Chaucer's Approval of Wife of Bath as Minority Advocate?

In The Mfe of Bath, Chaucer approves of The Wife of Bath not just because he likes that she is a liberated woman, but because she represents all disadvantaged groups of people, who Chaucer believes are being unjustly subordinated. To start out with, The Wife of Bath represents many groups at once. Not only is she a woman, but she is old, seemingly uneducated, and not very wealthy; she defies tradition and social norms, and at some point was a victim of domestic abuse.

Furthermore, the myriad of jokes she offers suggests her role as an entertainer, which is yet another class of society that is often faced with unfair discrimination.

Over the course of the prologue and the tale, The Wife of Bath refutes that any of those characteristics are valid reasons for discrimination. She shows her capability in handling her own affairs, regardless of being a woman, Although she is old, she shows her wisdom, knowledge, experience, and still life will to continue on her journey for “love.

“ She shows that she is well-spoken and is educated in religious matters, regardless of her lack of formal education, She justifies her defiance of tradition and social norms by citing God’s authority, which surely would trump any social custom in this time period.

Also relating to social norms, she shows that she has made great profit by breaking them. For example, there is something she has gained from every one of her ignominious marriages. Although she was abused, she relays the fact that she got the better of her abuser in the end.

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Broadly, she appears to be well-regarded by respected members of the community. For example, the Friar seems to respect her story and take her seriously. Relatedly, her jokes do not jeopardize her ethical appeal. On the contrary, they only show that she is very comfortable in her situation, an indication that she is not afraid of or subjugated by the peers with whom she speaks.