is a loose set of beliefs based on the single belief that women matter as much as men. The leaders … do not get chosen by an elite… The power feminism wants is the power to change life… Feminsts are single heterosexuals, married women, women in heterosexual love affairs, single lesbians, lesbians in committed relationships, lesbians in homosexual love affairs, celibate women, and women who move from one type of sexual relationship to another. They are of every color and religion…” (Pg. 488-489)
This series will be of great interest to anyone wanting a woman-focused interpretation of history.
She outlines, “Women, at the bottom of every class, oppressed and discriminated against under the old system, remain so in the new. No revolutionary struggle, no matter how vocal its commitment to sexual equality, actually achieved it… Women’s experience in struggle had local particularities, but men’s treatment of women as a caste after the struggle is over is strikingly similar from nation to nation.” (Pg. 19-20)
She summarizes, “In principle, socialism is radical democracy, a philosophy holding that all humans are fundamentally equal... No new philosophy can simply offer equality as a principle. Special efforts must be made to counter ingrained sexism, yet male socialists everywhere, on grounds of practicality, give equality of classes priority over equality of sexes. But it is foolish to imagine that an egalitarian society can be created omitting women… The heartbreaking fact about socialist revolutions is that… they managed only to substitute one elite for another and to change the standards that determine class.” (Pg. 50-51)
In the 1920s, “Sexual freedom meant liberty for men and maternity for women. Wanting sex without responsibility, men charged women who rejected them sexually with ‘bourgeois prudery.” (Pg. 79)
She explains, “Western historians call colonial liberation ‘decolonialization’ suggesting that divestment of colonies was voluntary… But colonized people in Latin America, Asia, and Africa fought for their independence, often against harsh suppression… When European powers finally relinquished their colonies, they substituted economic for political domination and reaped even greater profits. Economic hegemony created what are now called Third World countries.” (Pg. 147-148)
She reports, “Women were central to Gandhi’s nationalist agenda, and he attacked dowry, child marriage, and polygamy. He never derided female chastity, but claimed it was an inner quality, not one imposed by external forms… he insisted that political and social agendas must be promoted simultaneously… he believed in male supremacy and complementary spheres, though he felt that women should be decently treated within them. He urged men to defer to women’s greater knowledge of domestic affairs, and women not to devote their lives entirely to domestic work… He created a special role for women in the nationalist movement that did not compete with men’s but relied on women’s greater moral and spiritual capacity for suffering to serve others. As a result, women thronged to him.” (Pg. 219)
She notes, “When politicians include women in nation-building or development, they usually view them as homemakers, and channel assistance to them through community development and social welfare agencies.” (Pg. 317)
She reports, “Colonialism profoundly and irreversibly altered African society… African men suffered from the collision of African customs and European law… But men’s traditional view of themselves did not change… Men retained dominance over their wives. Women as a group were profoundly changed. African women’s traditional identity was mainly as mothers. Most African societies endowed motherhood with a near-sacred mystique.” (Pg. 323)
She points out, “Colonialism did not really end. It left a legacy in law, in ownership… and above all in borders… It is a cruel irony that exploitive and brutal as colonialism was, what has followed has sometimes been worse… European colonial governments were totally irresponsible … They had every interest in making sure that [the liberated colony] remained reasonably prosperous and was not stripped of all its assets.” (Pg. 347)
She summarizes, “The feminist movement is the most important evolution that has ever occurred on earth. Its nature is so radical that many people, even women themselves, do not perceive it; moreover, it is rooted in qualities so natural they go unspoken… The feminist movement challenges the very root of patriarchy, the idea that one person can be humanly superior to others and entitled to have authority over them. But to create a nonpatriarchal world in the face of 5000 years of patriarchal culture is a massive and overwhelming task. It cannot compassed in a century and a half… It will require years of gradual change, as human values rise to the surface of life after the millennia of suppression.” (Pg. 377)
She states, “Feminism is a global revolution, the most important revolution in philosophical thought since patriarchy emerged. Because it is antipatriarchal, feminism does not conform to patriarchal structures… Feminist acts are immersed in real life: campaigns arise when they are needed, then they fade…” (Pg. 379)
She suggests, “All feminists are in some sense activists, seeking the most effective means to change harmful institutions and practices. But patriarchal laws and customs limit women’s courses of action and render them powerless, voiceless… Before people can act for themselves, they must think for themselves. All societies conceal---mystify---the facts of subjugation, largely though language and religion. Most cultures profess that the sexes are equal… or that women enjoy---or need---subordination. To think otherwise women have to defy their culture. Women who do so… suspect they are mad. Their first strategy is to talk to each other; their second is to read… The third is acting in solidarity with other women on an issue of passionate concern.” (Pg. 401)
She asserts, “Most North American antifeminists are part of a New Right that is a coalition of three main groups: businessmen threatened by changes in capitalism, religious fundamentalists, and groups dedicated to specific issues like abortion…. Antifeminist women … fear a feminist agenda, which they believe devalues the work and security of mothers and wives… Antifeminist women are not fools… Seeing the sexes as virtually separate species, these women cast men into the role of protectors whose manliness depends on their fulfilling this role. They exploit male rivalry and fear of other men to persuade their men to protect them from those men, who are presumed to be predatory or irresponsible.” (Pg. 480-481)
She summarizes, “Feminism is a loose set of beliefs based on the single belief that women matter as much as men. The leaders … do not get chosen by an elite… The power feminism wants is the power to change life… Feminsts are single heterosexuals, married women, women in heterosexual love affairs, single lesbians, lesbians in committed relationships, lesbians in homosexual love affairs, celibate women, and women who move from one type of sexual relationship to another. They are of every color and religion…” (Pg. 488-489)
This series will be of great interest to anyone wanting a woman-focused interpretation of history.
October 3, 2018
You know, I hate to end a series like this on a negative note, but Jesus did the last book drag. Not entirely the book’s fault, I don’t think, I also got involved in other things that left me less brain space for a book like this, and the confluence of this and political realities both sold this book to me more and made it harder to read. But to be quite honest, I think the last book is the weakest.
Overall about as good a comprehensive feminist history as is likely to be written in my lifetime. It has the flaws of anything that attempts to cover a topic that is as enormous as the history of women’s oppression and their fight against it from as early as there are sources to the modern era: it’s such a big picture that no one could ever cover it justly. But the attempt is still illuminating and persuasive.
Overall about as good a comprehensive feminist history as is likely to be written in my lifetime. It has the flaws of anything that attempts to cover a topic that is as enormous as the history of women’s oppression and their fight against it from as early as there are sources to the modern era: it’s such a big picture that no one could ever cover it justly. But the attempt is still illuminating and persuasive.
March 24, 2021
It makes me sad knowing I will never be able to talk anyone into reading the four volumes of this work. It's not light reading, not even interesting all the way through. It's a great work of research of all the history we can know of women in every part of the world. What a great resource for students and historians. Even though French wrote about the history of feminism in different parts of the world, my favorite was Part Two of Vol. 4, The Twenty-First Century--Dawn, and especially the last chapter of that part, The Future of Feminism. It fired me up. Viva la Revolucion.
December 8, 2020
Read the fascism chapters for my dissertation. Can’t comment on the whole book but those chapters were very interesting and well written.
July 30, 2009
I just couldn't get into this one. Which is really too bad, because I enjoyed the first three volumes.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews