Women and Anarchism Nadine by Louise Michel and The Bad Shepherds by Octave Mirbeau

Despite the prejudices against women, which even spread in libertarian circles, in the late 19th century, some women writers began to write plays in which they openly addressed feminist issues. There were writers such as Louise Michel who did not explicitly resort to the propaganda methods of social protest theater to draw attention to women’s emancipation. In fact, the “Red Virgin” creates conscious characters who, far from being deprived of their feminine attributes, are no less courageous than men in the struggle against the injustices of this world. The approach with which the author portrays her vivid and passionate characters also recalls that of Octave Mirbeau, who, while having some misogynistic texts to his credit, does not hesitate to paint portraits of strong and uncompromising women in his theater, ready to compete with their male counterparts.