Abstract This paper examines how the Gileadean society assimilates and controls its inhabitants by controlling language in the novel by Canadian author, Margaret Atwood. This paper uses a New Critical theory to examine the text of "A Handmaid's Tale" to explore what makes Gilead so effective, and why Offred is able to survive and escape when others, who seem to be stronger, cannot.
From the Paper "Another division of communication is the auditory or spoken. The Republic of Gilead, like any other changing society, developed its own specific vocabulary that works effectively to assimilate a people into the culture. The vocabulary ranges from the names of certain events like Prayvaganzas, which are mass weddings, to Salvagings, which are executions, or particutions, which are also executions, but ones in which the Handmaids are able to participate. The vocabulary extends to the names given to the class distinctions within the society: Marthas, Handmaids, Commanders, Guardians, Angels, Aunts and Eyes."
Tags: post, structrualism, tale, Totalitarian, Theocracy
This paper studies "The Knight's Tale and Trecento Italian Historiography" by James H. McGregor and "Desire, Violence and the Passion in Fragment VII of the Canterbury Tales: A Girardian Reading," by Curtis Gruenler.
Abstract In this article, the writer introduces, discusses and analyzes two essays on "The Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer. Specifically, the writer summarizes and compares the two essays "The Knight's Tale and Trecento Italian Historiography" by James H. McGregor and "Desire, Violence and the Passion in Fragment VII of the Canterbury Tales: A Girardian Reading," by Curtis Gruenler. The writer notes that these two essays discuss different aspects of Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales," from what inspired "The Knight's Tale" to his use of violence and history in the work, and what that means for readers. The writer concludes that these essays open up new worlds and ways to explore "The Canterbury Tales," and they make the epic poem more interesting and compelling to the reader.
From the Paper "Both of these essays bring up aspects of "The Canterbury Tales" that casual readers might not recognize or understand. They show how the history of the day influenced Chaucer, and how he used other, older works as inspiration for his own tales. They show how events at the time also inspired Chaucer, and that he was writing largely against violence in most of the tales, and that shows in many of them, including the "Knight's Tale." Each of the tales is humorous or satirical in some way, and one essay discusses new fragments of the manuscript that contained differences in the accepted version of some of the stories. All of this information helps enlighten the reader and gives them another layer of understanding the work, and it makes reading it more enjoyable, too, because there is background and foundation for some of the tales and their meaning."
Abstract This is a short analysis of the form, structure and some of the messages inherent in the Miller's Tale, one of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. The writer describes that The Millers' Tale is the story of a young wife with an older husband, and how he is tricked and cuckolded by the wife's young lover, Nicholas. The writer points out that the tales provide a curious moral message, but are primarily intended as humour or fable.
From the Paper "In Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, one of the basic premises is that the class, position and character of each pilgrim determines the type of tale that he tells. The miller distinguishes himself by his common, rude and bawdy nature, and his tale is in keeping with this. That having been said, it is also one of the most amusing tales in the collection, involving a hilarious set of coincidences, trickery, rudeness and slapstick humor. Though we can certainly examine the social implications of the tale and the fact that Chaucer seems to blame certain characters while acquitting others, we should also remember that this is a fable, and as such its purpose it to amuse and titillate."
Abstract This paper uses various examples from the text of "The Canterbury Tales" to illustrate Chaucer's implied opinions regarding men as the cause of their own destruction. The paper also compares this view of men, as masters of their own demise, with female characters in the text, who are often misjudged as being poor examples of literary feminism. The three tales on which this paper focuses are "The Miller's Tale", "The Pardoner's Tale" and "The Nun's Priest's Tale".
From the Paper "Women are generally depicted in Medieval art and literature as the root of all evil and the source of all man's weakness. Chaucer, being the revolutionary writer that he is, sheds a slightly different light on this commonly-held notion of female wickedness. In his collection of stories, The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer suggests, as opposed to the idea that women tempt men to sin and, ultimately, to self-destruction, that man's own stupidity and moral flaws are the result of his various failures and misfortunes. This radically new approach to writing about the downfalls of male characters is best illustrated in The Nun's Priest's Tale, The Miller's Tale, and The Pardoner's Tale. Each tale demonstrates a different male personality flaw that leads one or more of the main characters to his own demise. The Nun's Priest's Tale illustrates the stupidity associated with the vanity of both Chauntecleer and Randall the Fox (who, although animals, are still male), whereas, The Miller's Tale plays on the jealousy and gullibility of the carpenter. Finally, The Pardoner's Tale focuses primarily on the arrogance and avarice of three, young men."
Tags: ages, medieval, middle, miller, nun, pardoner, priest, tale
Abstract This is an in-depth juxtaposition and analysis of Oscar Wilde's "The Happy Prince" and a Buddhist tale "The Biography of the Buddha". It details the plots and main characters of both tales and tries to compare them, and find similarities between them. The comparison is done by examining the narrative construction of both stories. It compares both main characters: the prince and Buddha and manages to find many similarities between their characters and behaviorisms. It details Buddhism outlook on life as well as the happy Princes' outlook, both optimistic.
From the Paper ""The Happy Prince? tells the story of a prince, whom, while he was alive, was always happy and lived in a great, walled palace. When he died he was fashioned into a statue of gold and placed where all could see him in the middle of the town square. The story of the Buddha, or Naropa, or Siddartha Gautama, as he is sometimes known, tells the tale of young Brahmin (one step down from the priests in the Indian caste system) who was highly sheltered from the world. One day, he was taken out of the walled confines of his home. There, he witnessed three sights: old age, sickness, and death. Then he sees a holy man and is struck by the obvious "sincerity" of the man's bearing. These sights spurred him to renounce the world and enter into a life of contemplation. The results of these years of contemplation was Buddhism, an epiphany he struck upon when a young girl presented him with a bowl of rice after many years of fasting. (Saunders 23; Mitchell 39-40)"
Abstract This paper explores the satirical tone of the Miller's Prologue in "Canterbury Tales" and how it represents class conflict. The paper also explains how the Miller's Tale "quites" the Knight's tale.
From the Paper "The Miller's story of the foolish carpenter and his wife illustrate the Miller's personal views on jealousy and infidelity. According to the Miller, whether or not a man's wife is cheating is of no business to him. Furthermore, the Miller claims that men should never question God's will in matters of love."
Tags: knight, tale-telling, chaucer, monk, drunk, courtly, love
Abstract This paper looks at how, in Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales", many of the stories seem to use the idea of marriage as a symbol of greater moral, as well as religious, themes. In particular, the individual stories of "The Miller's Tale", "The Wife of Bath's Prologue", and the "Franklin's Tale" give a fascinating glimpse into the world of marriage in Chaucer's day; an institution, the reader notes, that is not so different from today in many respects. It also shows that, in addition to the nature of marriage, which, admittedly ,is turned up to the point of parody, the reader also catches a glimpse into the social and religious world and its flaws.
From the Paper "In his essay, ?Concepts of Marriage and Pilgrimage,? Morton Andrew notes that the idea of marriage during the time of Chaucer closely mirrored the theological symbolism of the unbreakable "marriage" bond cemented between the Church and Christ (Andrew, 88). Not only was marriage considered holy, and closely tied to the teachings of English Christianity and moral society, but the varied transgressions possible within the institution were still regarded as spiritually, morally, and symbolically immoral. Although The Canterbury Tales often uses satire to make its point, the harsh immorality of adultery?the ultimate dishonor of the symbol of Christ-centered union, is on full display."
Abstract This paper examines Chaucer's "The Miller's Tale" as a fable or fabliau and explains why it is a tale that has a moral to it as well as bawdy humor.
From the Paper "The Miller's Tale is a little fable or fabliau a medieval verse tale characterized by comic ribald treatment of themes drawn from life and is one of several such stories in The Canterbury Tales Fabliau. Most of the tales are ..."
Tags: Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, The Miller's Tale, fabliau, moral
Abstract The paper relates the story of the fairy tale, "Beauty and the Beast", and highlights the fact that it is unique in that it contains societal elements not commonly found in fairy tales. The paper relates how the original tale of "Beauty and the Beast" by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve has been adapted through time and has been made into several film versions with the basic story and an adapted plot.
From the Paper "The first print version of the story surfaced in 1740 by author Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve. However, the tale and variations of it was popular throughout Europe prior to its first print publication. The tale generally involves a story about a rich merchant who lives with his four daughters, one being named Beauty. Due to certain circumstances, the father looses his wealth and his daughters are forced to live in the rural country. One day the father becomes lost in the forest and takes shelter in the Beast's palace. The next day, as he is leaving, he plucks a rose for Beauty. The Beast sees this act and accuses the father of stealing from him, denouncing him as a simple thief and ordering him to die. The Beast gives him amnesty so long as one of his daughters comes to suffer in his place. Thus, Beauty goes to the Beast's castle and is made the mistress of the magical place. Eventually the two marry and the Beast is transformed into a handsome prince and Beauty's family comes to live with them."
Abstract This paper compares the ideals of courtly love in the "Knight's Tale" with those in the "Wife of Bath's Tale". The Knight and the Wife of Bath are two very divergent characters, with equally divergent outlooks on love. The paper shows how these two wildly different characters share some ideas of the time in order to fit into their society.
From the Paper ""The Knight's Tale" is one of the most memorable in Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales." It tells the story of two young knights, Palamon and Arcite, who are imprisoned together in a tower, and both fall in love with the same girl, Emelye. "The Knight's Tale" is the first story in Chaucer's book. That he began his story with the tale of this knight gives some weight to what an important role they played in society. Regarding the book, critics often say, "The Knight is often called one of the 'ideal' pilgrims along with the Parson and sometimes the Clerk because unlike the other portraits, Chaucer offers no attack or satire against them" (Lambdin 2)."
Tags: parson, clerk, wife, bath, knight, tale, pilgrim, character
Abstract This essay discusses how "The Knight's Tale" illustrates the character of the pilgrim who tells it. The tale is very much a story about a romance of chivalry, and the Knight symbolizes this well.
Abstract The paper examines the Middle-English text of the 'Franklin's Tale' by Chaucer and concludes that it is derived from Breton Lai, a style most famously used in the popular fiction of Marie de France in the Twelfth Century. Over the two hundred year period between the work of Marie de France and Chaucer, literature naturally progressed and it attempts to show that the "Franklin's Tale" is a text that has developed from the characteristically refined and escapist genre of Breton Lai.
From the Paper "Chaucer is true to Breton lai convention in that he sets the story in a vague, but chivalrous pre-Christian past. The open ended and somewhat psychological dilemma posed at the end of the romance cannot thus be solved by means of Christian intervention. Hypothetically, the fourteenth century church would have advised Dorigen that keeping her promise to Aurelius and thereby committing adultery would be a far greater sin than breaking her promise to him. Arveragus, however, believes that his wife should keep her promise, which again deviates from the traditional allegiance to the loyalty of the lover in Breton lai."
Tags: arveragus, canterbury, christian, dorigen, france, lanval, marie, pre, tales
Abstract This paper compares the character of the Parson in Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" to other ecclesiastical figures relating Chaucer's views on the Church. The author discusses Chaucer's portrait of the Parson as the ideal priest. The paper stresses the social commentary in the 'Prologue' to the "The Parson's Tale".
From the Paper "Although the tales written by Geoffrey Chaucer were for entertainment, he also used them as subtle social commentary on the world he lived in. The prologue to "The Parson's Tale" is considered to be one of ..."
Abstract This paper reviews and discusses "The Canterbury Tales' by Geoffrey Chaucer. The paper discusses how the wife of Bath is herself a colorful and well-known character who had been through a number of husbands, making her tale about a husband especially interesting. The paper further discusses how the Knight is able to overcome his lesser qualities by learning to listen to and value the counsel of women, particularly his wife.
From the Paper "In addition to being an aggressor and rapist, the Knight is also subject to despair. The Queen offers him a glorious chance to live if he can complete the task she sets out for him. She gives him twelve months to return with the answer to the question "what thing it is that women most desire." If he cannot return within the allotted time with the correct answer, he will pay with his life. Instead of being grateful and hopeful as a result of this clemency, the Knight was "grieved" and "sorrowfully he sighed; but there! He could not do as pleased his pride." He was sad to have to swallow his pride and do as he was bidden. He also despaired of ever finding the answer to the difficult question. Clearly, the Knight's early behavior in the tale shows that he does not know what women want or respect their desires."
Tags: Lady, queen, knight, women, aggression, desire, traits, personality, tale
Abstract This paper presents a very complete and concise summary of Dickens' novel "A Tale of Two Cities", which breaks down the novel by chapters, and discusses all major plot points and character analyses.
