Need help with homework: The Wife of Bath- first feminist literary character?

academic wrote:

I am a Chaucerian by trade

What is the mean salary for that trade? Does it pay as well as Computer Programmer?

Norbit Damus wrote:

academic wrote:

I am a Chaucerian by trade

What is the mean salary for that trade? Does it pay as well as Computer Programmer?

Assistant professor...pay isn't very good.

academic wrote:

I am a Chaucerian by trade, let me weigh in a bit. Just as a preliminary note, I am not a Canterbury Tales expert--I focus on Chaucer's dream visions ("Parliament of Fowls", "Book of the Duchess", "House of Fame").

marriage.

What is the significance of the cartwheel in the first act of the Summoner's revenge? After the corrupt friar searches "bynethe the buttok" of the dying old man for a rich gift, his groping hand is greeted with a gaseous eruption which causes him to stalk off to find the vilage lord and demand justice. The lord suggests that a cartwheel with 12 spokes be brought to the hall under which each of the friar's companions shall kneel and the friar himself will stick his nose upright beneath the hub. The dying old man was to be propped up over the center of the wheel and encouraged to fart thus distributing the sound and stink equally with the friar having the "first fruyt".

What is the significance of the Miller or Reeves' Tales? They are entertaining and imitate the French fabliau. Like I said, I typically take on the more serious works, but I do like the CTs.

Feminism means men and women are equal. Look it up in the dictionary. The Wife of Bath was a misogynist, not a feminist. Huge difference. Although after having done a little googling, apparently this idea that the Wife of Bath was a feminist is wildly popular. People will find what they want to see. It doesn't make it credible OR true. A strong woman does not equal a feminist.

Hard to say who the first feminist character in literature was. Consider Paulina in Shakespeare's "A Winter's Tale". But more of Shakespeare kind of puts women in their place, i.e. monarchy and characters like Kate in The Taming of the Shrew, who eventually comes around to the "right" side, settling.

Also the princess from the land of the midgets in Gulliver's Travels. Although double check me on that one...been a while since I read.