become too humanlike, in which case they would have the power of rejection and dissatisfaction. Because he is living through the bodies of the clerks, the females must not be anything but pleased by the students, so the Reeve can hold the notion of himself as virile and sexually desirable to women. Thus, the bedroom scene becomes a substitute reality for the Reeve, in which he subtly releases his lasciviousness into a more socially acceptable form, the fabliaux. The Reeve and his tale manage to be, simultaneously, both complex and simple. Os-wald and his characters seem to fit snugly into a stereotype when they are first described, but then their actions seem to be guided by an unpredictable force. The pilgrims are confused by the Reeve even as he is explaining his motivation to them. So they cut him off from the group even as he is attempting to connect with them. They will only listen to his tale out of obliga-tion, and hear nothing more. So, while his story seems uncomplicated, it is anything but, due to the fact that all of his unspoken thoughts have been conveyed within it. It may be vindictive and base, but the Reeves Tale contains something far more interesting than a moral: the inner workings of his mind. ...
