Monday, December 9, 2013
Final thoughts
Since I won't be there tomorrow, you've been a wonderful class and I will miss you. Hopefully one of you will fill in my void and argue lots tomorrow.
Random Thoughts on the last readings:
- The Parson sounded so nice in the GP I was kind of expecting a sugar-coated beginning, but at least to me it seemed like it started with, OK, we are all sinners big time. And really bad things are going to happen if we don't change. Kind of reminds me of a friend who is very trustworthy because he doesn't sugarcoat.
- To me, it's not till he gets to the remedies to the 7 deadlies that we readers get hope.
- I got the feeling that none of this was directed to the pilgrims, it was all for Chaucer's real audience. If I remember right, books were still expensive then so the audience would be the rich and powerful. Which means this would feel rather pointed at them.
- One of the things I think about comes from (yet again) Prof. Sandona's Renaissance Drama class. He talked about Dr. Faustus or Volpone where you laugh and then realize you are cheering for horrible people. What does that say about you. We enjoyed "The Miller's Tale", "The Summoner's Tale" and "The Friar's Tale". We viewed women such as Griselda and Custaunce as unreal examples. I think "The Parson 's Tale is a wake up call to the audience, to look at who and what they have been applauding.
- The Host asks for an entertaining story (20-21) and asks The Parson to tell them a fable (29). The Parson says that's not his thing, but that he will give them an entertaining tale in prose (46). Which is NOT what he gives them. The Host later says OK, be edifying and that in "litel space" (which I think means "short space") (71). If so, the next 88 pages are going to be a surprise.
- First I'm going to cover my butt. Things you like came from God, things you didn't came from my ignorance and the fact that I'm a fallible man as are we all.
- And as I just mentioned in 88 pages, forgiving people for things that make you angry and praying for people are good things.
- Now let me casually mention a whole bunch of famous things I've written (do you really want to say I'm not good? (People don't mess with Stephen King or James Patterson--and they stink)
- Let me do the stuff the Parson said so I may be one of those who makes it to Heaven.
Comic by:
Unknown (via Imogen Quest)
http://cheezburger.com/7905537024
"Parson's Tale" in bullet points
PARSON’S LIST
·
Penitence
o
Contrition
§
What is contrition
·
The sorrow a man receives for his sins
§
What causes a man to be contrite
·
Remembering his sins
·
Not wanting to be a thrall to sin
·
Dread of Hell
·
Sorrow for the good he didn’t do and the evil he
did
·
Remembrance of the Passion of Christ
·
Hope for forgiveness of sin, the gift of grace,
and the glory of Heaven
§
How he should be contrite
§
What contrition is available to the soul
o
Confession
§
Confessing ALL his sins to his priest
§
Understand the source of the sins
·
Adam and Eve
·
7 deadlies, coming later
§
Types of sins
·
Venial
o
Man loves Christ less than he should
o
Can be forgiven through confession
·
7 Deadlies
o
Man loves anything more than Christ
o
deadly
o
Love of God
·
7 Deadlies
o
Pride
§
The root of all sins
o
Remedy to Pride
§
Humility
·
In heart
o
Sees himself as worth nothing before God
o
He despises no other man
o
Doesn’t mind what other people think of him
o
Doesn’t regret his humiliation
·
In mouth
·
In works
o
Puts other men before him
o
Choose the lowest place overall
o
Gladly assent to good council
o
Submit gladly to judgment of his superiors
o
Envy
§
Worst sin there is because it is against all
virtues and goodness
o
Remedy to Envy
§
Love of God principle
§
Love his neighbor as himself
§
Against the manor of wrongs of his enemies:
·
Against hate of heart love him in heart
·
Against hate and rancor of heart love him in
heart
·
Against chiding and wicked words pray for his
enemy
o
Wrath
§
Good anger
·
Anger at wickedness
·
Hating the sin but not the sinner
§
Wicked ire
·
Unplanned, so venial
·
Planned, so deadly
·
Manslaughter
o
OK—carrying out death penalty
o
OK—self-defense
o
Deadly—going beyond self-defense
o
Killing on purpose in all sorts of ways
including abortion
o
Remedy to Wrath
§
Gentleness
·
Suffer the wrongs men do to you
·
Suffer sweetly man’s goodness and don’t get angry at
man’s bad acts
§
Patience
·
Suffer gently the outrages of adversity and wicked acts to him
o
Sloth
§
Makes one heavy, moody, and peevish
o
Remedy to Sloth
§
Fortitude and Strength
·
Magnanimity and courage
·
Undertake hard things
·
Reason and discretion
·
Faith and hope in God
·
Confidence and security
·
Constance
o
Avarice (Greed)
§
Loving Earthly things
§
Coveting is wanting things you don’t have
§
Greed is withholding and keeping things you do
have
o
Remedy to Avarice
§
Mercy and pity
§
Performing charitable works
§
Lend and give, forgive and release
§
Moderate generosity
o
Gluttony
o
Remedy to Gluttony
§
Abstinence
o
Lechery (Lust)
§
Very specific about each act, read on your own
if you want
o
Remedy to Lust
§
Chastity
§
Continence
§
Good marriage in medieval terms
§
Withdraw from temptation
·
Penitence part 2 continued—Confession
o
Confession of the mouth (may not be my best
interpretations)
§
What is the sin
§
Consider who you are
§
Did you do it alone or with/to someone else?
§
Where did you do it
§
Did you get talked into it or talk someone into
it?
§
How many times
§
Why did you sin, tempted by others or by one’s
desire
§
Who have you hurt by sinning?
o
True confession signs
§
Sorrowful bitterness of heart
·
Shamefast
§
Humility in confession
§
Weep in eyes or heart
§
Don’t let shame stop one’s confession
§
Be obeisant to receive penance
§
Do it quickly after sin
§
Do it by your own will
o
Confession must be lawful
·
Penitence part 3—Satisfaction
o
Alms
§
Offer one’s self to God
§
Have pity of defects of neighbors
§
Giving of good council and comfort (including material
things)
§
Try to keep works private
o
Bodily pain
§
Prayers
§
Wakings--vigils
§
Fastings--
o
Forbear of food and drink
o
Forbear of worldly jollity
o
Forbear deadly sin
·
Reasons for fasting
o
Largeness to poor folk
o
Gladness of spirit
o
Not to grouch while fasting
o
moderation
§
Teaching of prayers
§
More ways of bodily pain
·
Wearing painful clothes
·
Scourging
o
Blockers to penitence
§
Dread
·
Fear of suffering
·
Fix by remembering this life is short, heavenly
life eternal
§
Shame
·
If he wasn’t ashamed to do foul things, he shouldn’t
be ashamed to do good things
§
Wanhope
·
Distrust in the mercy of Christ
·
Fear that he won’t be able to keep up penitence
·
Answers
o
As many times as he falls, Christ will be there
to receive him in mercy when he rises again
o
God is way stronger than the devil—God will
strengthen hime
§
Desperation—can’t find a definition
·
Reward of Penitence—Heaven and the perfect
knowledge of God
FMA Brotherhood
While I would dearly love to get into a deep and frustrating conversation about the 7 sins, I will limit myself to this:
http://rosesmusings.deviantart.com/art/FMA-Homunculi-186744938
back row: Sloth, Wrath, Father
front row: Envy, Greed, Lust, Gluttony, Pride
back row: Sloth, Wrath, Father
front row: Envy, Greed, Lust, Gluttony, Pride
About my other post on animals...
I found the excerpt pertaining to the use of animals in text and why they don't work as well as animals.
"Other animals have been introduced, but with limited success, for we know too little so far about their psychology. ... It is one of the ways where science may enlarge the novel, by giving it fresh subject matter. But the help has not been given yet, and until it comes we may say that the actors in a story are, or prepared to be, human beings." (Forster 44)
This is from Forster's Aspects of the Novel
"Other animals have been introduced, but with limited success, for we know too little so far about their psychology. ... It is one of the ways where science may enlarge the novel, by giving it fresh subject matter. But the help has not been given yet, and until it comes we may say that the actors in a story are, or prepared to be, human beings." (Forster 44)
This is from Forster's Aspects of the Novel
Friday, December 6, 2013
Thursday, December 5, 2013
The Caged Wife
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| http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs15/f/2007/111/a/c/ Why_The_Caged_Bird_Sings_by_jesidangerously.jpg |
Not that it needs to be said, but I do not condone the wife cheating on Phebus, but I think that it is interesting that the Manciple compared her desires to an animal's. After the discussion we had on "The Nun's Priest's Tale" the other week about how in medieval times animals were thought to have no soul, it was interesting to me that this tale made the implication that humans have no more control over their behavior than animals. The Manciple describes Phebus' wife like being a caged bird or a house cat, owned and living outside of her nature.
Comparing wives to a caged bird or house cat is statement that says when men control the wives, the women are no different than a kept animal, and eventually they will act out their true nature no matter how well they are loved or treated, like the cat who drinks milk, but then sees a mouse (175-177). The control does not stop the act, the wife will just look for another way. We have seen this in "The Miller's Tale" with John and Alison's marriage and "The Merchant's Wife" like January and May. The wives in these stories like Phebus' wife find ways to have their affairs regardless of the control and jealousy the husband had.
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