Michael Rossi
April 03, 2011
Advanced Placement British Literature/ Ms. Walter
Jane Eyre Essay
An End Victorian Society
Throughout history, man has always actively changed and shaped his customs and traditions. From building pyramids to hosting gladiator fights, humanity has changed substantially in her customs and traditions throughout the ages. Little has changed very little from the times of the ancient Egyptians in three thousand BC, to the time of the Victorian age in Britain, where the novel Jane Eyre was written, people always had a class system. In ancient Egypt the vast majority of people were peasants and farmers who followed the orders of the upper class pharos and warriors. During the late 1800s Britain valued class and wealth. These were two values that Bronte simply could not adopt. The novel Jane Eyre, is a piece of literary satire that truly demonstrates how misplaced the social standards were during the Victorian age in Great Britain. Bronte uses the fact that Jane was able to find success without starting off wealthy or being of a respectable class, the people who were ideal members of Victorian society were portrayed as fools, and Jane strived off of having no respect for the status quo.
Establishing Jane as the main character for the novel was very purposeful as means of eliciting a satirical literature against Victorian society. Jane was disadvantaged in terms of fitting the Victorian mold. She was financially distraught, without a penny to her name. Her parents had died , leaving her an orphan in the care of her aunt. In modern times (the twenty first century), the world pities an orphan as they often lack the familial love that most people cherish very dearly. In Victorian times, being an orphan was far worse. One’s class was typically directly tied to their lineage. To be without parents was to be a second class citizen. Jane was seldom allowed to forget her place in society as she was treated maliciously by her cousins and aunt. Her violent cousin John struck her and rather than be punished Mrs. Reed, sent Jane into solitary confinement: “Take her away to the red-room, and lock her in there” (Bronte 11). Also Jane, was not caught up in greed and other self destructive vices. Jane decided to spilt the money she received from her late uncle evenly with her cousins. Here Jane could have easily jumped to the upper class, but had no taste for it.
Jane’s progressive, rebellious attitude was considered completely outlandish during the Victorian Era. In modern society, Jane’s attitude is rather uniform in today’s society. She simply views everyone as an equal, having no respect for figures of power. Jane feels the need to speak her mind against Mrs. Reed who constantly subjects Jane to unnecessary mistreatment by locking her in the red room: “Oh aunt, have pity! Forgive me! I cannot endure it” (Bronte 17). Jane had no fear of berating her caretaker and superior and turn a blind eye to Mrs. Reed’s social status. At Lowood, Mrs. Reeds told Mr. Brocklehurst that Jane was a liar. Jane dropped her slate and Mr. Brocklehurst assumed she did it on purpose. Jane internally overcame Mr. Brocklehurst’s cruel punishment: “How the feeling bore me up! It was as if a martyr, a hero had passed a slave or victim, and imparted strength in the transit” (Bronte 64). Jane did not let mistreatment defeat her, but instead empower her. Jane simply sought justice and was ready to be treated like the other more Victorian girls in the novel. The fact that Jane is able to find happiness in treating people this way, shows that Jane’s modern attitude is a recipe for success. During the Victorian Era, the clergy were widely respected and held a lot of stock in society. Jane was not swayed, by John’s incessant requests to marry him: “A part of me you must become,’ he answered steadily; ‘otherwise the whole bargain is void’ (Bronte 380). Jane was simply not in love, and she grew to miss the love she had with Rochester, which ended up giving her happiness in the end.
Jane was constantly bombarded with stupidity of those around her who embodied Victorian values. Blanche was the prime example of this blissful ignorance. Blanche did not possess a single positive personality trait about her. Blanche was cruel and judgmental in her treatment of Jane, constantly judging Jane on her repulsive looks or intelligence: “ ‘No,’ I heard her say: ‘she looks to stupid for any game of the sort’ (Bronte 174). Blanche was in competition with Jane to win Rochester. Jane pursued Rochester in search of finding love, which she eventually found with him. Blanche is pursuing Rochester for very selfish and mercenary reasons as she exhibits her disgusts when she learns of Rochester loss of his fortune from the gypsy: “she looked neither flurried nor merry: she walked stiffly to her seat, and took it in silence” (Bronte 184). Rather than feel sad or try to seek Rochester to console him, Blanche simply wallowed in self pity. Just as Blanche represented a Victorian woman, John was the embodiment of a Victorian man, who was as backwards as humanly possible. As a priest, the one thing John ought to have been in touch with was love. Instead John simply wished to wed Jane in the absence of love even though she told him she was not interested. Bronte reinforces John’s utter ridiculousness, by having his sister’s support Jane’s decision not to marry him as she would merely become a tool for his ambitions. “Think of the task you undertook one of incessant fatigue kills even the strong, and you are weak. St. John-you know him-would urge you to impossibilities: with him there would be no permission to rest during the hot hours” (Bronte 387). The clergy is supposed to be at the top of Victorian society. By establishing John as not empathetic, Bronte is warning the reader of all Victorian men.
Bronte uses the facts that Jane was able to find success without starting off wealthy or being of a respectable class, the people who were ideal members of Victorian society were portrayed as fools, and Jane strived off of having no respect for the status quo. In modern British society, the power of kings and queens pale in comparison to their Victorian counter parts. Today British political power rests far more with the parliament and the people then with royalty. The king and queen are relied upon almost exclusively as representing the people, while in the past the royalty would rule the people. Freedom and the ability be in charge of their own destinies are values that people have come to value to the depths of their souls. In president day Egypt, the people struggle to topple their oppressive government and create a true democracy. These are people whose ancestors were slaves for their pharaoh, whose power was even more absolute than any British king or queen. Bronte’s novel about disregarding the class system was more than just revolutionary, it was clairvoyant. Through the eyes of Jain, the modern reader learned to appreciate a world without a social class as those who value such a system in the novel, are backwards people whose values are disgraces to modern society.
Works Cited
Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications, 2002. Web.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Mimetic Analysis of Jane Eyre
Michael Rossi
March 24, 2011
Advanced Placement British Literature/ Mrs. Turick
Mimetic Analysis of Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre’s life is highly intriguing considering the historical context. During the Victorian Era, a fiery, outspoken woman, was considered highly rebellious and revolutionary. This idea of being fiery and rebellious is almost laughable, as In modern times, this is simply called expressing one’s opinion. The mind reels at the fact that woman were treated as less equal to men in the sense that their opinions were to considered less valid and ought to be kept within. The fact that men’s opinions of woman said that they should adhere to subservience is not indicative to feminine inferiority. Instead, this is indicative of Victorian Era, English men than anyone else. People only collectively suppress any other group when they fear them.
March 24, 2011
Advanced Placement British Literature/ Mrs. Turick
Mimetic Analysis of Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre’s life is highly intriguing considering the historical context. During the Victorian Era, a fiery, outspoken woman, was considered highly rebellious and revolutionary. This idea of being fiery and rebellious is almost laughable, as In modern times, this is simply called expressing one’s opinion. The mind reels at the fact that woman were treated as less equal to men in the sense that their opinions were to considered less valid and ought to be kept within. The fact that men’s opinions of woman said that they should adhere to subservience is not indicative to feminine inferiority. Instead, this is indicative of Victorian Era, English men than anyone else. People only collectively suppress any other group when they fear them.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Intertextual Analysis of Frankenstein and Into the wild
Michael Rossi
February 16, 2011
Advanced Placement British Literature/ Mrs. Turick
Intertextual Analysis of Frankenstein and Into the wild
The themes and motives of a Frankenstein and Into the wild, overlap quite substantially. Chris and Frankenstein both reject an aspect of their lives to focus on another. Chris rejects his family, friends, and wealth and tries to embrace nature, but he is unable to find happiness. This is expressed when Chris claims: “Happiness is only real when shared with others”. In the same way, Frankenstein rejects nature and only focuses on finding new knowledge through creating a perfect, artificial being. This is exhibited when Frankenstein declares his fear of his creation: “I beheld the wretch- the miserable monster whom I had created”. (Shelley 34).
Frankenstein and Chris fulfill the fallen hero archetype as they both have good intentions that are lead astray by flawed means. Frankenstein wishes to discover new knowledge, which is often a positive. Modern day people search for a cure for cancer and other illness. This requires the discovery of new knowledge. Frankenstein, however, isolated himself and lost sight of using new knowledge for the betterment of society, but rather, he created a monster and made himself into a monster. In the same way, Chris only looked to find a deeper connection with nature, but only ended up pushing away the people in his life that matter.
Frankenstein and Into the wild both purport the same common philosophies and universal truths. As expressed earlier, Elizabeth and Chris both demonstrate that isolation ends up betraying he whom endures it. Chris claims, “Happiness is only real when shared with others”. Elizabeth trying to prevent Frankenstein from enduring the same fate as Chris tells Frankenstein, “Get well- and return to us. You will find a happy, cheerful, home and friends who love you dearly” (Shelley 40). Here Elizabeth looks to save Frankenstein from the monster he has become.
February 16, 2011
Advanced Placement British Literature/ Mrs. Turick
Intertextual Analysis of Frankenstein and Into the wild
The themes and motives of a Frankenstein and Into the wild, overlap quite substantially. Chris and Frankenstein both reject an aspect of their lives to focus on another. Chris rejects his family, friends, and wealth and tries to embrace nature, but he is unable to find happiness. This is expressed when Chris claims: “Happiness is only real when shared with others”. In the same way, Frankenstein rejects nature and only focuses on finding new knowledge through creating a perfect, artificial being. This is exhibited when Frankenstein declares his fear of his creation: “I beheld the wretch- the miserable monster whom I had created”. (Shelley 34).
Frankenstein and Chris fulfill the fallen hero archetype as they both have good intentions that are lead astray by flawed means. Frankenstein wishes to discover new knowledge, which is often a positive. Modern day people search for a cure for cancer and other illness. This requires the discovery of new knowledge. Frankenstein, however, isolated himself and lost sight of using new knowledge for the betterment of society, but rather, he created a monster and made himself into a monster. In the same way, Chris only looked to find a deeper connection with nature, but only ended up pushing away the people in his life that matter.
Frankenstein and Into the wild both purport the same common philosophies and universal truths. As expressed earlier, Elizabeth and Chris both demonstrate that isolation ends up betraying he whom endures it. Chris claims, “Happiness is only real when shared with others”. Elizabeth trying to prevent Frankenstein from enduring the same fate as Chris tells Frankenstein, “Get well- and return to us. You will find a happy, cheerful, home and friends who love you dearly” (Shelley 40). Here Elizabeth looks to save Frankenstein from the monster he has become.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Essay- The Canterbury Tales
Michael Rossi
December 25, 2010
Advanced Placement British Literature/ Mrs. Turick
Research the concept of fabliaux and discuss the historical implications and how Chaucer perfects the style.
The Miller’s Fabliaux
In The Riverside, Chaucer defines the meaning of fabliaux, “fabliau is a brief comic tale in verse, usually scurrilous and often scatological or obscene. The style is simple, vigorous, and straightforward; the time is the present, and the settings real, familiar places; the characters are ordinary sorts - tradesmen, peasants, priests, students, restless wives; the plots are realistically motivated tricks and ruses. The fabliaux thus present a lively image of everyday life among the middle and lower classes. Yet that representation only seems real; life did not run that high in actual fourteenth-century towns and villages - it never does - and the plots, convincing though they seem, frequently involve incredible degrees of gullibility in the victims and of ingenuity and sexual appetite in the trickster-heroes and –heroines” (Chaucer 7). In the Miller’s tale, Chaucer perfects fabliaux through the gullibility of John, the characterization of Absalon, and through the characterization of the Miller.
Both the character’s John and Absalon elicit humor from their alarming rates of gullibility. John’s gullibility was that of complacence. He placed a substantial amount of trust in his eighteen year old wife. A key element of fabliaux is that the representation only seems real. Historically, it is not uncommon for older men to have younger wives. In that sense, The Miller’s Tale could be a realistic scenario. However, the disparity between John and Alison’s personality breaks away from the shackles of non-fiction and reminds the reader of the unlikelihood of the match. John is conservative, static, and old while Alison is adventurous, dynamic, and vivacious. Also, in the 14th century, men married young often to ensure fertility in their partner. Allison and John bore no children. This marriage was not mercenary, pragmatic, or (a visibly) loving one. It is a truly empty marriage destined for trouble. Allison, being young and rebellious, was sexually deprived. Since the main characters of fabliaux typically have a strong sexual drive that dictates their actions, it is only fitting that John’s sexual absence was to be filled by another.
Alison’s lust for rebellion was further emphasized by the inclusion of Absalon. Objectively, Absalon was a better suitor for Alison. He worshiped her and offered gifts and praise when he first met her: “Wooed her by go-between and wooed by proxy/Swore to be page and servant to his doxy/Trilled and rouladed like a nightingale/Sent her sweet wine and mead and spicy ale/And wafers piping hot and jars of honey?And, as she lived in town, he offered money"(Chaucer 93). Also, he was an established church clerk. He worked in the house of God. Today, working for the church in any way is smiled upon by most Christians. During the 14th century, the church was even more influential and the honor of being clerically employed was even greater. Nicholas, meanwhile, was portrayed as more of a boy than a man. He was an apprentice. In adherence with the principles of fabliaux, this is nearly a believable circumstance. Alison’s desire for danger and her rebellious nature would naturally lead her to choose a more dynamic partner. However, the author pushes believability from the cusp of one’s imagination when Nicolas grabs Allison by the crotch and declares his interest for her: "'Unless I have my will of you/I'll die of secret love- O darling, do!'"(Chaucer 91). No woman in their right mind would entertain such behavior, especially when they first met. Allison is miraculously unshaken by sexual assault and uses this opportunity to entreat Nicolas to sleep with her as soon as Nicolas is able to enact a plan to get both himself and Alison away from John. John falling for the feigned threat of a mass flood is a humorous, satirical way for Chaucer to demonstrate how complacence can plague even the most righteous souls. This was a man who trusted and provided for his wife, sparring her from undergoing childbirth, all while taking up a young apprentice.
Utilizing the Miller as the story teller truly demonstrates Chaucer’s mastery of fabliaux. If this tale was told by a knight or an old sage it could perhaps stand on its own and be a tale whose accuracy was up for heated debate, much like the tales of King Arthur. Instead, Chaucer selected a drunken man to be the bearer of the tale. The man preceded the tale with a disclaimer: “’Now listen,’ said the Miller, ‘one and all/To what I have to say. But first I'm bound/To say I'm drunk, I know it by my sound./And if the words get muddled in my tale/Just put it down to too much Southwark ale’” (Chaucer87).The Miller can be seen as a personification of the Miller’s tale. They both exude social indelicacies that make it difficult to focus on the true meaning of what is being shared, and more easy to simply judge for content. In other words, The Miller’s Tale is so obscure and humorous that it is difficult to search for symbolism and depth. This is a unique and interesting element of fabliaux. The reader easily ascertains the main messages from the story through the importance of presentation. This tale may teach one to avoid complacence because the reader does not wish to resemble the group of fools that they had read about and pitied in the text. Also, the Miller insisted on sharing his tale with his pilgrim audience directly after the crowd had heard the Knight’s tale. The Knight’s tale is a serious tale of love and loss taking place in Ancient Greece. Two men were plagued by prison and exile and found solace in the eyes of a beautiful young woman, and they fought against one another to earn her love. The story had an air of romance and glory to it that made it seem believable. The contrast between the first and second tale draws the reader’s attention more closely to the sloppy demeanor of the characters in the story.
In the Miller’s tale, Chaucer perfects fabliaux through the gullibility of John, the characterization of Absalon, and through the characterization of the Miller. Fabliaux has become somewhat of an obscurity in modern literature. It is a literary art sewn together in a quilt of knowledge. The way in which Chaucer was able to tailor the elements of fabliaux was second to none as he was a revolutionary in the form. His methods of characterization composed the fibers in the threads of fabliux that were woven into a magnificent literary tapestry.
Works Cited
"The Fabliaux." Www.harvard.edu. Ed. L. D. Benson. Harvard, 21 Apr. 2001. Web. 25 Dec. 2010..
December 25, 2010
Advanced Placement British Literature/ Mrs. Turick
Research the concept of fabliaux and discuss the historical implications and how Chaucer perfects the style.
The Miller’s Fabliaux
In The Riverside, Chaucer defines the meaning of fabliaux, “fabliau is a brief comic tale in verse, usually scurrilous and often scatological or obscene. The style is simple, vigorous, and straightforward; the time is the present, and the settings real, familiar places; the characters are ordinary sorts - tradesmen, peasants, priests, students, restless wives; the plots are realistically motivated tricks and ruses. The fabliaux thus present a lively image of everyday life among the middle and lower classes. Yet that representation only seems real; life did not run that high in actual fourteenth-century towns and villages - it never does - and the plots, convincing though they seem, frequently involve incredible degrees of gullibility in the victims and of ingenuity and sexual appetite in the trickster-heroes and –heroines” (Chaucer 7). In the Miller’s tale, Chaucer perfects fabliaux through the gullibility of John, the characterization of Absalon, and through the characterization of the Miller.
Both the character’s John and Absalon elicit humor from their alarming rates of gullibility. John’s gullibility was that of complacence. He placed a substantial amount of trust in his eighteen year old wife. A key element of fabliaux is that the representation only seems real. Historically, it is not uncommon for older men to have younger wives. In that sense, The Miller’s Tale could be a realistic scenario. However, the disparity between John and Alison’s personality breaks away from the shackles of non-fiction and reminds the reader of the unlikelihood of the match. John is conservative, static, and old while Alison is adventurous, dynamic, and vivacious. Also, in the 14th century, men married young often to ensure fertility in their partner. Allison and John bore no children. This marriage was not mercenary, pragmatic, or (a visibly) loving one. It is a truly empty marriage destined for trouble. Allison, being young and rebellious, was sexually deprived. Since the main characters of fabliaux typically have a strong sexual drive that dictates their actions, it is only fitting that John’s sexual absence was to be filled by another.
Alison’s lust for rebellion was further emphasized by the inclusion of Absalon. Objectively, Absalon was a better suitor for Alison. He worshiped her and offered gifts and praise when he first met her: “Wooed her by go-between and wooed by proxy/Swore to be page and servant to his doxy/Trilled and rouladed like a nightingale/Sent her sweet wine and mead and spicy ale/And wafers piping hot and jars of honey?And, as she lived in town, he offered money"(Chaucer 93). Also, he was an established church clerk. He worked in the house of God. Today, working for the church in any way is smiled upon by most Christians. During the 14th century, the church was even more influential and the honor of being clerically employed was even greater. Nicholas, meanwhile, was portrayed as more of a boy than a man. He was an apprentice. In adherence with the principles of fabliaux, this is nearly a believable circumstance. Alison’s desire for danger and her rebellious nature would naturally lead her to choose a more dynamic partner. However, the author pushes believability from the cusp of one’s imagination when Nicolas grabs Allison by the crotch and declares his interest for her: "'Unless I have my will of you/I'll die of secret love- O darling, do!'"(Chaucer 91). No woman in their right mind would entertain such behavior, especially when they first met. Allison is miraculously unshaken by sexual assault and uses this opportunity to entreat Nicolas to sleep with her as soon as Nicolas is able to enact a plan to get both himself and Alison away from John. John falling for the feigned threat of a mass flood is a humorous, satirical way for Chaucer to demonstrate how complacence can plague even the most righteous souls. This was a man who trusted and provided for his wife, sparring her from undergoing childbirth, all while taking up a young apprentice.
Utilizing the Miller as the story teller truly demonstrates Chaucer’s mastery of fabliaux. If this tale was told by a knight or an old sage it could perhaps stand on its own and be a tale whose accuracy was up for heated debate, much like the tales of King Arthur. Instead, Chaucer selected a drunken man to be the bearer of the tale. The man preceded the tale with a disclaimer: “’Now listen,’ said the Miller, ‘one and all/To what I have to say. But first I'm bound/To say I'm drunk, I know it by my sound./And if the words get muddled in my tale/Just put it down to too much Southwark ale’” (Chaucer87).The Miller can be seen as a personification of the Miller’s tale. They both exude social indelicacies that make it difficult to focus on the true meaning of what is being shared, and more easy to simply judge for content. In other words, The Miller’s Tale is so obscure and humorous that it is difficult to search for symbolism and depth. This is a unique and interesting element of fabliaux. The reader easily ascertains the main messages from the story through the importance of presentation. This tale may teach one to avoid complacence because the reader does not wish to resemble the group of fools that they had read about and pitied in the text. Also, the Miller insisted on sharing his tale with his pilgrim audience directly after the crowd had heard the Knight’s tale. The Knight’s tale is a serious tale of love and loss taking place in Ancient Greece. Two men were plagued by prison and exile and found solace in the eyes of a beautiful young woman, and they fought against one another to earn her love. The story had an air of romance and glory to it that made it seem believable. The contrast between the first and second tale draws the reader’s attention more closely to the sloppy demeanor of the characters in the story.
In the Miller’s tale, Chaucer perfects fabliaux through the gullibility of John, the characterization of Absalon, and through the characterization of the Miller. Fabliaux has become somewhat of an obscurity in modern literature. It is a literary art sewn together in a quilt of knowledge. The way in which Chaucer was able to tailor the elements of fabliaux was second to none as he was a revolutionary in the form. His methods of characterization composed the fibers in the threads of fabliux that were woven into a magnificent literary tapestry.
Works Cited
"The Fabliaux." Www.harvard.edu. Ed. L. D. Benson. Harvard, 21 Apr. 2001. Web. 25 Dec. 2010.
Essay- The Canterbury Tales
Michael Rossi
December 25, 2010
Advanced Placement British Literature/ Mrs. Turick
Research the concept of fabliaux and discuss the historical implications and how Chaucer perfects the style.
The Miller’s Fabliaux
In The Riverside, Chaucer defines the meaning of fabliaux, “fabliau is a brief comic tale in verse, usually scurrilous and often scatological or obscene. The style is simple, vigorous, and straightforward; the time is the present, and the settings real, familiar places; the characters are ordinary sorts - tradesmen, peasants, priests, students, restless wives; the plots are realistically motivated tricks and ruses. The fabliaux thus present a lively image of everyday life among the middle and lower classes. Yet that representation only seems real; life did not run that high in actual fourteenth-century towns and villages - it never does - and the plots, convincing though they seem, frequently involve incredible degrees of gullibility in the victims and of ingenuity and sexual appetite in the trickster-heroes and –heroines” (Chaucer 7). In the Miller’s tale, Chaucer perfects fabliaux through the gullibility of John, the characterization of Absalon, and through the characterization of the Miller.
Both the character’s John and Absalon elicit humor from their alarming rates of gullibility. John’s gullibility was that of complacence. He placed a substantial amount of trust in his eighteen year old wife. A key element of fabliaux is that the representation only seems real. Historically, it is not uncommon for older men to have younger wives. In that sense, The Miller’s Tale could be a realistic scenario. However, the disparity between John and Alison’s personality breaks away from the shackles of non-fiction and reminds the reader of the unlikelihood of the match. John is conservative, static, and old while Alison is adventurous, dynamic, and vivacious. Also, in the 14th century, men married young often to ensure fertility in their partner. Allison and John bore no children. This marriage was not mercenary, pragmatic, or (a visibly) loving one. It is a truly empty marriage destined for trouble. Allison, being young and rebellious, was sexually deprived. Since the main characters of fabliaux typically have a strong sexual drive that dictates their actions, it is only fitting that John’s sexual absence was to be filled by another.
Alison’s lust for rebellion was further emphasized by the inclusion of Absalon. Objectively, Absalon was a better suitor for Alison. He worshiped her and offered gifts and praise when he first met her: “Wooed her by go-between and wooed by proxy/Swore to be page and servant to his doxy/Trilled and rouladed like a nightingale/Sent her sweet wine and mead and spicy ale/And wafers piping hot and jars of honey?And, as she lived in town, he offered money"(Chaucer 93). Also, he was an established church clerk. He worked in the house of God. Today, working for the church in any way is smiled upon by most Christians. During the 14th century, the church was even more influential and the honor of being clerically employed was even greater. Nicholas, meanwhile, was portrayed as more of a boy than a man. He was an apprentice. In adherence with the principles of fabliaux, this is nearly a believable circumstance. Alison’s desire for danger and her rebellious nature would naturally lead her to choose a more dynamic partner. However, the author pushes believability from the cusp of one’s imagination when Nicolas grabs Allison by the crotch and declares his interest for her: "'Unless I have my will of you/I'll die of secret love- O darling, do!'"(Chaucer 91). No woman in their right mind would entertain such behavior, especially when they first met. Allison is miraculously unshaken by sexual assault and uses this opportunity to entreat Nicolas to sleep with her as soon as Nicolas is able to enact a plan to get both himself and Alison away from John. John falling for the feigned threat of a mass flood is a humorous, satirical way for Chaucer to demonstrate how complacence can plague even the most righteous souls. This was a man who trusted and provided for his wife, sparring her from undergoing childbirth, all while taking up a young apprentice.
Utilizing the Miller as the story teller truly demonstrates Chaucer’s mastery of fabliaux. If this tale was told by a knight or an old sage it could perhaps stand on its own and be a tale whose accuracy was up for heated debate, much like the tales of King Arthur. Instead, Chaucer selected a drunken man to be the bearer of the tale. The man preceded the tale with a disclaimer: “’Now listen,’ said the Miller, ‘one and all/To what I have to say. But first I'm bound/To say I'm drunk, I know it by my sound./And if the words get muddled in my tale/Just put it down to too much Southwark ale’” (Chaucer87).The Miller can be seen as a personification of the Miller’s tale. They both exude social indelicacies that make it difficult to focus on the true meaning of what is being shared, and more easy to simply judge for content. In other words, The Miller’s Tale is so obscure and humorous that it is difficult to search for symbolism and depth. This is a unique and interesting element of fabliaux. The reader easily ascertains the main messages from the story through the importance of presentation. This tale may teach one to avoid complacence because the reader does not wish to resemble the group of fools that they had read about and pitied in the text. Also, the Miller insisted on sharing his tale with his pilgrim audience directly after the crowd had heard the Knight’s tale. The Knight’s tale is a serious tale of love and loss taking place in Ancient Greece. Two men were plagued by prison and exile and found solace in the eyes of a beautiful young woman, and they fought against one another to earn her love. The story had an air of romance and glory to it that made it seem believable. The contrast between the first and second tale draws the reader’s attention more closely to the sloppy demeanor of the characters in the story.
In the Miller’s tale, Chaucer perfects fabliaux through the gullibility of John, the characterization of Absalon, and through the characterization of the Miller. Fabliaux has become somewhat of an obscurity in modern literature. It is a literary art sewn together in a quilt of knowledge. The way in which Chaucer was able to tailor the elements of fabliaux was second to none as he was a revolutionary in the form. His methods of characterization composed the fibers in the threads of fabliux that were woven into a magnificent literary tapestry.
Works Cited
"The Fabliaux." Www.harvard.edu. Ed. L. D. Benson. Harvard, 21 Apr. 2001. Web. 25 Dec. 2010..
December 25, 2010
Advanced Placement British Literature/ Mrs. Turick
Research the concept of fabliaux and discuss the historical implications and how Chaucer perfects the style.
The Miller’s Fabliaux
In The Riverside, Chaucer defines the meaning of fabliaux, “fabliau is a brief comic tale in verse, usually scurrilous and often scatological or obscene. The style is simple, vigorous, and straightforward; the time is the present, and the settings real, familiar places; the characters are ordinary sorts - tradesmen, peasants, priests, students, restless wives; the plots are realistically motivated tricks and ruses. The fabliaux thus present a lively image of everyday life among the middle and lower classes. Yet that representation only seems real; life did not run that high in actual fourteenth-century towns and villages - it never does - and the plots, convincing though they seem, frequently involve incredible degrees of gullibility in the victims and of ingenuity and sexual appetite in the trickster-heroes and –heroines” (Chaucer 7). In the Miller’s tale, Chaucer perfects fabliaux through the gullibility of John, the characterization of Absalon, and through the characterization of the Miller.
Both the character’s John and Absalon elicit humor from their alarming rates of gullibility. John’s gullibility was that of complacence. He placed a substantial amount of trust in his eighteen year old wife. A key element of fabliaux is that the representation only seems real. Historically, it is not uncommon for older men to have younger wives. In that sense, The Miller’s Tale could be a realistic scenario. However, the disparity between John and Alison’s personality breaks away from the shackles of non-fiction and reminds the reader of the unlikelihood of the match. John is conservative, static, and old while Alison is adventurous, dynamic, and vivacious. Also, in the 14th century, men married young often to ensure fertility in their partner. Allison and John bore no children. This marriage was not mercenary, pragmatic, or (a visibly) loving one. It is a truly empty marriage destined for trouble. Allison, being young and rebellious, was sexually deprived. Since the main characters of fabliaux typically have a strong sexual drive that dictates their actions, it is only fitting that John’s sexual absence was to be filled by another.
Alison’s lust for rebellion was further emphasized by the inclusion of Absalon. Objectively, Absalon was a better suitor for Alison. He worshiped her and offered gifts and praise when he first met her: “Wooed her by go-between and wooed by proxy/Swore to be page and servant to his doxy/Trilled and rouladed like a nightingale/Sent her sweet wine and mead and spicy ale/And wafers piping hot and jars of honey?And, as she lived in town, he offered money"(Chaucer 93). Also, he was an established church clerk. He worked in the house of God. Today, working for the church in any way is smiled upon by most Christians. During the 14th century, the church was even more influential and the honor of being clerically employed was even greater. Nicholas, meanwhile, was portrayed as more of a boy than a man. He was an apprentice. In adherence with the principles of fabliaux, this is nearly a believable circumstance. Alison’s desire for danger and her rebellious nature would naturally lead her to choose a more dynamic partner. However, the author pushes believability from the cusp of one’s imagination when Nicolas grabs Allison by the crotch and declares his interest for her: "'Unless I have my will of you/I'll die of secret love- O darling, do!'"(Chaucer 91). No woman in their right mind would entertain such behavior, especially when they first met. Allison is miraculously unshaken by sexual assault and uses this opportunity to entreat Nicolas to sleep with her as soon as Nicolas is able to enact a plan to get both himself and Alison away from John. John falling for the feigned threat of a mass flood is a humorous, satirical way for Chaucer to demonstrate how complacence can plague even the most righteous souls. This was a man who trusted and provided for his wife, sparring her from undergoing childbirth, all while taking up a young apprentice.
Utilizing the Miller as the story teller truly demonstrates Chaucer’s mastery of fabliaux. If this tale was told by a knight or an old sage it could perhaps stand on its own and be a tale whose accuracy was up for heated debate, much like the tales of King Arthur. Instead, Chaucer selected a drunken man to be the bearer of the tale. The man preceded the tale with a disclaimer: “’Now listen,’ said the Miller, ‘one and all/To what I have to say. But first I'm bound/To say I'm drunk, I know it by my sound./And if the words get muddled in my tale/Just put it down to too much Southwark ale’” (Chaucer87).The Miller can be seen as a personification of the Miller’s tale. They both exude social indelicacies that make it difficult to focus on the true meaning of what is being shared, and more easy to simply judge for content. In other words, The Miller’s Tale is so obscure and humorous that it is difficult to search for symbolism and depth. This is a unique and interesting element of fabliaux. The reader easily ascertains the main messages from the story through the importance of presentation. This tale may teach one to avoid complacence because the reader does not wish to resemble the group of fools that they had read about and pitied in the text. Also, the Miller insisted on sharing his tale with his pilgrim audience directly after the crowd had heard the Knight’s tale. The Knight’s tale is a serious tale of love and loss taking place in Ancient Greece. Two men were plagued by prison and exile and found solace in the eyes of a beautiful young woman, and they fought against one another to earn her love. The story had an air of romance and glory to it that made it seem believable. The contrast between the first and second tale draws the reader’s attention more closely to the sloppy demeanor of the characters in the story.
In the Miller’s tale, Chaucer perfects fabliaux through the gullibility of John, the characterization of Absalon, and through the characterization of the Miller. Fabliaux has become somewhat of an obscurity in modern literature. It is a literary art sewn together in a quilt of knowledge. The way in which Chaucer was able to tailor the elements of fabliaux was second to none as he was a revolutionary in the form. His methods of characterization composed the fibers in the threads of fabliux that were woven into a magnificent literary tapestry.
Works Cited
"The Fabliaux." Www.harvard.edu. Ed. L. D. Benson. Harvard, 21 Apr. 2001. Web. 25 Dec. 2010.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Is the knights tale a misogynistic story?
Through a historical perspective the knights tale is a not misogynistic story. The island of the amazons in an infamous story and is one of the most important stories in ancient Greek culture. The amazons were a band of women warriors who had never truly tasted defeat. According to the knights tale; " He [Theseus) had subdued the Amazons by force [...] their queen he took to wife, and, says the story (Chaucer 26). This time period, placed a heavy emphasis on chivalry, which Theseus demonstrated by treating this prisoner of war with utmost respect and offered for her hand in marriage. He could have easily slaughtered her and married a different woman. Also, Arcite and Palamon fought vigorously for Emily's love. Those who favor a misogynistic view typically claim that they fought over her like she was an object which is not a fair representation of women. This is untrue however, because the two men were willing transcend historically practices. Typically it the king would not only marry off his daughter, but also pay a dowry to the suitor. These two men had so much respect for Emily that no even an army, or brotherly love could stop them from winning her heart.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Final “Perfect Society” Write Up
Michael Rossi
November 25, 2010
Advanced Placement British Literature/ Mrs. Turick
Final “Perfect Society” Write Up
While it was tempting to swap my trading cards, I was able to refrain from doing so, as it better catered to the goal of the assignment, to create our own ideal society. It was suggested that perhaps we could have made a poor choice and should look to rectify it through swapping with another. The only problem with this is that I actually took great care in the selection of my society’s members and felt extremely reserved about relinquishing any of my elite five. Mrs. Turick made the point that trading, “was all in good fun”, so I honestly did not wish to be stick in the mud, so to speak, so I rifled through my cards to determine the most disposable of the bunch. This was painfully difficult as I was not trying to determine who to trade, but whose departure from my society I would be the least disturbed about. Determining this proved to be a challenge as my mind was overwhelmed by each of my member’s positive attributes instead of their potentially negative qualities. Nevertheless, I turned around and offered Tim Rezendes my Muhammad Ali for his Chuck Norris card. With a perplexed look strewn across his face, he calmly responded, “no thanks, bro Chuck was my first choice” in a most polite manner. Through this interaction I realized that the warrior whom I had considered most disposable was Tim’s first choice. Tim had chosen Chuck Norris just as carefully as I had chosen Muhammad Ali and we were both looking to keep our society’s intact. Why fix something if it isn’t broken, especially if you just built it?
November 25, 2010
Advanced Placement British Literature/ Mrs. Turick
Final “Perfect Society” Write Up
While it was tempting to swap my trading cards, I was able to refrain from doing so, as it better catered to the goal of the assignment, to create our own ideal society. It was suggested that perhaps we could have made a poor choice and should look to rectify it through swapping with another. The only problem with this is that I actually took great care in the selection of my society’s members and felt extremely reserved about relinquishing any of my elite five. Mrs. Turick made the point that trading, “was all in good fun”, so I honestly did not wish to be stick in the mud, so to speak, so I rifled through my cards to determine the most disposable of the bunch. This was painfully difficult as I was not trying to determine who to trade, but whose departure from my society I would be the least disturbed about. Determining this proved to be a challenge as my mind was overwhelmed by each of my member’s positive attributes instead of their potentially negative qualities. Nevertheless, I turned around and offered Tim Rezendes my Muhammad Ali for his Chuck Norris card. With a perplexed look strewn across his face, he calmly responded, “no thanks, bro Chuck was my first choice” in a most polite manner. Through this interaction I realized that the warrior whom I had considered most disposable was Tim’s first choice. Tim had chosen Chuck Norris just as carefully as I had chosen Muhammad Ali and we were both looking to keep our society’s intact. Why fix something if it isn’t broken, especially if you just built it?
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