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From: Sharon Kenney
T1: pogue666@aol.com
Date: 4/7/98
Time: 9:40:02 PM
Remote Name: 152.163.205.106
In book two, I found the narrator's anecdote about Lady Fee and her followers to be a direct commentary on fourteenth century society. With the introduction of a monetary system, the lives of the peasants became radically changed. Corruption became more frequent, as evident in the examples given in book two. (As a little aside, I found it interesting that the Narrator chose the biggest corruptor of all, money, to take female form.) It appears as if things like gluttony/flattery/fraud/falsehood,etc. seem to emerge with Lady Fee. One of the most striking examples given by the narrator include the actions of the Liar. The Pardoners chose to take him in (apparently only a "liar" is able to sell church pardons.) Next he becomes passed to the doctors, grocers, and friars. The Narrator creates this story to criticize society's values and actions at this time. After re-reading this section of the novel, I understood the narrator to be extremely upset with the manner in which society has been run since the emmergence of a monetary system.