Chaucer in Context: Society, Allegory, and Gender
- Author / Editor
- Rigby, S. H.
Chaucer in Context: Society, Allegory, and Gender
- Published
- Manchester and New York: Manchester University Press, 1996.
- Physical Description
- xii, 205 pp.
- Series
- Manchester Medieval Studies.
- Description
- Surveys the polarities in critical assessments of CT, focusing on four oppositions: realism vs. stereotypicality, monologic vs. dialogic approaches, allegorical vs. humanist (ironic) approaches, and misogyny vs. feminism. Assesses the opposed critical views in light of the social, political, and literary conventions of Chaucer's day, using a "contextual approach" to conclude that Chaucer's works do not reflect modern views or modern literary goals.
- Instead, Chaucer's works remind us that his society confronted social and aesthetic issues differently than ours does and that current views--like those of Chaucer's day--are a product of history. Rigby emphasizes GP, KnT, NPT, WBPT, Mel, and ParsT.
- Chaucer Subjects
- Knight and His Tale.
- Nun's Priest and His Tale.
- Tale of Melibee.
- Parson and His Tale.
- Canterbury Tales--General.