Cinderella’s Stepsisters and Canterbury Tales
Cinderella’s Stepsisters: A Social Commentary
Plot: This analysis compares the intentions, actions, and thinking of Cinderella and, particularly, her stepsisters within the social context of the author’s time.
Tone: The tone is highly reflexive. The author invites us to reconsider a familiar fairy tale and compare it to her own social environment. From the outset, by stating her focus on Cinderella, she directly appeals to our perspective, encouraging us to view the characters through a new lens.
Symbols:
- Cinderella: Represents the constrained woman who never challenges her near-enslavement by her stepsisters and stepmother. She is confined and takes no action to change her circumstances.
- The Stepsisters: Represent the antithesis of Cinderella. They act on their desires without self-criticism or self-control. They exploit Cinderella, prioritizing their selfishness and personal ideals, disregarding Cinderella’s well-being.
Foreshadowing: The author’s explicit mention of her perspective on Cinderella foreshadows her intention to influence our viewpoint as well.
Setting: This story was written during a period when the author was actively fighting for her rights. Her intentions are evident in her writing. She perceived that not all women supported the cause, drawing a parallel between the characters in a fairy tale and contemporary women.
Canterbury Tales: A Critical Look at Society
Written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the early 1380s, these stories represent the first documented criticism of the Catholic Church. It is a frame narrative, and Chaucer was a pioneer in using the vernacular English language (popular speech). Chaucer introduced 2000 words for the first time.
It is the first mention written on paper. The structure is linear.
Setting: The tales are presented as part of a storytelling contest among a group of pilgrims traveling together to Canterbury Cathedral.
The Pardoner’s Tale
Three drunken gamblers learn that Death has taken their friend, and they vow revenge. They encounter an old man who tells them they will find Death under a tree. There, they discover a treasure. One goes to town for provisions to celebrate. The other two plot to kill him upon his return, which they do. However, they also perish after drinking wine poisoned by the third to eliminate them.
The Wife of Bath’s Tale
A knight rapes a maiden and is sentenced to death. The Queen spares him on the condition that he discovers what women most desire. He has 12 months to find the answer. Just as he is returning, he meets an old woman who provides the answer in exchange for his promise to do whatever she asks. She demands he marry her. He reluctantly agrees, but she transforms into a beautiful, young woman, and they live happily ever after.
The Cook’s Tale
An apprentice named Perkyn, working for a shop owner, enjoys partying, money, and women. Lacking funds, he steals from the store. The owner eventually discovers this and dismisses him. Perkyn moves in with a friend whose wife is a prostitute. This tale is incomplete.