Blanche Monnier

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/blanche-monnier

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Blanche Monnier born?March 1, 1849
2. Where was Blanche Monnier born?Poitiers, France
3. Who discovered Blanche Monnier?1901
4. What is the duration of captivity?25 years
5. Why was Blanche locked away for 25 years?Her mother and brother kept her in a small, unlit room for 25 years, but the exact reason is unclear. Some think it might have been because of a forbidden romance or misunderstandings about her mental health.
6. How did people learn about Blanche's situation?In 1901, an anonymous tip reached the police, who then discovered Blanche in a very poor state.

La Séquestrée de Poitiers: French for 'The Confined Woman of Poitiers', the widely recognized moniker for Blanche Monnier.
Emaciated: Severely underweight and weakened due to prolonged lack of nourishment or illness.
Confinement: The state of being restricted or imprisoned, often in a hidden or secret manner.
Aristocratic: Relating to or belonging to the aristocracy, a class of people with high social status and hereditary titles.