Chaucer and His Age
ENG 346/546 Spring 2005
Chaucer as a Major Figure/ Essay on Chaucer Criticism
Due Date: Wed. May 11 in my office by
noon (Radford 221) Note change from syllabus
Length: 4-5 pages
Format: See checklists for all papers
Goals of Assignment:
- To discuss some of the issues raised by the question, “What makes Chaucer
a major literary figure?”
- To demonstrate your ability to select a managable chunk of the multitude
of issues at play in this question
- To demonstrate your ability to go into the question in some depth and
to offer some answers while also appropriately qualifying your positions
- To demonstrate a degree of theoretical sophistication in your writing
and in your use of secondary sources
Assignment: Write a 4-5 page essay reflecting on your reading, our
class discussion, and your thoughts on Chaucer as a major literary figure.
You should feel free to narrow this topic as you see fit. You can, for instance,
focus on Chaucer’s early reputation or his 21st century position; you can
focus on the theoretical issues raised by the terms “literary” or “major.”
You can discuss the problems/questions surrounding terms such as “canonicity”
or “audience.” You can address the processes of historical change involved
in producing “Chaucer.” You could also focus on how one editor, critic, or
scholar has constructed Chaucer as a major figure. You could even examine
the Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism volume on the Wife of Bath as
a cultural artefact that constructs Chaucer as a literary figure in some
way. As long as you follow the spirit of the assignment—to present a complex,
theoretically detailed position related to the topic of Chaucer’s literary
status—you can write about any aspect of this that appeals to you.
Revised Reading Schedule and New Assignments related to this paper:
We will not read the Parliament of Fowls. Instead you will read Seth
Lerer’s introduction to Chaucer and His Readers which is on ereserve.
We will also discuss Henryson’s Testament of Cresseid (on ereserve).
Please refresh your memory of Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde in preparation
for Henryson. Since you will have quite a bit of reading for next Monday,
you will be allowed to turn in your third response paper a week late.
April 25 Henryson/ Lerer’s intro to Chaucer and His Readers/ overview of
Chaucer’s reception in 15-16th centuries
May 2 Each group responsible for giving brief overview on critical article
on WOB/ 3rd Response paper new due date
May 9 Finish group reports/ final discussion