Maybe I'm a heartless asshole. Probably. Anyway, maybe I'm a heartless asshole but I have been seeing some people struggling on a moral standpoint on The Miller's Tale, and let me just tell you that this is hardly the case for me at all. First of all, dude's drunk. So for everyone feeling despair over the callousness of the story, there is a chance that the original, true, non Drunk History version of the story is a beautiful tell about forbidden courtly love and beautiful elopements.
For those of you like me who couldn't care less, taking the story at face value is hilarious, and I actually don't think it's degrading toward women at all. (That tends to be our beef with stories, right?) I mean, in this story, the men do not battle over the woman, Alison, like she is an object. In fact, ironically this is the one story where our guy, Nicholas, asks Alison for her consent. In fact, they construct the plan to fool her husband, John, together. And instead of the woman getting her face shoved in a boiling tub in a very infantalizing "this happens to women who misbehave" sort of way, she quite literally has society (or rather a member of society, Absolon) kiss her ass.
So yeah, I can dig it. I think it works as a good piece of satire. But then it begs the question...was the Knights Tale a satire as well, if Chaucer shuts it down so easily in this next story? Hmm...
Anyway, what do you all think? Are you all heartless assholes like me? (If so, welcome. There's tacos here.) Or is this story not your cup of tea? Did you interpret it in a completely different way? Let me know.
NOTE: (updated later) Upon re-reading and talking in class I realized that Alison didn't consent as much as I thought. I feel pretty bad for not seeing that. However, I do still think Alison is a spit fire who chooses to at least spend her time with this guy. Either way, she doesn't seem to dig Absolon, a guy who seems to resemble the regular courtly love stereotype to me. Don't hate me guys. Now I'm conflicted. After all, Alison still gets a pretty boy to kiss her ass. I guess new question...is anything about this story feminist at all like I originally thought? Or is this story not a true win for women?
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ReplyDeleteThanks for pointing out that this is satire because when Dr. MB was talking in class about how people didnt find this tale funny it made me kind of mad. Its not supposed to be something serious and nobody did take it for face value like they were supposed to if that was the case. I also agree that I love the whole thing about him literally kissing her ass it was hilarious.
ReplyDeleteYES! I love being welcomed to clubs with fellow assholes and tacos. We're going to have so much fun together.
ReplyDeleteThank you for pointing out that dude's drunk. Taking this story at face value is not, in my opinion, recommended. It's basically a "here, hold my beer and listen to this shit" kind of story. I found the whole thing highly entertaining. I mean, come on, bathtubs hanging in the rafters? Who thinks of this stuff?! It's priceless.