is impotence), would break his neck. His behavior is not irra-tional and his feelings are not naturally malicious. Being confined, his negative emotions multiplied and became amplified as they were freed. As C. G. Jung explains, repression is the half-conscious and half-hearted letting go of things that veer from conventional morality (780). Suppression of antisocial elements, how-ever, is done deliberately. Repression, but not suppression, is one of the main causes of neuro-sis. Suppression amounts to a conscious moral choice, but repression is a rather immoral penchant for getting rid of disagreeable decisions. Suppression may cause worry, conflict and suffering, but it never causes a neurosis. Neurosis is always a substitute for legitimate suf-fering (780). Since the Reeve is aware of his negativity and conceals it from others and not himself, he may have unresolved issues but is not guided by a dysfunctional mind. Therefore, while he does exhibit extreme behavior, he and his actions are still rational. III. The Influence of Suppression in the Tale The Reeves Tale has been criticized for its single-minded intent to insult and its cold, impersonal tone in comparison to the Millers Tale. The Miller does poke fun at the Reeve and the Knight, but that is not the sole purpose of his story. His goal appears to be entertain-ment. Nicholas and Alisons desires are simple: to have some fun in bed without getting caught by her husband, John. Yet the plot is very elaborate and comic in the unnecessary planning devised to trick the nave carpenter. The characters are well developed for such a short piece and, most importantly, are uninhibited in communicating their wants: When Nicholas courts Alison, he grabs her by the queynte and tells her of his secret love (I 3276). ...
