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Women In The Reeve's Tale

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There’s a power balance between the three men and the two women in The Reeve's Tale that is influenced by patriarchal values. The author limits actions performed by female characters to carry stereotypical assumptions of gender expectations. If you examine closely, the miller's wife is unnamed purposefully because she is considered untrustworthy and invaluable to Symkyn. Also, any credibility that is given to a female, has to have a man present to accept those responsibilities. This formulates that women cannot exist without having some type of man to establish their credibility. It constructs an uneven balance- that forms the concept of instrumentality, which the author creates when he silences the two women in the tale. They become lessened …show more content…

Therefore, they are victims of objectification because even Symkyn's wife and their daughter are introduced inversely compared to the three men. The nameless wife has been told right before the two scholars, suggesting that she introduced after Symkyn because he owns her, making him liable for her and them as a unity. As a result, she's an object of his needs and desires. She is “wel ynorissed and a mayde”, meaning that she is only valuable for her manners and her virginity, making her an object. (Chaucer, 3946). Objectification is prominent and the females’ values are exclusively for pleasure and for men’s social reputation. Reputation is exclusively shown when the daughter is introduced and the emphasis voices her body. She is the "male gaze" of desire and she is “thikke and wel ygrowen” (Parker, 167 & 3973). She is a sexual product when she is described sensually. The three men are not …show more content…

Aleyn reduces her value, making her an undesirable woman for marriage since chastity is desired more than an experienced woman. Afterwards, Symkyn is punished by the wife and two scholars because he fails to control his women and is inevitably isolated with manhood. Unluckily, Symkyn cannot withhold social statuses or break down social barriers since he cannot maintain authority. John and Aleyn are worshipped in the tale, because they were able to hold their power, despite their lesser

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