Propaganda Over Art
Geoffrey Chaucer, in "The General Prologue" of the Canterbury Tales uses both art and propaganda to elaborate on what he sees in each of the people beginning the pilgrimage. When examining the difference between art and propaganda, one first needs to define what exactly these terms mean. For the purpose of this argument, art will be considered a way of portraying ideas by using words and phrases open for interpretation. However, propaganda will be considered using words and phrases as a tool to manipulate ones thoughts and visualizations and to further ones cause or hinder an apposing. The interpretation of the information is vital to the author of the propaganda. Art and propaganda can be differentiated between using the portrait of the Wif of Bathe in "The General Prologue." Art is less prominent because it can be interpreted, but interpretation is not necessary. Propaganda is more prominent in the poem because readers are: open to interpretation of the character and are free to form their own opinions; tried to be convinced of idea they may have not held before; and the literature is conveying a certain point of view of the character, even thought it is open to interpretation.
e Wif of Bathe, the narrator leaves many items to be interpreted by the reader. The first instance where interpretation is needed is when the narrator speaks of her giving during church. "That to the offring before hire shoulde goon, and if ther dide, certain so wroth was she that she was out of alle charitee (lines 52-54). Whether or not this is a noble or unwanted characteristic of her is open to the reader and to understand the character, one must interpret what these characteristics say about the Wif. One could easily say she is only a giving person and believes she has so much to give that she believes she should be first. Another interpretation of this is she is a selfish person who wants to engulf the spotlight with her giving. Regardless of how one sees it, interpretation is needed, which is vital to propaganda. If this were art, it would not require interpretation because it would simply be stated that she loved to give. It may not have to state the idea of her always having to be first. By showing she has to be first and her anger if she is not, the narrator is trying to hinder the viewpoint of the reader, which is part of propaganda. The physical details of the Wif of Bathe are what can be considered art in the poem. When the narrator writes about the color of her stockings and the gap between her teeth, the narrator is only trying to portray the image of the Wif to the reader. Interpretation is welcome when reading the physical characteristi
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Approximate Word count = 994
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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