Jewish women in literature

The realist authors of nineteenth-century France consistently represent the Jewish woman as the epitome of beauty and intelligence. While glorifying her image, this representation betrays a complex system of social and gender bias. By examining selected works of Balzac, the freres Goncourt, and Maupassant, a nuanced transformation can be traced in the representation of the Jewish woman. As a literary figure negotiating a social system that emphasizes her religious identity, she is celebrated, vilified, and ultimately transformed into a heroine by virtue of her courage rather than her physical attributes.