A ferroelectric liquid crystal display device comprising upper and lower substrates arranged opposite each other, each provided with electrodes on their respective surface, an insulating film formed on the electrodes on each substrate, an orientation film formed on the insulating film and subjected to a uniaxial orientation treatment, the orientation film with the same orientation direction on each of the two substrates, a liquid crystal composition with a chiral smectic C phase injected between the two substrates, drive means for switching an optical axis of the liquid crystals in the liquid crystal composition by selectively applying a voltage to the electrodes, means for optically identifying the switching of the optical axis, in which when the drive means is operated, the liquid crystal composition can reverse its molecular direction near the substrate and show a chevron structure which bends in a dogleg shape as a layer structure when it shows the chiral smectic C phase wherein a bending direction of the dogleg shape is toward an inside of an area surrounded by a lightening defect produced by a direction of the uniaxial orientation treatment of the orientation film and a hairpin defect produced therebehind or an outside of an area surrounded by a hairpin defect produced by a direction of the uniaxial orientation treatment and a lightening defect produced therebehind, and a pretilt angle .theta..sub.p of the liquid crystal composition to the orientation film is between 8.degree. and 35.degree..