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"Do not allow grass to grow on the road of friendship."
-Marie Therese Rodet Geoffrin

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She died on October 6, 1777 of a yearlong illness.

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Geoffrin was a devoted Christian and her saloon had been an "institution for democratic sociability" meaning that women had the right to join and express their opinions on the government. Her salon had a view of political and social matters. She became interested in what the human mind was capable of from hearing philosophers' opinions. She also strongly encouraged self education, especially for women.

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Madam Geoffrin was born in Paris in 1699. She was an orphan living with her grandmother. Her grandmother encouraged self education and prepared her for responsibility in the future. She later got married to a fifty year old named Pierre Francois Geoffrin and gave birth to a son and daughter. Madame Geoffrin started to become an active Paris citizen at the age of 50. She was known as "The women of the Salon" because she was a French Enlightenment Salonnierre.

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Pittsburgh Assistance Center for Educators and Students

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The content on this page was compiled by ninth-grade students as part of a PACES workshop. Grammatical and content accuracy errors have not been fixed as these paragraphs reveal "works in progress". Such edits will be discussed with the students at a later date. To protect student privacy, we use code names to indicate authors.
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Biographical Background, By Group E10

During the Enlightenment, Madame Marié Geoffrin influenced a lot of women by leading them through this rough time. Marié was born on June 29th, 1699 in Paris, France. Her mother died a year after she was born, forcing her and her brother to live with their grandmother. They lived on the Rue Saint-Honoré, which is the department in France where there was local government administration. After living there for 14 years, her grandmother arranged for her to marry Francois Geoffrin. when they married, Marié was only fourteen years old, while Francois was fourty-nine. Their marriage tells how different life was for women in the 1700's. Once Marié was eighteen, she started attending her neighbors, Madame de Tencins afternoon gatherings for women. The gathering starts to play a large role in Marié's life. Once Madame de Tencins passed away, Marié took over running the salon. Since the Enlightenment was occurring at the time, the gatherings the women attended discussed topics that created a lot of thinking for the women. Her afternoon gatherings attracted many different people, she even welcomed Frenchmen. In conclusion, Marié Geoffrin helped lead and support the people during the Enlightenment. Eventually, in the end, the French Revolution took away the gatherings destroying a lot of social abilities.

Sources Consulted: History data base search/ / Reill, Peter Hanns, Ellen Judy Wilson; Find a / findagrave.com / Anne Philbrick

Work and Theories, by Group E11

Madame Marie Thérèse Rodet Geoffrin has often been referred to as of one of the most prominent, female figures of the French Enlightenment. She was a benefactor, a person that gives money to another person or cause. Also, she was a salonniére. A salonniére was a renowned person that held meetings at salons, which were like our current-day coffee shops or bars. By holding get-togethers for famous thinkers at her salon, she was able to contribute greatly to the support and spreading of new ideas. Madame Geoffrin shunned disharmony, but she respected the process of civilized conversation, and she harnessed runaway egos. Additionally, she monitored a strict focus among her guests and made sure they didn't stray from their usual conversations that regarded educated thoughts ( /). Many philosophers, artists, musicians, and writers met at her salon. Furthermore, she took part in conversation, while monitoring them. Without the meetings held at her salon, the attendees wouldn't have been able to share their ideas. In that case, they would not have became as well-known as they deserved to be. Madame Geoffrin made it possible for brilliant ideas, inventions, and techniques to become a grand addition to the French Enlightenment. With her passion being education, Madame Geoffrin successfully played her part in spreading several intellectual subjects throughout the nation of France. http://ic.galegroup.com

Sources Consulted: Cengage Learning, Gale Biography in Context, Marie Therese Geoffrin, Gale Staff,
Published 2006

Reactions from Others, by Group E12

In the 1700s, Marie Geoffrin was praised by many. Many people loved her for giving people money and hosting the salons. In contrast, people disliked her for her gender. At this time, people thought woman could not do anything well. Women should not be involved in political things, or big decisions that would eventually affect the world. She challenged authority by getting involved with the public. Geoffrin's salon was a meeting place for writers and men involved with the Enlightenment. Sometimes Geoffrin would disguise herself so she could listen in on the talk about the Enlightenment. During the French Revolution, the church took away her salon due to the fact that people worked on things that went against the church practices. Marie Geoffrin was a very influential woman figure in our history.

Aftermath and Impact, by Group E13

According to Mt. Holyoke students, "With a personality that was tactful, kindhearted, tender, honest, and generous, it was no wonder that Madame Geoffrin's motto was: To give and Be forgiven." Her salon was one of the wonders of the social world." ( https://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/rschwart/hist255s01/paris_homework/Mme_Geoffrin.html) Madame Geoffrin was born in Paris in 1699. She was orphaned at a young age and lived with her grandmother. Her grandmother encouraged self education, or teaching yourself how to do things. Her education helped her become a smart and tactful salon host. She was the host of salons, or buildings where French Enlightenment speakers could gather and exchange intellectual ideas ( https://sites.google.com/site/madamegeoffrinwomanofsalon/home/biography). She was a significant woman in European history. This is because she was recognized for her support of the influential era of the Enlightenment. She was a wonderful listener. She also knew how to get other people to talk their best ( https://sites.google.com/site/madamegeoffrinwomanofsalon/home/biography). In conclusion, Madame Geoffrin greatly influenced the role of women in salons. This is because of her commitment to keeping the salon open as a place where people could share ideas. Without her salons, ideas in Europe would not have spread as fast as they did because of her.

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The content on this page was compiled by ninth-grade students as part of a PACES workshop. Grammatical and content accuracy errors have not been fixed as these paragraphs reveal "works in progress". Such edits will be discussed with the students at a later date.

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- being recognized to support the  influential era of the Enlightenment
- demonstrates the importance of 19th century women
-she was so famous, she was even seen writing letters back and forth to Catherine The Great and Voltaire