Abstract The writer argues that the Clerk's Tale tells a story with the opposite view than that of the Wife of Bath's Tale. The paper tries to prove that the Clerk is commenting on the way in which a wife should behave towards her husband. The writer brings a passage from the tale to illustrate this theory.
From the Paper "Petrarch's interpretation of the story, as adopted by Chaucer, is not so much an allegory as an exemplum. In an exemplary story, or a moralized tale, it is customary for the models of human behavior to be presented in extremely unrealistic terms. ?Often highly artificial and to a modern reader incredible, these "examples" seem to have appealed very strongly to medieval congregations because of their concreteness and narrative and human interest, as well as their moral implications? (Holman and Harmon 192). In the case of the Clerk's Tale, Griselda's passivity in allowing her children to be, as she is led to believe, slain without a word of protest is, by any standards of genuine behavior, both preposterous and repugnant. However, the usual understanding of the exemplary mode of narrative screens out such irrelevant incidents, while allowing those elements in the story which contribute to its exemplary significance to be fully exploited."
Abstract This paper examines how Chaucer was a man of his times, and some propose that he was a forerunner of the Reformation, a religious visionary. It looks at how he used Biblical material to develop his tales, which were, after all, told on a pilgrimage to the holy city of Canterbury. In particular, it explores how "The Clerk's Tale" is a Christian message, as are all the tales in one way or another, and how explicating it depends on finding the kernels of liturgical and Biblical paraphrasing in the descriptions of Griselda's remarkable, fictional life.
From the Paper "Second, Chaucer (who knew French, Italian and Latin) had a wealth of continental writing upon which to draw for characters and stories for The Canterbury Tales, but only one version of the Bible, and that was in Latin. The medieval Church had prohibited vernacular translations of the Bible (Fisher, 1992, p. 154). Later, in 1542, the Church would approve vernacular translations as long as they met a test of orthodoxy. Even so, for many sixteenth century scholars, much so-called Biblical information came through what one might call ?secular theologians,? authors such as Geoffrey Chaucer, who were both learned and clever and could weave Biblical information into their secular works. Although Chaucer was often referred to as ?Socrates plains de philosophic,? many sixteenth-century allusions to him propose that he was a forerunner of the Reformation and an important Christian theologian (Fisher, 1992, p. 154)."
Abstract This paper serves as an interview plan for the position: Accounts Clerk NOC 1432. The focus of the plan is on the interview questions covering three areas of competencies as well as three levels within each are of competency; knowledge, skills and ability. To augment the questions, this paper includes a scoring grid and hiring decision report, as well as, mock interview responses.
From the Paper "Interview questions, candidate responses and scoring grid. Interview Plan Beginning - Approximate Time - 10. 1. The human resource representative will be facilitating the interview process. The candidate will be brought from the reception area to the interview room by the assistant and provided a seat as well as a glass of water, paper and pen. 2. Once everyone is settled, the process will begin. 3. First off, the candidate will be provided with an introduction to company, and interview process, the outline of the interview as well as panel of interviewers."
Abstract This paper explains that, from a Marxian perspective, the sales clerk position personifies issues surrounding control of the means of production such as the lack of incentive for the lowest level workers (the clerks) when contrasted with the benefits and bonuses available to those who controlled the means of production (the store owners). The author points out that Nietzsche would interpret the positions of the workers versus the owners as a moral "trickle-down" debate. The paper relates that similarities between the concepts of Marx and Nietzsche are their beliefs that men themselves formulate societal constructs and that these constructs are divided into classifications of master/slave (Nietzsche) or proletariat/bourgeoisie (Marx).
From the Paper "The proletarians of Marx must consent at some level to being ruled, and until they consciously and voluntarily "unite" and rise up against their oppressors, they continue to tacitly agree to being ruled. A parallel with this concept of agreeing to be ruled by the wealthier (or "master," to use Nietzsche's wording) is a realization of the power actually wielded by lower level workers when they choose to united against unfair treatment. Had the sales clerks formed a united front against the unfair pay scale for our labors and demanded a commission scale or similar compensation for our labor, management would have been hard pressed to replace twenty plus clerks overnight."
Tags: trickle-down, constructs, owners, master, control
This paper provides evidence for the "Merchant as Cynic" argument put forth by some top Chaucer scholars in considering Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales".
Abstract Beginning with the Merchant's description in the General Prologue, the paper moves through the main themes of the "Merchant's Tale", including blindness, chivalry, and most importantly, marital love. It describes in detail how the Merchant re-interprets the "Knight's", "Wife's", and "Clerk's Tales" to fit his own cynical views on these subjects.
From the Paper "In his essay ?Narration and Doctrine in the Merchant's Tale,? Robert Edwards describes the tale as a "bleak and savagely ironic story"that led?J.S.P. Tatlock to remark on its "unrelieved acidity"? (Edwards 342). The narrative dialogue of the previous tales leads readers to expect more of the same. However, the most direct response to a tale that readers have seen so far is the Miller's response to the Knight. This response, while obviously seeking to undermine the chivalric values of the ?Knight's Tale,? is presented as a lighthearted jape, poking fun at the ideas of love and marriage but lacking the cynical tone of the ?Merchant's Tale.?"
A discussion on Geoffrey Chaucer's methods of introducing the Merchant, Clerk and Lawyer to the reader in the "General Prologue" of his "Canterbury Tales".
2,231 words (approx. 8.9 pages), 0 sources, 2004, $ 69.95
Abstract This paper examines how straight after he has described the three ecclesiastical figures in the "General Prologue", Chaucer goes on to describe those who work (the laborantes), the largest group in the Prologue. It shows how Chaucer generally has distaste for those emerging members of the middle-class in 14th Century England and treats the Merchant accordingly, with harsher than normal satire. It also looks at how more gentleness is applied to the assiduous Clerk and the Lawyer and how, in these portraits, Chaucer shows his finger to be on the pulse of a changing society.
From the Paper "Neither does Chaucer approve of the Merchant's morality. He breaks the law for profit and spends the money on lavish outfits, as Chaucer tells us in line 280, "in eschaunge sheeldes selle". He dealt in French ecus, which was illegal at the time, and used the ill-gotten gains to dress expensively, rather than pay off the debts he tries so hard to hide. His choice of attire may not seem too severe a sin, but when the Merchant's appearance is compared with the Knight (Chaucer's revered chivalric ideal figure), who wears humble garments with no hint of pretension, he seems a very despicable figure. In addition to this, he ignores religious orders, as he deals with "bargaines" and "chevissaunce", both of which were dealing in money, forbidden for Christians."
Abstract This paper studies the twenty-nine pilgrims in the prologue of "Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer. The paper attempts to understand the life, culture, values and thought patterns of Chaucer's England through his characters. The paper begins with an overview of the opening lines of the prologue, with their minute details of common, everyday life and the physical body. Then the paper analyzes each of the pilgrims' attributes, character and symbolic value. The pilgrims discussed are: the knight, the knight's son (the young squire), the yeoman, the merchant, the clerk, the sergeant, the franklin, the cook, the shipman, the physician, the wife of Bath, the plowman, the miller, the reeve, the prioress, the monk, the summoner, the pardoner, and the parson.
From the Paper "When Geoffrey Chaucer passed away in 1400, he left unfinished his most memorable and resourceful literary endeavor, The Canterbury Tales. The completed portions and existing fragments of the work actually comprise only about one fourth of his intended one hundred twenty or more tales. Even so, what remains of his partial creation occupies over seventeen thousand lines of masterful, clever, detailed and often bawdy verse, offering a rare and animated view of Late Middle Age life and thought. From the spiritual concerns and moral questions raised by the actions of the righteous Parson and the self-serving Friar, to the mundane and even comical physical observations of the Miller's warty nose and the Wife of Bath's remarkable dental display, the reader is moved by this rare personal visit with our forebears and their concerns. After all, our contact with historical figures is too often limited to formal treatments of stuffy characters about whom we seldom hear of frailties, worries, warty noses and blue humor."
Abstract This paper looks at the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of California and describes nine of the courts' essential functions and the necessity of these functions in order for the courts to continue to operate properly. It concludes with an overview of the subject matter addressed as well as some thoughts from the author.
Outline:
Finance/Accounting
Legal Advocates and Court Interpreters
Technical Support and Litigants
Calendar Clerks and Court Personnel
Conclusion
From the Paper "The court takes advantage of the opportunity of technology in benefits for users and the court. The strategy of using technology in the court will benefit the transacting process by setting standards and guidelines for the systematic implementation and integration of information technology into the courts. The Technical Support and litigants are to support the Court's administration; judicial function and the way the information are delivered. The use of a program called "eCourt" will be used. The eCourt program has a least amount of disruptions and efficiently deliveries the information to the needed destinations. Another advantage of technology in benefits to the court is the use of digital telephone services and video conferencing for the courts. "
Abstract The paper describes how in "The Clerk's Tale" and "The Second Nun's Tale," Chaucer depicts two women, Grisildis and Cecilie, who seem to be powerless over their harsh destinies and rulers. The paper shows, however, how Grisildis' and Cecilie's emotional, spiritual and intellectual power over themselves and others allows them to determine their own fates.
From the Paper "In both The Clerk's Tale and The Second Nun's Tale, Grisildis and Cecilie are heroines who are seemingly powerless, both due to their commitments to others; in Grisildis' case, Walter; and in Cecilie's case, Christ. Yet, it is on account of their power and self-mastery that those commitments are possible; both Grisildis' commitment to her husband (to never deny or contradict him in word or action) and Cecilie's commitment to her God, Christ, require constant self-mastery and self-denial. Both heroines are also introduced as possessing these very abilities."
Abstract The paper explains that Emmett Till lived an unassuming life in the north. The paper explains that Emmett went to visit his great-uncle, Mose Wright, who lived in Mississippi. The writer shows that Emmett would not adhere to the notion of inferiority that most blacks in the south adhered to. The paper describes how Emmett flirted with a white clerk in a shop, in order to show his friends that this was allowed in the north. The writer describes how Emmett is accused of physically accosting the clerk, while his friends claim that he only flirted with her verbally. The paper explains that Emmett was murdered by a relative of the store clerk for this alleged crime and that the murderer, Roy Bryant, was acquitted of the murder by a jury within one hour. The writer explains that the outcome of the trial was considered a triumph by white people for the southern way of life and as a major setback by the black community. The writer posits that Rosa Parks, the black woman who refused to give up her seat for a white woman on a bus, was given the strength to do so because of Emmett Till's example. In conclusion, the writer states that the result of the court case resulted in a major triumph for the black community.
From the Paper "Some would argue that this event gave Rosa Parks the audacity to do what she did. This was the straw that broke the camel's back as it were. Professor Weems published a book asserting that this was the catalyst of the civil rights movement. Mamie Till Bradley, Emmett's mother, has spoken out in support of such sentiment, "The murder of my son has shown me that what happens to any of us, anywhere in the world, had better be the business of us all." This spoke to national importance of the entire issue. Till's death continues to have an effect on society. There are streets named in his honor, books about his short life, and a society that has gained much through his loss."
Abstract This paper examines Barbara Ehrenreich's book "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America" about her experiences in trying to live on the minimum wage. She spent a year on the road working from everything as a Wal-Mart clerk to a maid to a waitress and discovers it is nearly impossible to survive, let alone live, on $6 to $7 per hour, which is well over the $5.15 Federal minimum hourly wage. It analyzes her experiences trying to hide her education, finding cheap accomodation and living with out health insurance. The paper updates us on basic information about minimum wage regulations, welfare reform and other relevant details and makes us realize that there are a whole class of people that we see every day such as waitresses and clerks whom we take for granted.
From the Paper "In 1996, Barbara Ehrenreich was enjoying lunch with an editor from "Harper's" magazine, and together they fleshed out an idea. Ehrenreich would write a magazine article on what it was like to be one of America's working poor. She would take a low-paying $6 or $7 per hour job, and see what it took to survive. Her basic premise for her research was ""is it really possible to make a living on the kinds of jobs currently available to unskilled people"" (Ehrenreich). The result of her research is "Nickel and Dimed." She spent a year on the road working from everything as a Wal-Mart clerk to a maid to a waitress. What she found about the working poor in America is the basis of this book."
From the Paper "If someone were to mention the names of Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, or Thomas Edison you would automatically think of them as great leaders and ingenious inventers. Their names are quit familiar through out our society due to their accomplishments in the past. Certainly, if I threw out the name of James Clerk Maxwell, some people would sit there and ponder whether or not the name sounds familiar to them. James Maxwell should be known and acknowledged just like the people I mentioned earlier. James Clerk Maxwell is one of the many inventors, who's contributions in science and math, has changed the way the world works in the 21st century."
Abstract This paper illustrates how Geoffrey Chaucer ingeniously criticizes the Roman Catholic Church and advocates religious reform by accrediting his opinions to the characters in "The Prioress? Tale", "The Friar's Tale", "The Parson's Tale", and "The Clerk's Tale" through an elaborate system of various degrees of perception, which allowed Chaucer greater literary freedom. Specific biblical references are also used to support the thesis.
From the Paper "Chaucer's veiled criticism of the Roman Catholic Church and support for religious reform through his characters allows him more leeway than he would otherwise have. The intricate filter system allows Chaucer greater literary freedom due to the ambiguity generated as to where each thought originates. Despite this anonymity, Chaucer appears to have taken the advise of the Parson to repent, when he later retracts having written about "worldly vanities". Chaucer's Retraction, which concludes "The Canterbury Tales", adds another level of complexity through which the reader must filter his work: is Chaucer truly repentant or is his Retraction just another device used to mislead?"
Abstract This paper discusses Chaucer's "Reeve's Tale". The author analyzes the main themes in the book and discusses some of the main characters and how they portray the themes.
From the paper:
"The ?Reeve's Tale,? from the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, translated by Nevill Coghill, published by Penguin Books in 1951, is a fabliau of 14 pages set in the middle ages. The Reeve tells his tale to counter the Miller's Tale. It is about two clerks who bring their grain to be milled by a thieving miller. The miller steals their grain and they pay him back with what is justly due. The theme of the "Reeve's Tale" is do unto others as they do unto you. This theme is carried through the "Reeve's Tale" by the underlying meanings of its characters and happenings."
Abstract This paper examines and compares three studies on adolescents who work part-time in the United States. The paper seeks to refute the common wisdom that holds work experience to be beneficial to youth in increasing their responsibility and self-reliance. The author also discusses the ramifications of the studies' conclusions on educators and parents.
From the paper:
"Unfortunately, many of the jobs that junior high and high school students are employed at are neither challenging nor stimulating. Adolescents often work in repetitive, uninteresting service jobs such as a retail clerk or fast food worker. These jobs do not develop higher skills or allow the worker to explore their interests, or even to make important decisions on the job. Since working does not ipso facto increase responsibility or self-reliance in adolescence (and can even lead to deleterious effects) (Steinberg & Dornbusch, 1991), there is no reason to encourage teenagers to work in these types of jobs."
