Social Parody In Boccaccio's "Decameron"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses "The Decameron" by Boccaccio. The author focuses on the use of casual sex and jeopardized morals in Boccaccio's stories as a social commentary of the day. Special attention is paid to the parody Boccaccio makes of religion and its rituals and rules.

From the Paper:

"As with many works of literature such as Catcher in the Rye, Grapes of Wrath, and The Odyssey, Giovanni Boccaccio's The Decameron is as controversial as the work is praised. Boccaccio's work is filled with characters with debatable moral compasses and uncontrollable sex drives in compromising situations which have undoubtedly offended masses while at the same time entertained them as well. Certainly those of faith who believe God rewards or punishes based on the actions of people would be horrified after reading Boccaccio's hundred tales, most of which feature no unfavorable repercussions of what the church's leaders would deem immoral. Two perfect examples of this lack of consequences for the debauched characters are stories of Masetto and Rustico from the third day. In these two stories from the third day, Boccaccio both notes the blatant hypocrisy of the holy men and women while allowing the characters to receive no punishment for impure acts because of his desire to poke fun at the church and society instead of inciting social change."

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