#feminist interpretation

[miamaimania]

◉ She didn't need a mirror — she looked down ∿

[theshipman]

Astrology in The Canterbury Tales serves as a key thematic element for characterization, plot motivation, and setting the narrative tone, reflecting the medieval belief in planetary influence over human fate, health, and personality. Chaucer uses astronomical alignments to mark time and influence, notably in The Knight's Tale, where characters embody specific planets (e.g., Mars for Arcite, Venus for Palamoun).

Key Astrological Aspects in The Canterbury Tales:

Characterization: The Wife of Bath’s character is shaped by her astrological chart, which includes a difficult Mercury, Jupiter in the seventh house, and Mars in the first. Similarly, Custance in The Man of Law's Tale is associated with a specific natal chart, with Pisces as her ascendant and Venus in exaltation.

The Knight's Tale: The narrative is deeply embedded in astrology, with characters exhibiting behaviors corresponding to planetary influences, particularly regarding the tension between Mars (war) and Venus (love). Saturn acts as a powerful, disruptive force representing destruction and fate.

Narrative Time and Setting: The Tales begin in April, with specific references to the Sun's position, reflecting a reliance on the zodiac to structure the narrative, such as the Sun entering Aries.

The Miller's Tale: The character Nicholas is a clerk skilled in "derne sciences" (secret sciences), including astrology, and owns an astrolabe, the primary tool for measuring planetary positions.

Source Material: Chaucer utilized established texts of his time, such as Ptolemy’s Almagest and references to Arabic astronomical knowledge (e.g., Libro Mansor), to add authority to his astrological descriptions.

Astrology functions as a metaphor for the divine and natural order, often highlighting the tension between free will and destiny.

A image of the first page of Knight's Tale in the Ellesmere manuscript, middle of the 15th century.

[soleminisanction]

'#'she'll take my sister if I don't do what she says' is the most sexist thing in the entire show' m8 where did u get the ability to rewrite the show to remove the multiple scenes where scanlan used magic to sexually harass/assault kima and lyra because those scenes took years off my life that i'd like back now that i know they never happened!

Oh no those scenes still happened. But Vax repeatedly reducing his sister to an object with zero agency in her own fate – a possession he can be denied of as punishment for his actions, no matter what she does and at least once without her knowledge – is still more sexist. 

‘Cause see, Scanlan is deliberately sexist. He’s confronted by his sexism, called out on it in-universe, out-of-universe, and in the subtext. It’s never treated like a positive thing, and a big part of his maturation is rooted in him realizing that the way he treats women is wrong.

Vax’ildan doesn’t think his objectification of women is wrong, because Liam doesn’t know it’s wrong. He thinks it proves how ‘loving’ and ‘self-sacrificing’ he is, how much he’s willing to give up for the sake of his precious helpless sister, who is reduced to a vessel for his manpain. 

And it’s not even like this is Liam’s fault. He’s a forty-year-old white guy born, raised and professionally integrated into a media landscape that caters almost exclusively to this exact narrative mindset, even when it’s trying to be progressive. He’s genuinely trying to be supportive, but he fails, and as a result sexism is coded into (what are supposed to be) Vax’ildan’s virtues. 

And that is why he’s far more sexist than Scanlan’s deliberately negative actions could ever be. 

[theshipman]

The Secrets of Feminine Power in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales.

The Canterbury Tales explores The Power of Women through characters who challenge medieval patriarchy, primarily using sexuality, cunning, and economic independence to gain authority. The Wife of Bath exemplifies this by dominating her five husbands, while other tales show women manipulating men to secure, or regain, control.

Key Examples of Female Power

The Wife of Bath (Alisoun): She is the embodiment of The Power of Women, arguing for female sovereignty in marriage and using her body and wit to control her husbands’ wealth and actions.

Manipulation in Tales: In the Miller's Tale, Reeve's Tale, and Merchant's Tale, women use sexual wit to outsmart older men.

The Prioress: Represents a different type of authority as a religious leader, though she still operates within a male-dominated church structure.

Voice and Control: The Wife of Bath’s prologue directly challenges the anti-feminist literature of the time, allowing her to define her own, empowered role.

Nuances in Chaucer’s Portrayal

• Patriarchal Limits: Despite their power, most women in the tales operate within a deeply patriarchal society, often relying on the absence or death of a husband to gain true freedom.

• Stereotypes: Women are often portrayed as either idealized, holy figures (like the Prioress) or conniving, manipulative temptresses, reflecting medieval, misogynistic tropes.

• Courtly Love Parody: Women in the tales often reject the passive, "goddess" role of courtly love to take active roles in their own destinies.

• The Power of Women in The Canterbury Tales is both a subject of satire and a demonstration of female agency, portraying women not just as victims, but as active, often manipulative agents within their own lives.

Now, here’s an wonderful example of this power in The Wife of Bath’s Tale.

In these lines from the Wife of Bath's Prologue in Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, the Wife uses a clever metaphor to defend her liberal views on sex and marriage. 

The core meaning of the passage is:

• Miserly behavior is foolish. A "nygard" (miser) who refuses to let someone else light a candle from their lantern is being needlessly stingy.

The metaphor suggests that her sexuality is an inexhaustible resource: 

• The Shared Flame: She argues that a man who refuses to let others "light their candle at his lantern" is a "cheapskate" (nygard) because his own light remains just as bright even if shared.

• Sufficiency vs. Exclusivity: Her logic is that as long as her husband is getting "enough" sex at night, he has no reason to care if other men are also having sex with her.

Contextual Significance

• Challenging Jealousy: The Wife is responding to an "olde dotard" (her husband) who is worried about other men. She cites the astronomer Ptolemy to argue that if a man has "enough" (sufficient sexual attention), he shouldn't worry about what others are doing.

• Experience vs. Authority: This aligns with her broader theme of valuing personal experience and pleasure over the strict, restrictive moral "authorities" of the medieval church.

[eerdblurbs]

This is the best available user-friendly guide for reading the Bible from a feminist perspective, helpful for study groups, individuals, or anyone seriously interested in reading the Bible inclusively. From creation stories to Gospel women to images of new life, there is clear and reliable interpretation here. For those who will want more, this is the way into the Wisdom Commentary Series.

Carolyn Osiek, RSCJ, on Wisdom’s Feast: An Invitation to Feminist Interpretation of the Scriptures by Barbara E. Reid

[scuttleboat]

"Helena Bonham Carter meets her Manic Pixie Dream Boy at a self-help group, and they have an intense affair until he almost destroys the world." - Fight Club, a summary

[verflixture]

Guys I'm so excited

Instead of doing college apps I'm making a powerpoint of a feminist interpretation of Lady Gaga's "Telephone"

It is a thing to behold

(Maybe I'll post it when it's done)