Carpenters are traditionally thought of as tough, hard-working men, with calluses on their hands and dirt under their nails. They are strong and silent; they take pride in their work and are generally confident. One of the main characters of “The Miller's Tale” from Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, however, breaks the typical mold of the carpenter. John the carpenter falls prey to the cunning Nicholas who, planning an elaborate one-night stand with John's wife, convinces John that the world is ending Old Testament-Flood style. At Nicholas' urging, John attaches three tubs to the barn rafters so that Nicholas, John, and his wife can escape a water-filled grave. When John embarks on the task of hanging the tubs in anticipation of the “prophesied” flood, he periodically falls into a state of desperation, concerned only with the safety of his wife and fulfilling the classic role of the cuckold. In this part of the story, Miller uses specific language to characterize John's actions and attitudes as effeminate, implying that irrational behavior is unmistakably linked to female sentimentality. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The term “feminine” may be subjective and, therefore, problematic, but Chaucer graciously provides an example of proper femininity when the narrator speaks of the Prioress in the General Prologue. He obviously admires her grace and delicate composure; the narrator speaks at length about the Prioress's refined culinary behavior (“General Prologue” 127-135) and marvels at her sensitivity to small and defenseless things (GP 144-150). The Prioress exemplifies femininity in the Canterbury Tales, with her reserved and emotional disposition. In contrast, John's wife Alisoun is crude and cold-hearted, hangs herself out of windows in obscene positions (“The Miller's Tale” 624), and callously cheats on her loving husband without remorse or emotion (541-546). John, however, behaves more like the Prioress than his wife, engaging in unconstructive bouts of tunnel vision that leave him emotional, just as a woman would. The segment begins with the mention of "affeccioun" (503) and "imaginacioun" (504), describing John's thought process and source of motivation. The entire scene is the result of John dwelling on his overwhelming affection for Alisoun and her commitment to imaginative thinking, as well as his blatant disregard for his own well-being. He distances himself from reality for a moment, imagining Alisoun drowning in a flood comparable to that of Noah (508-509), while remaining unaware of the danger that could very likely befall him. In short, John is frustrated by his love for his cheating wife and is consequently considered effeminate. Miller also bombards the reader with a series of traditionally feminine verbs to describe John: “tremble[s]” (506), “cries, groans, makes Cherre sad; / He sighs with many grievous pangs” (510-511). The word “earthquake” can mean “to shake involuntarily; tremble, shudder, shudder with fear, anger, or some other strong emotion” (OED 2b). John lets emotions take over his body: he loses control, and the loss of self-control manifests itself in an emotionally charged shudder. Such behavior, similar to fainting or passing out, is commonly considered feminine, yet John experiences these sensations and surrenders his body to the emotions. Just the thought of the possibility of his adorable Alisoun drowning is, apparently, enough to make John cry. Crying is “the natural, audible and visible expression of painful emotion” (OxfordEnglish Dictionary 1a), and is generally considered a rare action for men. Furthermore, these actions are not constructive or proactive, but internal and self-indulgent. Any expression of emotion is considered a predominantly female action, but crying, especially, is commonly assigned to women, and yet John cries. John is also not silent about his distress. According to the passage, he also “groans” and “siketh.” It is almost as if the carpenter was unable to contain his anguish, that his emotions were so intense that they had to manifest themselves, making his body "tremble" and forcing him to cry out with moans and sighs. While all of these are gross overreactions – after all, John is hanging a bathtub for Alisoun and fully intends for her to survive the oh-so-imaginary flood – John still worries about his wife, ignoring the possibility of his own death. These are all actions that characterize John as a more effeminate character rather than the masculine carpenter we expect him to be. Before engaging in constructive actions, such as hanging tubs from the rafters as he was told, John indulges his sentimental and emotional impulses, reacting much like a traditional woman. This impractical and probably wasteful activity is not characteristic of the traditional male role. Men take command; they do it, they build, they create. Men don't sit on their knees, with their heads in their hands, crying out of fear or emotion. Miller however assigns these actions to John at this point in the story perhaps to draw connections between irrational behavior and female sentimentality. Only after John expresses himself emotionally does he actually act and do what he believes is necessary to protect him and his wife: E heeng heng in the roof in privatee; With his own hands he made the three ladders, to climb with the washers and stems to the pipes hanging from the pylons, (515-518) With the fictitious, looming deadline, John wastes precious time worrying about Alisoun, without much reason. He ignores the harm that could befall him and focuses completely on Alisoun and her safety. Furthermore, Miller devotes several lines to exploring John's emotional escapades, but confines the hanging of the tubs—the central action of the segment—to a single line (515). Therefore, the reader may assume that John's emotional reaction to the coming flood should be considered more important than his action. This emphasis on emotion rather than action could be translated as an emphasis on John's feminine qualities rather than his masculinity. Even John's proactive actions can, at times, seem effeminate: And good and gets a knee trough... And the vital rim, both trough and tubbe, With breed and cheese and good beer in a jug. Sufficiently enough for one day. (512, 519-521) A kneading trough is “a wooden tub or tub in which to knead dough” (OED). Kneading dough and making bread are traditionally female roles, yet the image of the cupboard is associated with Giovanni. Additionally, John puts bread, cheese, and beer into troughs and tubs, just like he fills a picnic basket. These preparatory actions resemble female and domestic relationships, not the measures a man would take. To a certain extent, very little of what John does in this passage can be considered purely masculine, and in short, Miller subtly portrays John as an effeminate man. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay By challenging the normal actions and emotional state of a so-called "manly" man, Chaucer (via Miller) reinforces the traditional notion that emotion and,.