Throughout Geoffrey Chaucer‘s The Canterbury Tales, the relation between youth and old age is one of divergence; there is always a clear contrast between them, both externally and internally. However, their oppositions are not wholly consistenti whilst in some tales the young people humiliate the elderly, in others the old characters possess higher wisdom, which elevates them above their youthful counterparts. Such contradictions even exist within a few individual tales, including the Wife ofBoth‘s Prologue and Tole, the Miller’s Tale, and the Pardoner‘s Tale, There is folly in old age as much as there is wisdom, just as there is both craftjness and imprudence in youth. The elderly can be elevated yet also degraded, whilst the young are as equally glorified as they are frowned upon. One key tension between youth and old age in The Canterbury Tales is of the young people’s humiliation of their elders, which in both The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Miller‘s Tale, is of a sexual nature.
The former is a fabliau whilst the latter draws upon elements of the genre, central to which are “repeated acts of deception and misdeed [for example] adultery (xi) according to Mary Jane Stearns Schenckt Whilst in the Miller‘s Tale this becomes a rather public matter, in the Wife of Bath the humiliation does not seem to be so immediately public — although the Wife’s recount of cuckolding her first three husbands to a group of thirty pilgrims arguably shames them enough, even in death, This discrepancy can be explained by the genre, the former encompassing all aspects of fabliaux, a tale being told for the sake of entertainment, whereas the latter is autobiographical, and she means to maintain the focus on herself, rather than on her husbands. It is established at the beginning of Miller‘s Tole that there is a significant age gap between John the carpenter and his wife, Alisoun; she is introduced as only.
“Of eighteen yeer” and he has “wedded [her] new”, the post-modifying adjective of which implies that she is not his first wife, that she is simply the most recent — thus, the reader must deduce that he is older. His age is soon solidified, as it is asserted that “he was old”, which is juxtaposed with the reiteration of her being “yong”. This immediate polarisation makes the carpenter’s doom implicit — to modern readers and Chaucer’s contemporary audiences alike, an elderly man who marries a young woman is a fool, he has fated himself to be deceived and disgraced — as is the tradition of sexual humiliation of old men, at the hands of young women. This binary opposition between youth and old age is linked to the gender divisions of medieval English society, as misogyny is inherent in the tradition of the cuckolded husband.
The figure of the young woman is presented to be promiscuous, sexually insatiable, and therefore unfaithful 7 a sexist stereotype which is certainly extant in the presentation of Alisoun, the carpenter‘s wife, John is so “Jalous” that he “heeld hire narwe in cage”, a startling metaphor which reflects the patriarchal order of marriage in the Middle Ages, as defined by the teachings of the Church, which declared that “the wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband” (New International Version Bible, Corinthianstlt7). She is denied any freedom, as her promiscuity is presumed, before she has given her husband any reason to believe that she would be disloyal. The adjective pair “wylde and yang” equates her youth with a lack of restraint, which the former adjective connotes 7 the zoomorphic imagery of which links to his metaphorical caging of the hen.
The implications are that as a young woman, she is intrinsically licentious, and if any other man were to take interest in her, she would not hold back 7 this distrust is both of female sexuality and of the recklessness of youth, Similarly in the Wife ofButh’s Prologue, the Wife‘s elderly husbands are suspicious of her 7 she is a young woman, therefore she is constantly on the prowl and her chastity is always at stake, as implied by the zoomorphic simile “Thou seydest this, that I was lyk a cat slyk and gay” that “goon a-caterwauled”. The Wife does indeed commit adultery, thus cuckolding her husbands, Not only this, but she convinces them that she is innocent, claiming that “al my walkynge out by nyghte / Was for t‘espye wenches that he dighte”. This is particularly clever, as it reverses the traditional power dynamics of marriage in the Middle Ages, placing the guilt on them and putting her in the more dominant position in their relationship, In addition to this, she debases them, as she tricks them into surrendering money and property to her, through powerful rhetoric 7 a further appropriation of male spheres, as women were denied access to education, thus intelligent, influential language was a man’s craft.
The double interrogative of “why hydestow, with sorwe, /The keyes of thy cheste awey fro me? It is my good as well as thyn, pardee! What, wenestow make an edit of oure dame?”separated by the exclamatory, poses a direct challenge to their household power dynamics, as she questions his actions, and insinuates that by denying her control over their property, he is doing her a terrible wrong She is so relentless in her cunning that her husbands each granted her “hir long and hir tresoor” 7 particularly humiliating for the old husbands, as they are emasculated, publically shamed by their submission to their wife‘s will and surrendering of their property. The more private, but equal humiliation is in her strong objection towards her old husbands sexually.
Despite her liberal attitude towards sex, the Wife feels forced to have “a feyned appetit” when in bed with her old husbands, indicating their incompetency to Chaucer’s audience 7 if a woman generally indiscriminate in sexual matters is uninterested, they can only be unsatisfactory, Furthermore, she tells the pilgrims — somewhat conspiratorially — that “in bacon hadde I nevere delit”, the intensifier ‘nevere’ stressing how insufficient they all were, and the metaphor likening them to ‘bacon’ creating a grotesque image which only puts them in a negative light, Whether or not they are ever aware of their insufficiency is of little importance 7 the humiliation is in the truth of the matter, and of her telling other people of such intimate details, minutiae which are intrinsically linked to their age.
In the Miller’s Tole, the old husband is also sexually humiliated by his young wife — similarly to the Wife of Bath’s husbands, he suspects Alisoun initially, yet is still unaware of the actual situation, and is cuckolded 7 as well as degraded in other ways Throughout the short tale, he is a character to be laughed at; his obliviousness to his wife and tenant’s relationship is very comical, as the reader is so highly aware of it. That the couple “goon to bedde, /Ther as the carpenter is wont to lye” is especially humiliating for John, as the physical replacement of him with Nicholas in the marriage bed parallels his overall displacement, and highlights how oblivious he is. Young Nicholas and Alisoun further disgrace the carpenter by manipulating his distress over their relationship 7 they publically humiliate him, putting him on display for neighbours “to gauren on” and presenting him as madt It was incredibly degrading to be seen as having lost control of one’s mind, as lacking rational thought — a view which the neighbors understandably took, due to his belief in Nicholas’s elaborate story which facilitated the cuckolding plan.
His “vanytee is emphasised at the tale‘s end, the negative connotations of which hinder a sympathetic reading of him — Chaucer‘s audiences are not lead to perceive John as a victim, but are expected to “laughen [m] kiken and [in] cape” just as the neighbours do. Therefore, the old man is made a fool of in various ways by the young lovers in the Miller’s Tale, just as the old husbands of the Wife ofBath are. However, there is not always solely foolishness in the elderly characters, and they are not exclusively humiliated by the young In some instances, as in the Wife ofBath’s Tale and the Pardoner’s Tale, the older characters are elevated above their youthful counterparts, possessing wisdom and humility — which the young people lack 1n the Wife of Bath‘s Tale, the “olde wyf” possesses higher morals than the young knight — a pompous, classist man, who is disdainful of his wife for being “of so laugh a kynde”.
He also cruelly describes her as “so loothly, and so cold also” — the syntactic patterning created by the repeated intensifier ‘so’ demonstrates his immense loathing for her; however, she is wise, patient and reasoned, so does not take offence. Instead, she strives to teach him greater values than those he possesses — she challenges his concept of “gentillesse” as arising from “old richesse” and “heritage”, utilising the word‘s other connotations with virtue and morality. 1n stressing the importance of “gentil dedes, she denies the possibility of being “boren of a gentil hous” 7 which is how the knight views it 7 as she asserts that nobility is proved and earned throughout life, rather than it being inherent, Furthermore, she skilfully uses biblical exegesis, claiming that as God “In wilful poverte chees to lyve his lyf” (111.1179), it is clear that honourability cannot stem from property nor social rank, as in the religious society of medieval England, Christ was the paragon of virtue and dignity.
In fact, she even asserts that “vicious lyvyng” can facilitate higher virtue, as poverty, if one “taketh it in pacience” can improve “sapience” , as it requires faith in God’s plan, humility, and thriftiness which the wasteful and entitled upper-classes lack, She even alludes to the Italian poet Dante, demonstrating an incredible literary knowledge for a woman 7 who was not supposed to be educated — in the discussion of ‘gentillesse’, Dante wrote that God was the only being with the power to endow a man with grace, undoubtedly the central source for this section of Chaucer’s text. In bestowing this understanding upon an old woman, he elevates her above the young man, who is himself an example of how supposed noble birth means little in relation [0 nobility of the soul. Thus, the relations between youth and old age in the Wife ofButh s.
Tale contradict those of the Prologue. Correspondingly in the Pardoner’s Tale, the old man is compassionate, rational, and wise, whereas the “yonge folk” are self-indulgent rascals, as indicated by the listing at the tale’s opening of their “folye” and “riot” — they enjoy “hazard, stywes, andtaverns”, all of which encompass one of the seven deadly sins. Their corruption is emphasised by the Pardoner’s temporary shift into a Sermon, preaching against the vices that these men possess, describing drinking and gambling as “lecherye” Whereas these young men are depicted as lowly characters, the “oold man” is spectacularly moral, a didactic figure present to teach the youth 7 and in turn Chaucer’s audiences 7 great truths, good conduct and religious valuest There are qualities of a sermon in his speech, as influenced by the Pardoner’s telling of the Tale, as he tells them “it is no curteisye.
To speken to an old man vileynye”. His language is dignified and elevated, a further contrast with the young men, who cruelly exclaim ”sory grace!” t0 the elderly man, and tauntingly question “Why artow al forwrapped save thy face? /Why lyvestow so longe in so greet age?” 7 they are unsympathetic, and brutish in their speech. To further impress upon the young men the importance of respect, he uses biblical exegesis, quoting “Hooly Writ” in warning “Ne dooth unto an oold man noon harm now, Namoore than that ye wolde men did to yow — this is meant to cause them to think about their behaviour, and foreshadows their demise; for their unashamed sinning, they will be punished Whereas in the Wife of Bath’s Tale, the old hag was able to teach the young knight better values, the old man is unable to change the rowdy young men; however, he makes a fool of them in the eyes of the audience, as he gives them warnings which, to their own detriment, they ignore.
His knowledge of Death arises from his age, as it is this which grants him experience — unlike the men and their naive, youthful over—confidence, he has been humbled by life and is wiser for it. Therefore, in the Pardoner‘s Tale, as in the Wife of Bath‘s Tale, old age equates to experience, which forms a higher morality than youth’s ignorance of consequence allows for. The Canterbury Tales vary in their presentation of the relation between youth and old age; each can be seen as both a hindrance and a privilege. This contradiction is facilitated by multiple factors; sometimes it is the gender of the characters, as in the Wife ofBaths Prologue and Tale; sometimes it is the genre and tone of the tale, as is so in the Pardoner’s Tale. However, not all can be explained away 7 Chaucer’s position on age remains unclear. He certainly appears to critique the ageist perceptions of elderly people at points, but simultaneously adheres to stereotypes and perpetuates the medieval normative of using old men as plot devices, as something to he laughed at. What is clear is the divide between youth and old age — though it can take many forms, it is always apparent.
A Contrast Of Two Settings In The Great Gatsby, A Novel By F. Scott Fitzgerald
Society during the 19205 had glorified the state of extreme wealth so much that it conceals the flaws and disappointing moments of possessing such great wealth. F. Scott Fitzgerald author of the novel The Great Gatsby was a highly decorated author known for his modernistic writings. The Great Gatsby was written during the 19205 and exposed the lavish and extravagant lifestyles of the rich during the Roaring Twenties This essay will discuss the great differences of the two main settings; West Egg and East Egg, West Egg was the residential setting where Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway inhabited and on the other side of the bay was East Egg where Tom and Daisy Buchanan resided, While both Eggs were decorated with its ostentatious mansions and housed the wealthy and affluent people of New York‘s society, a physical and symbolic barrier coexists between East Egg and West Egg.
Readers of the novel of The Great Gatsby will first notice the physical and/or visual differences of the two settings of East Egg and West Egg in the first three chapters. East and West Egg both house the rich and prominent of New York, but the way East and West Egg are decorated with homes provide a small glimpse into the much deeper difference between the Eggs. Likewise the way Fitzgerald characterizes the mansion of Gatsby’s and the Buchanan’s gives off the physical differences of West Egg and East Egg since the Buchanan’s symbolically represent East Egg while Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby represent West Egg: The one on my right was a colossal affair by any standard — it was a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool, and more than forty acres of lawn and garden. It was Gatsby’s mansion.
Or, rather, as I didn’t know Mr. Gatsby, it was a mansion inhabited by a gentleman of that name. My own house was an eyesore, but it was a small eyesore, and it had been overlooked, so i had a View of the water, a partial view of my neighbor’s lawn, and the consoling proximity of millionaires i all for eighty dollars a month.(Fitzgerald 5) This excerpt from the novel of The Great Gatsby alludes the idea of how West Egg does not have any building regulation since Gatsby’s mansion is so ostentatious and adorned with all these materialistic features while next door where Nick lives, is a small house, which Nick considers an “eyesore”r This relates back to the thesis due to how West Egg is adorned with a vast variety of mansions and homes which is greatly different to how East egg is adorned. Contrary to West Egg, East Egg is where the mansion of the Buchanan’s locate upon The setting of East Egg is very conformed where all the mansions have large lawns and share the same architectural design ”Across the courtesy bay the white palaces of fashionable East Egg glittered along the water, and the history of the summer really begins on the evening 1 drove over there to have dinner with the Buchanan [in].
Their house was even more elaborate than I expected, a cheerful red-and-white Georgian Colonial mansion, overlooking the bay The lawn started at the beach and ran toward the front door for a quarter of a mile, jumping over sun-dials and brick walks and burning gardens — finally when it reached the house drifting up the side in bright vines as though from the momentum of its run. The front was broken by a line of French windows, glowing now with reflected gold and wide open to the warm windy afternoonm”. Nick Carraway leaves West Egg that evening to visit Daisy his cousin and her husband, Tom Buchanan, in East Eggr During his visit he notices how East Egg is vastly different from West Egg with how all the mansions are similar and the lawns are very well kept.
The following contribute to the topic/ thesis because of how the excerpt opens the image of how East Egg is so different from West Egg while both Eggs are the setting for the same type of wealthy and affluent people The Eggs being decorated by mansions did not only show the physical attribution to the differences in both Eggs, but the social events such as the dinner party at the Buchanan’s mansion and Gatsby‘s weekend ostentatious parties also provided a contrast between the Eggst “At least once a fortnight a corps of caterers came down with several hundred feet of canvas and enough colored lights to make a Christmas tree of Gatsby’s enormous garden. On buffet tables, garnished with glistening hors-d’oeuvre, with gins and liquors and with cordials so long forgotten that most of his female guests were too young to know one from another. The following excerpt from the novel provides a glimpse into the great extravagance Jay Gatsby’s parties would go He would have these parties where no one was cordially invited except for Nick in this case This shows a great difference to the Buchanan’s dinner party over in East Egg.
The party over at the Buchanan‘s were very formal had a small number of guest which consisted of the Buchanans themselves, Jordan Baker and Nick Carraway. The excerpt also provides a glimpse into how careless and reckless the wealthy were, which would allude to the recklessness and carelessness of Daisy and Tom Buchanan in the following chapters. The different ways a party is celebrated in each Egg symbolically represent the great societal difference of each Egg, which refrains back to the thesis sentence, With both Eggs housing the rich and prominent of New York’s society, the physical attribution of each Eggs exposes the great difference between them and the invisible barrier that divides themi Moving on from the physical differences of East Egg and West Egg is how the actions of the residents of East Egg and West Egg contrast from one another.
To proceed, Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby‘s symbolically represent West Egg while Daisy and Tom Buchanan represent East Eggt Each and every action of the characters reflect upon where they live Forward on after the examination of the physical differences of East Egg and West Egg, the characteristics of each resident will give off the social difference of the Eggs. “The mansion, however, is much more than a lure for Gatsby’s long lost love; it is a symbol of the man himself and his dream of materialism as a vehicle to success both literally and romantically” (Telgan). The following quote extends the meaning of how West Eggers have a defined goal to why they would work so hard in order to obtain the large amount of money, Due to how West Eggers have to work for their money they would be labeled as ”New Money”. Another piece of evidence that would show the difference between the two Eggs is the following Nick Carraway finishes his conversation with Jordan Baker and learns about Daisy’s and Gatsby‘s past.
As Nick takes a taxi home he notices Jay Gatsby outside looking at Gatsby’s mansiont Gatsby invites Nick to go to the city which he rejects and Gatsby offers another place to go, Coney Island. Nick also rejects his offer and tells Gatsby that he will call Daisy over for tea with him and Gatsbyt Gatsby is in awe by Nick’s action and shifts the conversation to Nick’s bond business. Nick kindly rejects Gatsby‘s offer for help in the bond business and says that he is just doing a favor for Gatsby and expect nothing in return (Fitzgerald, 81-83) The following paraphrased quote shows how West Eggers interact with people. Nick will invite Daisy over for tea and in response Gatsby is willing to help Nick out on his bond business which Nick rejects and explains that he is doing a favor, This shows a great difference between the two Eggs because of how West Eggers do not want to have any hatred against them.
In the novel Fitzgerald was able to include the importance of how residents of West Egg obtained their money compared to how East Eggers obtained their wealth, Furthermore West Egg inhabitants are considered “New Money,” New Money is a termed used to describe someone who rose to prosperity while coming from a non lavish childhood differing from the term “Old Money”, “The West Egg residences are more derivative and imitative, representative of the nouveau riche, affluent new-comers not yet accepted into the highest echelons of wealth.” (Telgan). This sentence explains how West Eggers are the newly rich of society and are trying to fit in by “imitating” the lifestyles of East Eggers, yet they are not accepted by the society of “Old Money.” The following quote provides a framework for the distinct difference of East Egg and West Egg societal representation However East Egg inhabitants are considered “Old Money” Old Money is used to term people who inherit their wealth from their predecessors, They are considered the epitome of class and elegance due to their childhood ”The two Eggs also represent the larger framework of an East symbolic of European antiquity, old money, and corruption, and a West symbolic of independence, new money, and the pioneering spirit” (Telgen).
Telgen provides a framework of East Egg to whoever reading her article by giving a brief list of adjectives to describe each Eggt East Egg symbolically represent ”Old Money” and considered it European antiquity however it also has a negative connotation for being corrupt Due to Telgen readers will notice the wide societal gap of East Egg and West Egg “It was all very careless and confused They were careless people, Tom and Daisy — they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.
Gatsby has died and Daisy never visited Gatsby after his death, time passes and Tom meets Nick on the streets of New York. The Buchanan by this time have moved away from East Egg. Nick sees the Buchanans, who symbolically represent East Egg, as careless people who will cause so much damage upon people and once the damage is done they will go and hide using their wealth. East Egg is represented as a setting full of recklessness and arrogance. The way East Egg society differs from West Egg society is the major barrier for the two Eggs. With West Egg and East Egg housing the affluent of society, the symbolical and physical differences between the two Eggs brings out their major differences.The physical barrier of the bay separates the two Eggs however the social barrier of new money and old money is a much more impactful barrier separating the two eggs.
While the setting of both Eggs is affluent and extravagant, the way each Egg is physically decorated by its’ mansions provide a glimpse into one of the great differences between East and West Egg. In today’s world the differences in old money and new money is no longer a major concern but the difference that concerns today’s world is the major difference between society’s top one percent and the large population of people throughout the world who live below the poverty line West Egg and East Egg play an important role in Fitzgerald’s book. The Great Gatsby due to the symbolic meanings they are which is placed upon the entire novel.
Why Is Society Making Jokes About Mental Illnesses?
Mental Illness is a large problem in American society, and 98.2% of people polled agree. When mental illness is talked about in our society, most times it‘s said in a joke or sarcastic comment. This is a detriment to society because it puts mental illness in a light where it seems less serious than it actually is. Out of the people polled, 55% had most often heard or said a joke relating to Bipolar Disorder. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Bipolar disorder affects approximately 5.7 million adult Americans every year. Someone who has Bipolar disorder is defined by manic episodes that last at least 7 days, or by manic symptoms that are so severe that the person needs immediate hospital care. Usually, depressive episodes occur as well. typically lasting at least 2 weeks.
Because of these characteristics, Bipolar is often seen as a fake illness. Jokes about Bipolar Disorder usually come when comments are made about someone‘s drastic mood swings. If a peer or co-worker comes in one day happy, and the next day very irritated. many people would say he or she was being Bipolar. Out of those surveyed, 35% said they heard or said a comment about killing themselves at least three times a week. Either there is a large problem with suicidal tendencies in their social circles, or something wrong is going on. Statistics show that 30,000 Americans take their lives each year, but that number could be considerably higher srnce suicide often goes unreported. In America, suicide takes more lives than traffic accidents, lung disease, or AIDS. Worldwide there are more deaths due to suicide than to accidents. homicides. and war combined. That poses a huge problem. Suicide is a serious, relevant issue, its not a joke.
These comments are talking lightly about someone‘s life ending, a brother losmg a sibling. a father losing his child, a friend losing a companion, Most people affected by suicide don‘t recover from that type of tragedy, yet as a society, we still find it funny. Anorexia Nervosa is the most deadly eating disorder In America. Anorexia is medically described as an eating disorder consisting of loss or denial of appetite due to emotional states, such as anxiety, irritation, anger, and fear, resulting in drastic weight loss over time. People who are anorexic will refuse or eat little food. and often exercise intensely to lose weight. Anorexia eventually leads to malnutrition which can dangerously alter the mind and body.
Anorexia has a 5.9% mortality rate. That’s higher than most other mental illnesses. yet almost 22% of those polled said they had heard or made a joke about Anorexia at least once a week. With that in mind, one of the most shocking results is that 91% of people surveyed believed that jokes had some effect the stigma around mental illness. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines stigma as a mark of shame or discredit. Nearly 86% of the same people surveyed said that they believed mental illnesses were not simply attention-seeking behaviors. So the question arises. if they believe that they’re a real issue and a serious problem in America. why are they so funny? Every person has one thing in common – life. We all experience different things, different emotions, and different people – but we all have experienced.
Some people might have a harder time than others. but their experiences. emotions. and problems are still valid and shouldn’t be made into a punch line. We all hear these jokes. yet so many of us sit by and laugh along. or just ignore it and hope they don’t say it to someone fighting that illness. If all of us step back and think before we speak, I believe that the stigma around mental illness would make a drastic turn for the better. Mental illnesses are as severe as physical illnesses, and often have the same long—lasting effects. treatments. and even mortality rates. If we get angry about an insensitive comment about cancer or heart disease. why not about suicide? The statistics are there. but will you listen?