To what extent has the rise of secularism in popular history depictions of Joan of Arc challenged traditional historiographical perceptions of her? BY ALEX JOHNSON, YEAR 12, 2021 Joan of Arc has traditionally been seen through a religious lens, yet due to the gradual decline of religious influences on historical writing in Western democracies, these interpretations of her have been, according to historian Timothy Thibodeau, “refabricated by pop culture”1 and reflect growing secularity in the historiography of Joan of Arc. This has allowed modern audiences to see Joan outside of the religious sphere as a child, a political rebel, and a vulnerable girl. Joan’s status as a “pliable legend”2 has allowed producers of history to represent her according to their own purpose, methodologies and context. Mark Twain’s 1896 biography, The Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc,3 examined the relationship of Joan’s youth and her actions and valour during the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453), a historically neglected aspect of her life. George Bernard Shaw superimposed his own socio-political rebellion onto Joan of Arc in his 1923 play, Saint Joan,4 portraying her as a revolutionary opposing the Catholic Church and the feudal system. Examining Joan’s crises of faith, Carl Theodor Dreyer in his biopic, The Passions of Joan of Arc (1928),5 used a humanist perspective to dismantle the religious perspective of Joan. In the film duology, Jeannette (2017)6 and Joan of Arc (2019),7 Bruno Dumont challenged modern French usage of Joan as a right-wing, monarchist icon through forming his secular interpretation. Due to the popularity and the accessibility of these secular popular interpretations, they have eclipsed the traditional portrayal of Joan as a religious figure, allowing for greater variety and nuance to emerge within depictions of her.
Joan of Arc (1412-1431) has long been considered a religious martyr and a nationalistic symbol of French victory in the Hundred Years’ War against England. In these orthodox interpretations which formulate the traditional historiography, medieval and early modern European writers defined Joan of Arc through their religious characterisation of her, utilising her religious affiliations to explain her military victory, the Battle of Orléans (1428-1429). However, this traditional view of Joan, observed in texts such as French Philippe-Alexandre de Charmettes’ Histoire de Jeanne d’Arc (1817)8 and Italian Christine de Pizan’s poem, Le Ditie de Jehanne d’Arc (1429),9 has been challenged in modern popular culture— a change prompted by the contemporary emergence of secularism in society. Secular producers of history, such as American author Mark Twain, Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw, and directors Danish Carl Theodor Dreyer and French Bruno Dumont have formulated revisionist, humanist depictions of Joan, resulting in a shift towards secular portrayals of her in the modern age. These portrayals have gradually become prominent in popular culture, challenging the traditional, orthodox views held by French and English writers, due to their accessibility and modern popularity. Thus, secularism has encouraged alternative perspectives of Joan, contesting the orthodox interpretations of her. Joan’s youth was a facet of her life that was predominantly exempt from traditional historiography, yet Twain, in his novel, The Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc, found himself compelled to examine the relationship between Joan’s youth and her actions in the Hundred Years’ War. While The Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc is hagiographic, Twain was taught at a young age to foster a scepticism towards the Catholic worship of saints,10 which culminated in Twain’s emphasis on her youth and her humanity in this text. From the beginning of the “selective biography,”11 Joan is characterised through her childhood nicknames to be “the Brave,” but also “the Bashful,”12 forming a partial divergence from traditional French and English historiography. The intrinsically
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Pymble Ladies’ College
