To the Scaffold: The Life of Marie Antoinette by Carolly Erickson: Book Analysis

To the Scaffold: The Life of Marie Antoinette, written by Carolly Erickson, presents the life story of one of history's most famous queens. At a young age, she became the queen-consort of France, ruling along a husband - King Louis XVI - who was somewhat inept for the role of monarch. She has often been portrayed as frivolous, overly extravagant woman, yet Erickson's biography attempts to present a more humane and sympathetic portrait. In some ways, she is successful; in others, not so successful.

To the Scaffold begins with the birth of Marie Antoinette - originally named Maria Antonia Josephina Johanna - or rather a description of the day she entered into the world. Erickson provides a clear portrait of the type of woman the future queen had for a mother. Maria Theresa, ruler of the Austrian Empire, was a highly intelligent and efficient woman, as evidenced by the fact that she was engaged in handling state affairs as she suffered the labor pains that would soon bring her youngest daughter into the world.

Like a true politician Empress Maria Theresa had managed to successfully create a dual personality. On the one hand, she ruled her empire with great political acumen that was often considered to be a gift bestowed on men only. On the other hand, she made it a priority to emphasize her femininity. This she accomplished through her prolific childbearing, as well as through maintaining an impeccable and fashionable appearance. As Erickson writes of the Empress: "Her good looks were an asset, and she knew it; she used her femininity, as great queens of the past had done, to arouse her subjects' protective instincts and win their hearts as well as their respect" (Erickson, 13).

As the early chapters progress, Erickson provides a view of the early years of Marie Antoinette's life. She and her many siblings were educated in what their mother felt to be the most important. For the young girls, the focus would be on transforming them from immature schoolgirls to respectable and presentable young women. Therefore, "the girls...were kept innocent, encouraged in their religious devotions, their sexual curiosity discouraged" (Erickson, 32). The boys were treated quite different in all regards. The reason for this: it was the way of the world. Therefore, they would be prepared for the possibility of one day assuming the throne, and all the perks that went with it. To that end, their education was a bit more rigorous than that of their sisters, as was the norm.

There was one drawback to this situation. Whereas the older children had had the benefit of having their mother be quite involved in their studies, and overall upbringing, for Marie, this was not the case. It was during these formative years that her mother would be engrossed in war with France, thus preventing anything more than brief reports on Marie's progress. This would eventually change when Marie was in France. During those early years of her marriage, her mother would send letter after letter, filled with advice and admonishments in regard to how her daughter should conduct herself and her marriage.

However, at this point in her life, Marie was still enjoying her youth. In many ways, according to Erickson, she was "her mother's child, pretty, well made, feminine and with a winning spontaneity and charm"; yet she "lacked her mother's strong willed self-direction and her outstanding intelligence" (Erickson, 33). How ironic that the very characteristics she lacked are what she admired most in her mother. If only she had learned to cultivate them within herself.

As the biography progresses, the gradual transformation of Maria Antonia into Marie Antoinette unfolds. When she first arrives in France, she is young and naïve, not truly aware of the machinations that can go on within a royal court. Despite having grown up in a court that was somewhat immoral, Marie was in many respects very sheltered. Therefore, arriving in the glamorous court of France - known for its licentiousness - may have been quite a shock.

In the chapters covering Marie's time as dauphin and then queen of France, Erickson presents a young woman who truly did not understand the amount of power she wielded. "It was the paradox of Antoinette's position that, despite her extreme youth and inexperience, she was, in theory at least, the most powerful woman at court, and at a court where the men of the royal family were weak and apathetic, this made her doubly powerful...Hers was the rising power, and the experienced courtiers, hardened by years of intrigue, presumed that she would lose no time in building and consolidating her faction" (Erickson, 57)

This power, however, Marie frivolously squandered, most likely without realizing it. The qualities previously mentioned - a strong will, self-direction, and intelligence - would have allowed her to make more appropriate choices. However, in light of the lack of these, Marie often made blunders that slowly, but surely, destroyed her credibility in the eyes of the French people. This would be exacerbated by the political and financial difficulties that would erupt in the 1780s.

As the people of France suffered hunger and poverty on an excessive scale, the royal family, courtiers, and nobility carried on as if all were well with the country. While many were aware that their excessive lifestyles were one of the root causes of unrest within France, they felt it was their privilege to live as they did. Therefore, they were quite unwilling to alter their ways. It is here that Erickson differs from the vast majority, in that she attempts to make it clear that it was not solely the extravagance of Marie Antoinette that was to blame. The seeds of the financial crisis that played a role in the emergence of the French Revolution were planted in the reign of her dead father-in-law. Unfortunately, it was during her husband's reign that they would take root and flower.

When the revolution finally erupted, both king and queen were grossly unprepared. "...the King was unable to face [the] crisis squarely, much less to take action to remedy it..." As for the queen, she was strong, "but untutored in the intricacies of government...what was needed was leadership and expertise and a rigorous commitment to fundamental change" (Erickson, 188). Sadly, neither king nor queen could provide the country what it so desperately needed.

The final chapters of the book are devoted to the breakdown of the monarchy in France. Events such as the Tennis Court Oath, the creation of the National Assembly, the writing and promulgation of a new constitution, just to name a few, signaled to the king and queen that their way of life was no more. Eventually, they would end up being destroyed by the revolution. Both king and queen would meet the same fate: death by guillotine. So ends the life of Marie Antoinette.

As stated earlier, the goal of Carolly Erickson was to present a more sympathetic portrait of Marie Antoinette. In some respects, she is able to accomplish this. It is quite easy to feel for a young woman, taken from her home and all that she knows, and thrust into a new world in which she is viewed as a threat to the status quo by some, and an inconvenience by others. It is also easy to feel for a young woman who did not consummate her marriage for a number of years, due to her husband preferring a mistress to his wife. Yet, in both situations, as well as others, the person that had the ability to make changes - Marie herself - did not. Rather than attempt to find a way to assert herself as one with a rightful place in the court, she allowed herself to be dominated in many ways by those around her. Granted, she did have her moments of independence, but they seem to be few and far between.

It seems that the themes Erickson was attempting to present were those of independence, the power of royalty, and the power of intelligence. She succeeds in doing this, mainly through her discussions on Empress Maria Theresa. It is she who embodies the independence, the power of royalty and intelligence, to the hilt. As Erickson writes: "Royalty means responsibility, duty, unceasing and exhausting obligation; there is no room for laxity or weakness or the self-indulgence of vice. In everything she did, Maria Theresa presented an almost superhuman model of iron self-discipline" (Erickson, 33). Obviously, Marie Antoinette was the direct opposite of her mother; for this reason more than any other, she failed as a queen.

Another aspect of the book that provides a great deal of interest is the explanation of the political events of the time period. Without these, it is very difficult to understand why Marie Antoinette came to such a tragic end. Simply saying that she was flighty, lacked intelligence, and was grossly extravagant is not enough. One must be given the correct backdrop, in order to see the myriad number of mistakes she unwittingly made throughout her time as queen. The political events provide that backdrop.

Finally, there is the theme of Marie Antoinette the woman. In one area of her life, she seems to have had some success: the bearing of children. However, even here, there is a bit of caution that must be taken. While it is quite evident that Marie loved her children dearly, she also used them in a way. When she began to realize that there was a backlash against her developing, she chose to flaunt herself as the quintessential mother figure. This is evidenced from the portraits painted of her and her children together. This was a form of propaganda - used in all realms, principalities, and territories - that was meant to redeem the queen in the eyes of the people. It did not work, as it was often overshadowed by the extravagant sums of money spent on her wardrobe, among other things. Instead of ingratiating herself with her subjects, the queen only succeeded in further alienating them. However, it is hard to determine whether this bothered the queen. On the one hand, there were times when it was clear that she disliked being disliked; on the other, there were times when it was evident that she did not care about or was oblivious to the animosity leveled at her.

Overall, this book is an interesting read. There are unique tidbits of information within it that make the book move along in a fluid, fast-paced manner, despite being over 200 pages in length. The portraits provided of the various main characters - Maria Theresa, Kings Louis XV and Louis XVI, and Marie Antoinette - are quite engaging and present an intimate look of the inner workings of a monarchy and its court. They contain a realism that is often lacking in the history textbooks, as well as other biographies that bog themselves down with minute details that have no bearing on the topic.

However, there is a sense while reading that Erickson is trying a little too hard to make Marie Antoinette seem like anything other than a tragic woman. She attempts to get rid of some of the myth surrounding Antoinette, but is relatively unsuccessful. The mistakes and blunders, the flightiness, the immaturity and frivolousness - all of these cannot be minimized in any way, as it would then provide a false presentation of Antoinette.

In spite of this particular factor, the book can be an enjoyable read for those seeking a smoothly written, yet emotion-filled biography. This book is best for those who consider themselves novice or amateur historians. Those seeking a meatier representation of Antoinette should look elsewhere, as this will not provide that.

Ultimately, To the Scaffold can be likened to a Shakespearean tragedy. Although the outcome is already known or can be easily assumed, the whole story must be read to see the tragedy unfold. That is how the life of Marie Antoinette can be viewed. From the day her mother solidified a marriage alliance between her daughter and the heir to the French throne, all that happened was a tragedy waiting to occur. It is this that Erickson is able to drive home successfully, and it is this that will make one want to read this book. Marie Antoinette should be considered a great woman, for she did the best she could with the hand she was dealt. In life, that is all one can do.