The Return of Martin Guerre and Gender The Return of Martin Guerre by Natalie Zemon Davis tells us about a man and an imposter, who create this amazing story. This real-life story is about a man leaving his property and family, is one we have heard before, but The Return of Martin Guerre is a tremendously different one that offers a twist on this kind of story. Martin Guerre was a peasant who married a woman from a well-off family, leaves his family and returns years later, but not before sending a man named Arnaud du Tilh to act as him and take his place. Arnaud plays the role of Martin so well that Martin’s wife, sisters, and members of their community in Artigat accept him after his “return.” This book tells us of the trial that Arnaud went through after being accused of not being the real Martin and the return of the real Martin, but it also gives us a little insight to a woman’s life in sixteenth century Artigat, France. Martin’s wife Bertrande was the person who was primarily …show more content…
Before moving to this part of France, Basque women had freedom and were allowed to express their wants deliberately . When the Daguerre family settled in Artigat, Martin’s mother had to change the way she dressed and faced a bit of oppression that she had not experienced in her previous home. She had to assimilate and the whole family had to change their last name to Guerre. Martin’s mother soon learned that she could not be ahead of men when making offerings, could not collect for the vesty in church, and could not serve as a sacristan . Here is where we first learn about women in Artigat and how they faced oppression in that society. Martin’s mother later on teaches Bertrande about how women are supposed to behave and how society treats women . This can tell us that perhaps all women had to teach their daughters and daughters-in-law how to act and what life was like for