Contraception and the Pear Tree Episode of Chaucer's 'Merchant's Tale'

Author / Editor
Heffernan, Carol Falvo.

Title
Contraception and the Pear Tree Episode of Chaucer's 'Merchant's Tale'

Published
Journal of English and Germanic Philology 94 (1995): 31-41.

Description
Medieval contraceptive information includes mention of pears in discussion of techniques for preventing conception, so May's desire for a pear in MerT may indicate that she wants to deny January's foolish desire for offspring.

Chaucer Subjects
Merchant and His Tale.