love conquers all, ambiguously testing the boundaries of religious devotion. The questionable reference leaves debate as to whether she admires celestial or earthly love, but regardless of intention suggests that she isnt what she seems.In addition to wearing an elegant cloak and jewelry, she also pinned her veil so as to reveal her forehead, which symbolized good breeding, as opposed to just above the eyebrows as expected. The appearance of the Prioress similarly depicts the idea of clothing as a binding artifice, as her uniform perpetually binds her to a world she doesnt want to be in. Additionally, the prioress reveals and solidifies Chaucers reoccurring comment on the changing of ideologies in his society, and especially the corruption of religious purism.The prominence of clothing as a narrative function not only allows Chaucer to create a picture of Middle-Aged society, but also to subtlety voice his own disapproval. His criticism is apparent, yet he doesnt make harsh or subjective judgments. Instead, Chaucer simply describes what each character looks like physically and what theyre doing; and then leaves the reader to question what the character should be, compared to what they are. Chaucer explicitly chose to describe the pilgrims and make them the focal point of the entire pilgrimage, as opposed to the journey itself. Further, the minimal presence of beneficial divine intervention emphasizes the significance of each characters decisions (as they apply to their own ascribed roles). Materialistic metaphor functions to convey these roles, and ultimately evaluates each pilgrim. Consequentially, Chaucers Canterbury Tales provides clarification of his sociological perspective on Romanticism, through the observation of humanitys adherence to moral norms....
