Study Tips for the SUBJECTIVE Portion of the Canterbury Tales Point Opportunity

Hi there, sweet sophomores!

Here are a few items to help you study this weekend for the SUBJECTIVE (aka short essay) portion of the point opportunity on Monday.

First, the instructions for the written portion of the exam:

Directions: For both of the short quotes below, write a mini-essay in which you 1.) state which pilgrim is being described, 2.) explain the literal and (more importantly) metaphorical significance of this description and how it ties to the pilgrim’s characteristics, and 3.) discuss how this symbol/metaphor connects to the universal message Chaucer is trying to communicate about the Estate or humanity in general. Respond in depth and detail. Check for coherence of thought, evidence of claims, and excellence in grammar/spelling/usage. (10 points each)

Next, a student sample (from two years ago) written in response to “In driblets fell his locks behind his head… / Thinly they fell, like rat-tails, one by one" :

The quotation in this question describes the Pardoner. The Pardoner, a member of the clergy, is used by Chaucer to display the flaws and sins many clergy members had fallen prey to during his time. In this quotation, Chaucer is describing the Pardoner’s hair, which is portrayed as thin, greasy, long locks. Through this simple quotation, Chaucer shares significant information about the Pardoner’s flaws. In terms of literal meaning, Chaucer shares with the reader that the Pardoner does not wear the hood that is characteristic of the clergy, but instead leaves his head bare. While this action may seem to be a minor offense, by not wearing his hood, the Pardoner is openly displaying defiance and disrespect toward the church, for, as a clergy member, he is always supposed to wear his hood in public. By not wearing his hood, the Pardoner is showing his resentment at being a part of the church. Also in terms of literal meaning, the length of the Pardoner’s hair depicts his feminine nature. While men can have long hair, long hair is usually associated with women. Therefore, this quotation displays the Pardoner’s feminine tendencies. This quotation also displays metaphorical elements through the comparison of the Pardoner’s hair to rat-tails. Rats are commonly viewed as dirty, disgusting animals, especially in the Middle Ages since they were the cause of the Black Plague. Therefore, the comparison of the Pardoner’s hair to rat-tails, which causes the reader to associate the Pardoner with rats, shows that the Pardoner is a dirty and flawed character. This quality is seen later in the Pardoner’s passage through his practice of selling false relics, which was a major sin of that time.   Through the metaphor of comparing the Pardoner’s hair to rat-tails, Chaucer satirizes the clergy’s corruption and greed. Chaucer hoped to inspire change in the church by pointing out its flaws. The particular flaw he satirizes through the Pardoner is the practice of clergy of the Middle Ages to use their positions for personal gain. The pardoner tricked people into buying fake relics and used his singing skills to earn money in public, even though he was supposed to be singing for no profit in church. Therefore, the Pardoner, along with other clergy members that used their position for personal gain, were being satirized by Chaucer; the Pardoner’s comparison to a rat truly portrays the corruption of the church of the time and their misplaced focus.

Finally, ten quotations to practice on:

1. “Now isn’t it a marvel of God’s grace
That an illiterate fellow can outpace
The wisdom of a heap of learned men?”
2. “His face on fire, like a cherubin,
For he had carbuncles. His eyes were narrow,
He was as hot and lecherous as a sparrow.”
3. “He rode the hindmost of our cavalcade.”
4. “Highly beloved and intimate was he
With County folk within his boundary.”
5. “He paid his tithes in full when they were due
On what he owned, and on his earnings too.”
6. “…he would add this figure too,
That if gold rust, what then will iron do?”
7. “He was a proper forester, I guess.”
8. “He had a wrought-gold cunningly fashioned pin;
Into a lover’s knot it seemed to pass.”
9. “A sanguine man, high-colored and benign,
He loved a morning sop of cake in wine.”
10. “He did not read the Bible very much.”

STUDY DILIGENTLY, KIDDOS!