TMT Gender Flashcards
Stevens: ‘there is no doubting…’
‘There is no doubting the anti-feminist sentiments of the merchants’
Robertson: ‘the female body exists…’
‘The female body exists as a prosthetic accoutrement to her husband’
Fries: ‘Women’s’ appetite and lack of moral…’
‘Womens’ appetite and lack of moral strength is an almost inevitable result of misogynistic society’
Jane Smith: ‘the motif of the deceitful woman…’
‘The motif of the deceitful woman is familiar and Chaucer’s enjoyment and exploitation of it is wonderful entertainment’
- argues that Chaucer presents women as subtler in their ‘stratagems’ for comedic effect, he takes contemporary view of women at the time and distorts it for his own advantage in the peom & serves as entertainment for a medieval audience
Knox: ‘women in her greatest…’
‘Women in her greatest perfection was made to serve and obey man’
- conveys the idea Chaucer depicts the typical view of male-dominated society at the time, whereby women were simply limited to domestic work & main purpose to reproduce, had no political/independent powers, treated as property of dominant male figure in their life.
To a modern reader, this presentation of women is archaic & misogynistic but opp to a contemporary
Ashton: ‘without doubt this…’
‘Without doubt this portrayal of married love is firmly on the side of the female’
- emphasise the idea that the control in marriage is may, had ability to change reality & continued to live with no consequences. Her character liberated from idea she was under authority of januarie which allowed her to evolve & focus on her desires, rather than her husbands, showing female independence & subjecthood.
Idea of women being free & doing as they please was not their typical role in a ‘married love’
