Joan of Arc and Her Relationship with Society - Term Paper Example

Joan was made a leader after passing the board of theologians’ test to allow her fight English troops. Amusingly, she overpowered the enemy’s troops and led a series of triumphant wars along Loire in 1429 (Richey, 37). Joan was given a place of honor in the royal authority when Charles VII was made the king of France the same year. She was incarcerated in 1430 by the Burgundians during in Compiegne near Paris. The charges laid against her were that of witchcraft and sacrilege, and found guilty by a pro-English Bishop of Beauvias.

Joan was later parched at the stake in Rouen market place at age 19. Her death is alleged to be a painful one since King Charles did not attempt to rescue her and later found innocent in her second trial. Her life teaches us to discover factors that make humanity human and be acquainted with human thoughts on search for freedom and relationship with society. 1. Relationship with Society Joan relationship with society was affected by her wearing of male clothes since she claimed that the voices advised her to do so (Blaetz, 77).

The male clothes provided protection against her male colleagues who possibly could rape her when camping. The clothes made Joan flexible enough to lead her troop effectively; hence, the successful wars she accomplished. Many scholars have infer and come up with different assumptions in this topic in relating to society. Joan is depicted as a lesbian or a bi-sexual because of the male clothes she wore by the society. The clothes assisted her to be treated as equal and enter to male dominated world by associating with them easily.

Furthermore, Joan core reason of wearing male clothes was to accomplish God’s mission on the French citizens. Consequently, the male clothes assisted her to fix into the male society comfortably, get acceptance from the people she had come to assist and lastly, to be heard and taken seriously when giving order and suggestions. Consequently, it is established that the male clothes were just a tool she used to attain God’s mission of rescuing the French from the English army. Throughout her trial, the bishop asked her to remove the clothes, but instead refused since she perceived the clothes as a symbol of her loyalty to God.

Her decision to wear the clothes in her trial created a major conflict between her and the society. The major question the society wants to know is whether she denied her womanhood and femininity (Cody & Evert, 268). I think Joan of Arc did not deny her womanhood, since she called herself Jeanne, la Pucelle, which emphasized that she was a virgin and a real woman. Joan relationship with society forced her to spend most of her time sewing and spinning with her fellow women when away from the military camps.

Her main goal was to complete her spiritual task given by the voices (Blaetz, 77). In her task, she avoided alcohol, swearing and womanizing, which are significant values a true woman has in the society. Joan did not shy from stating her skills in doing femininity chores, such as sewing during her trial that proved to all that indeed was conceited to be a woman. Rape is a regular hitch in society and ruin the intimate relationship among the populace, and the life Joan of Arc who spent most of time in the military camps with groups of male soldiers depicts doubts and worries on whether she was raped or not.

Scholars believe that Joan was raped when she was once beaten and attacked.