There are two reasons why Christine is humble and acts gullible during the beginning of the text. She is poking fun at the men’s positions while making it clear that they don’t know what they are talking about. This is best characterized by the lines “And I finally decided that God formed a vile creature when He made woman, and I wondered how such a worthy artisan could have deigned to make such an abominable work… (172)”. Through her actions, the reader is able to predict that the men’s ideas and positions will be negated through a clever argument.
One of the ways in which Christine emphasizes her early actions is through repetition. She often repeats that “… all the philosophers and poets and from all the orators… it seems as though they all speak from one and the same mouth (172)”. Another repetitious thought is that “… I relied more on the judgment of others than on what I myself felt and knew (172)”. This is important contemplation because it sets the stage for the “Three Ladies” to come in and bring Christine back to her original position.
To defend women Christine uses the visit of the “Three Ladies”. These Ladies are sent by God to help those in need. It is difficult to argue against these Ladies, sent by God, as they right a wrong. These Ladies are imposing figures and have the ability to speak with reason in such a way that it is difficult to find fault with what they say. They emphasize that “… these same philosophers contradict and criticize one another… (174)”. If this is true, which we are told it is then none of their opinions of women can be correct.
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