Choose one of the women discussed and decide which of the “syndromes” you think society would have applied to her and why? Do you agree or disagree?
Joan of Arc the Patron Saint of France could have very easily been characterized under many “syndromes” by her society. Joan being a virgin and highly religious could have been viewed under the Chaste Syndrome, she may have been viewed under the Tomboy Syndrome for being a warrior and dressing like a man, or she may have been viewed under the Shame Syndrome for taking command of the French army leading them to defeat over England.
Joan possibly could have been viewed by society under a culmination of all these “syndromes”, being called a Warrior Queen. It is difficult to choose just one of Joan’s abnormality’s or shall I say “syndromes” according to her society, but the Chaste Syndrome describes her the best from my view. Joan being a virgin, which is none of my business or her community’s, and showing a vengeance to God correlates closely to the image of the Virgin Mary. Joan being such a close resemblance to the Virgin Mary would allow her society to classify her under the Chaste Syndrome.
Throughout the classroom reading assignment on Joan of Arc I get the impression she is pristine and wants nothing but to obey the voices of St. Catherine, and St. Margaret. When being interrogated she says, that the voices “told her to fight boldly and God would help her. ” Joan’s society would have hopefully seen her under the Chaste Syndrome, she was one to be revered and emulated much like that of the Virgin Mary. In conclusion, my opinion stands in disagreeing with Joan’s society for one reason, a syndrome is defined as a group of signs and symptoms that occur together and characterized a particular abnormality.
What abnormality did Joan have? Joan’s society should have looked at her as a great woman that offered an abundance of great characteristics to France, not as a virgin tomboy who shamed its men by being a warrior queen. The ignorance of the time period is exemplified during the interrogations o
