huckelberry finn
...d by a common purpose: they are pilgrims seeking divine intervention through a trip to the shrine at Canterbury. Their shard religion, as well as their nationality, unites them on this temporary journey in which people who would otherwise have little to do with one another are thrown into intimate contact (Bloom, 115). Chaucer (1682), in the Prologue to the tales, stated that he had “set down briefly, as it was, our rank, our dress, our number, and the cause that made our sundry fellowship.” The use of the word “sundry” is telling; it indicates that under normal circumstances, this assortment of characters would not have found themselves in such close contact with one another. However, Chaucer (1683) also wants his audience to be aware of the fact that his society was composed of many different, interrelated groups who faced a certain amount of mutual dependency. Though they were of varied stations in life, these travelers and pilgrims were united in several key ways. This included their love of gossip, of story-telling, and of finding the flaws that lurk within human nature regardless of role or status or prestige. They were also very well aware of issues related to class, such as what types of dress or ornaments were acceptable for women. The differences between Old English and the English of the Middle Ages as employed by Chaucer is a difference of some significance. Bloom (119-120) characterized Chaucer’s language as marking a transition fro...