The point of Canterbury Tales is...

Canterbury tales is a story that removes the veil of society to society, it shows the imperfections through the characterization, the themes of the stories, and the narrator's tone, by doing this Chaucer shed a new light on the people and said out loud what everybody else was thinking.

Vocab #5

shenanigans- noun mischief; prankishness
ricochet - noun a glancing rebound; verb spring back; spring away from an impactschism - noun division of a group into opposing factions; the formal separation of a church into two churches or the withdrawal of one group over doctrinal differenceseschew - verb avoid and stay away from deliberately; stay clear ofplethora - noun extreme excessebullient - adj. joyously unrestrainedgarrulous - adj. full of trivial conversationharangue - noun a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion; verb deliver a harangue to; address forcefullyinterdependence - noun a reciprocal relation between interdependent entities (objects or individuals or groups)capricious - adj. determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason; changeableloquacious - adj. full of trivial conversationephemeral - adj. lasting a very short time; noun anything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day in its winged forminchoate - adj. only partly in existence; imperfectly formedjuxtapose - verb place side by sideperspicacious - adj. acutely insightful and wise; mentally acute or penetratingly discerningcodswallop - noun nonsensical talk or writingmungo-noun a low-grade wool from felted rags or waste.sesquipedelian-adjective given to using long wordswonky - adj. inclined to shake as from weakness or defect; turned or twisted toward one sidediphthong - noun a vowel sound that starts near the articulatory position for one vowel and moves toward the position for another

Canterbury Character study

As I sit and think I am left with the question, who am I? I ask other people and they all tell me things about myself I don't even know existed. who knows me better than me, and if I don't know myself then who does? the questions slap me in the face and leave me with a bruise that will not heal until I find the answer, and so my journey begins.
Where does one go to find themselves? I guess that question can only be answered by the person who asks it, so I went somewhere I am most at ease with myself. In other words I stood up and sat back down in the most quite place that I could find. This solitude allows me to think ;to be myself. I wonder thoughts that are so deep that it would have astounded Aristotle, then I think callow thoughts that make me laugh with myself. while others may go crazy in this quite solitude, I celebrate by dancing with myself. At the end of my adventure i forget everything that I thought about and remember I have a place to be.
The silence has left and I am left wondering were it went, instead it is filled by light. Light from people or a person. Elmo tells me something and I laugh, then I tell him something and he laughs. Everything in that moment feels like it was irrelevant, and my whole life is defined by my reasons for laughing.
Time doesn't pass while the lights are on and my anxiety begins to take control the laughter turn into fatigue and I wish for the time that I could return to the silence.
From the crowd I hear words that make me dream. They are inspiration, passion, and my reason for living, I am suddenly reeled in again. My heart feels like a tightrope walker over a pit. As it walks fireworks explode and excitement emerges however, my heart fears falling from the tight rope to see what the fireworks look like.
I am lost.
My journey felt as if though it was coming to an end when I hit a dead end. As I try and find my way I find a beast of darkness. I fear its presence and I try to convince myself that it would define me. Then I wonder if maybe the light is what is defining me. I don't want to be defined. I am alive, I am changing, I evolve, I grow, I believe, I achieve, I think. So I walk across the tightrope between dark and light choosing to not be defined by either, but to come up with my own definition.
As I make my way back to my path I realize that the answer had been with me all along. I am what I want to be, and I am always changing. Not even I can define myself. My journey ends and all that is left is the trail that shows who I really am.

Canterbury Tales notes

Geoffrey Chaucer Bio  

• lived a portion of his life in the Medieval Times
• Chaucer was an apprentice for the son of a monarch of England and was introduced to the aristocratic society this way
• Serving the English Army, he was captured and held prisoner until King Edward paid for his ransom
• he began writing in his early 20s writing poems about European poets
• his most famous work was The Canterbury Tales which he might have written because he was on the pilgrimage to Canterbury
• In it, he tells the tales of people on their way to Canterbury
• The tales encompass medieval literature such as romance, comedy, rhyme, prose, crude humor, and religious mysteries
• Considered the greatest English poet and the father of english poetry

Bede Notes (p.72-84)

• Bede was one of the few Britons of his time who was literate and took advantage of that to read and record historic texts for future generations
• The geography of Britain is an island surrounded by the countries Spain and France; it is good land for farming and livestock
• there is a wide variety of land, air, and sea life
• Latin is the common medium for languages developing in that region
• The Picts settled on an island east of the coast of Britain because the Scots told them they could 
• the weather in Ireland was far better it was in Britain which meant easier settlement and survival
• the Scots chose Ireland to claim as their homeland for these reasons
• The Danish settlers began attacking neighboring civilizations to claim as their own
• The Danes shattered through the English defenses with their ships and firepower
• The Englishmen were surrounded and were at the mercy of the Danish army

Character List and mini analysis

The Host (Harry Bailey) The owner of the Tabard Inn, who volunteers to travel with the pilgrims. He promises to keep everyone happy, be their guide and arbiter in disputes, and judge the tales.

The Knight Socially the most prominent person on the pilgrimage, epitomizing chivalry, truth, and honor. He stands apart from the other pilgrims because of his dignity and status.

The Miller A drunken, brash, and vulgar man who rudely interrupts the Host, demands that his tale be next, and warns everyone that his tale about a carpenter will be vulgar because it is true.

The Reeve A very old and irritable man who was once a carpenter. He resents the Miller's tale about a stupid old carpenter.

The Man of Law (or Sergeant of Law) A lawyer and one of the high justices of the court. He is cautious, suspicious, and wise, and one of the more cultivated men among the pilgrims.

Roger, the Cook Known for his cooking and characterized by a chancre sore that runs with pus. His story is incomplete.

The Wife of Bath (Alisoun) Characterized as gat-toothed, somewhat deaf, and wearing bright scarlet red stockings. She has had five husbands (the last half her age), enjoys her freedom, and is openly sensual.

Hubert, the Friar A sensual, licentious man who seduces young girls and then arranges their marriages. He loves money and knows the taverns better than the poor houses.

The Summoner An officer of the church who calls people for a church trial. He is as ugly as his profession; he frightens children with his red complexion, pimples and boils, and skin infected with scales.

The Clerk A sincere, devout student at Oxford University who loves learning and is respected by all the pilgrims. He is very poor because he spends all his money on books.

The Merchant A shrewd and intelligent man who knows how to strike a good bargain and is a member of the rich rising middle class.

The Squire A vain, lusty young man and a candidate for knighthood. He can sing, write poetry, and ride a horse very well, and considers himself a lady's man.

The Franklin A large and wealthy landowner who enjoys fine living and good companionship.

The Shipman A huge, uncouth man who can steer a ship but flounders on his horse.

The Prioress (Madame Eglantine) A very genteel lady who is coy and delicate. She has precise manners, eats as an aristocrat would, and wears a gold brooch with "Love conquers all" inscribed in Latin.

The Physician A doctor who can speak knowingly of medicines, drugs, and humours, and who knows astrology as well. He is fond of gold and makes a lot of money during the plague season.

The Pardoner The most complex of all the pilgrims. He is an intellect and uses advanced psychological means to gain his objective. Although he is not a good person, he can preach a good sermon.

The Monk A man who tends the property of the monastery. He is fat and happy, loves good food and wine, and finds the taverns more to his liking than the cold, severe monastery.

The Nun's Priest The priest of the church who accompanies the nuns so that they may offer up their confessions.

The Second Nun A very devout nun who, because she believes that idleness leads to sin, begins her story immediately.

The Canon and the Canon's Yeoman Although not one of the pilgrims, the Canon appears with his servant (the Yeoman) but leaves when his Yeoman begins a tale.

The Manciple The steward for a law school. Although not as intelligent as the law students, he is clever and shrewd enough to be able to put away some money for himself.

The Parson A very poor but very holy and virtuous religious man who tells a highly moral tale. He gives his scant money to his poor parishioners and tries to live the perfect life and set an ideal for others.

Notes by Cliffsnotes 

( I know that it is not recommended to use internet notes but there were so many characters with all detailed personalities that I decided that this list was good enough to jog my memory about them more in depth)
collaborated with Miles Jorgensen

Big Question Revisit

The last time I posted a big question I sort of just went on a mental rant that had very little thought before hand. So I left myself with a question that led to a dead end in interest. After much more though and a moment of enlightenment, I have changed my big question.

Can I change the world? This has been done by dozens of people in history books, but the question is that I a high school senior could use technology and tools that any average person has access to and touch millions of lives, and create a larger community that also wants to change the world (for the better of course).

Lit Analysis #1

vocab #4

obsequious - adj. attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner;attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
beatitude - noun one of the eight sayings of Jesus at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount; in Latin each saying begins with `beatus' (blessed); a state of supreme happiness
 bete noire-nouna person or thing especially disliked or dreaded; bane; bugbear
bode - verb indicate by signs
dank - adj. unpleasantly cool and humid
ecumenical - adj. of worldwide scope or applicability; concerned with promoting unity among churches or religions
fervid - adj. extremely hot; characterized by intense emotion
fetid - adj. offensively malodorous
gargantuan - adj. of great mass; huge and bulky
heyday - noun the period of greatest prosperity or productivity
incubus - noun a male demon believed to lie on sleeping persons and to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; someone who depresses or worries others; a situation resembling a terrifying dream
infrastructure - noun the stock of basic facilities and capital equipment needed for the functioning of a country or area; the basic structure or features of a system or organization
inveigle - verb influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
kudos - noun an expression of approval and commendation
lagniappe - noun a small gift (especially one given by a merchant to a customer who makes a purchase)
prolix - adj. tediously prolonged or tending to speak or write at great length
protege - noun a person who receives support and protection from an influential patron who furthers the protege's career
prototype - noun a standard or typical example
sycophant - noun a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage
tautology - noun useless repetition; (logic) a statement that is necessarily true
truckle - noun a low bed to be slid under a higher bed; verb yield to out of weakness; try to gain favor by cringing or flattering