Date of Award
2020
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Humanities
First Advisor
Myhill, Nova
Area of Concentration
Literature
Abstract
This thesis analyzes female narrators and female representation through narrative in The Canterbury Tales. It draws connections between the tales of The Prioress, The Second Nun, The Wife of Bath, and The Man of Law in order to understand and explain societal views on women during the Medieval time period. In order to do so, this thesis has a heavy emphasis on saintly women and wives, as well as narrator authority and agency. These focuses are used to explain how the narrators of The Canterbury Tales exercise their agency as gendered narrators in order to navigate social tensions surrounding women in the stories they tell.
Recommended Citation
Penaloza, Maria, "THE CANTERBURY TALES: HOW GENDERED NARRATIVE AUTHORITY SHAPED MEDIEVAL SOCIETY’S PERCEPTIONS OF WOMEN" (2020). Theses & ETDs. 5978.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/5978