Galletano 1 Sharron Galletano Professor Coleman Myron LITR 316 D001 Sum11 6 September 2011 The Wife of Bath – Feminism or Anti-feminism? The “Wife of Bath's Prologue” was written in the 14th century when much of the literature of the times took an anti-feminine stance and reflected the turmoil and instability of the the times. Chaucer, however, explored the intricate inner nature of the human condition. As the son of middle-class winemakers, he traveled widely, was well read, and was able to translate works in Latin, French, and Italian (Adven. In English Lit. 40). Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales in Middle English. English. Some have questioned if Chaucer expressed anti-feminine views in the character of the wife, but in examining the language and character of o f Bath's wife in “The Wife of Bath, Prologue” she demonstrates a blend of feminine and anti-feminine characteristics. charact eristics. One of the major themes in the poem is sexuality, sexuality, something of which she believes be lieves she is an expert. She begins her portion of the tale by drawing on her experience, “Experience, though no authority/ Were in this world, were good enough for me” (Chaucer 1-2). She claims not only to have a lot of experience with marriage, but to be a “master” because she first married at the age of twelve and because, “Of husbands at church door, door, have I had 5” (6). She never minces her words, speaking as one who knows or is a master master in deceit. Though she makes this claim that by experience alone she is qualified to speak, she sees the need to invoke religion, as well, w ell, on her side to support her argument. She quotes the Bible when Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well and reprimands her for having five husbands, then adds that although He did say it, she does not know what he meant (16-17). One of the best defense mechanisms mechanisms she employs is rationalization. She claims, “The genitals were made, that I defend/ and for what benefit was man first wrought?” (116-117). (116-117). Believing her argument
Galletano 2 to be a logical way for a woman to live, she audaciously says that she will welcome a sixth husband some day because the Apostle Paul says, “...I am free to wed, in God's name, where it pleases me” (4950). It is difficult to know if she really believes her rationalizations or she enjoys making an argument for argument's sake. It could be that she has told the story so many times that she believes it for the truth. Another major theme is dominance, specifically her dominance of men. This begins to enlarge her image of a wicked woman. She refers to herself as a “whip” and the “master” of her marriages (174175). It is clear from these lines that she is the one controlling the sex in every way – when and how and as a means of financial gain. She laughs as she tells what torments she imposed on her sexual partners. It is unclear if she if confessing or bragging when she says, “They all love me so well, by God above/ I never did set value on their love” (207-208). At this point, it is possible that her defenses break down a bit for a brief moment and that she realizes that she did not treasure their love as they did hers. Still, she continues, using words such as “submission” and “sovereignty.” The wife of Bath rambles on describing husbands one through four and how she cunningly manipulated them to obtain money in return for sex. Then she speaks of her fifth husband, Janekin, and explains that he turned the tables on her and became the manipulative aggressor and she the victim. He physically abused her and caused her to be deaf in one ear from a blow he delivered to her head. If the reader had any doubt before that she exhibited a mental illness, all doubt is removed at this point. She shows how low her self-esteem really was and a llowed him to beat her and maliciously use her as she did to husbands one through four. And yet, this is the husband she said she really loved. In conclusion, the wife of Bath appeared to be sure of herself only as it related to sex. She presents a paradox – she is the master with the whip and the slave begging for mercy. Today, she would probably be diagnosed as narcissistic with a border-line personality and a victim of battered women's syndrome. Just as husbands one through four made contrition to her, she made contrition to
Galletano 3 Janekin. She does express feminism in that she is demanding to have her rights heard, but if she had been a feminist in every way, she would not have bothered to marry the men. She could still have taken their money without marrying them. She would have walked out on Janekin and never looked back, leaving her sense of self intact. She is no different than the teenage girl who becomes promiscuous because she wants to feel loved, but does not know how to love. Chaucer showed amazing insight in creating such a complex character with both feminine and anti-feminine traits.
Galletano 4 Works Cited Adventures in English Literature Classic Edition. San Diego: Harcourt Brace, 1979. Print. Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. Ed. D. Laing Purves. The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Canterbury Tales and Other Poems. Web. 6 September 2011.
