최지연:  초서의 여성 다시읽기: 파블리오 양식과 의복모티프를 중심으로 pages 145 ~ 159 
      [Choi Ji-yeon: Re-reading Chaucer’s Women: Focusing on Fabliau and Clothing]

Abstract


 This paper aims to analyze Chaucer’s women in The Canterbury Tales, focusing on fabliau(genre) and clothing. Fabliaux are a kind of a genre which is characterized by medieval comic tales with sexual and trickery themes. They were a kind of bourgeois literature, showing an accurate portrayal of life in the Middle Ages. Chaucer experiments various kinds of writing styles and finds fabliaux as a suitable tool for him to describe women in the time of change. His Miller’s Tale and Reeve’s Tale are considered best in English fabliaux. Chaucer’s time advanced into the capitalist system. Clothing is a major motif to reflect the economic growth at that time. Medieval people wanted better clothing. Women also desired clothing. These aspects are partly revealed in fabliaux. However, fabliau women cannot be said to transcribe the reality of social life in the Middle Ages. Rather, they are not described as individuals but stereotyped.
Chaucer describes in detail Alisoun’s clothing in the Miller’s Tale. The descriptions of Alisoun’s appearance and clothing bring up the image of animals like wezele, swalwe, kyde or calf, colt and so on. Animal images in Chaucer’s time are more negative than thought these days; however, they show strikingly vivid and lecherous women, compared to courtly love styled women’s noble but still passive images. On the other hand, it should be noticed that Alisoun’s clothing isn’t described in various colors but only black or white. These limited colors represent Alisoun’s restricted situation by her husband. Chaucer’s fabliau women somewhat developed but showed restricted aspects.
Wife of Bath’s boisterous clothing and headdress show her pride and extravagance, which are harshly criticized during that time because sumptuous clothes revealed one’s inner sins. She has the purchasing power to reveal her wealth and profession. She doesn’t take off her red scarlet gowns, showing her sexual desire and wealth. Although age has stripped her of her beauty and youth, she is showing off her wealth by wearing her sumptuous clothing. Her clothing revealed her desire and independence. Fabliau women become independent and active through Wife of Bath. Women’s desire and independent will are materialized by means of Wife of Bath’s clothing.

Key words

  여성, 파블리오, 의복, 바쓰부인, 성

Women, Fabliau, Clothing, Wife of Bath, Sexuality