Written in the Middle Ages, The Wife of Bath's Prologue begins by revealing that the wife's multiple experiences in marriage qualify her to reveal the reality of marriage. at the age of twelve, her first three husbands were good because they were old, rich and submissive; her last two husbands were bad and conversely the wife, or Alison, comments on many contradictory things the Bible says about marriage and virginity validate her decision to marry more than once. She ultimately concludes that anyone can interpret the Bible however they like and that it is okay for some perfect people, such as saints, to remain virgins throughout their lives, but most people like her are not perfect. .Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The Wife's ideas about marriage are described as coinciding with ideas that were developing in 14th century England as a result of social changes, leading to the development of women's roles. Chaucer imposes a sexist view on Alison when describing other characters normally, but talks about how many men she has dated her and refers to her sexual life. This alone reiterates the common destiny of women during this time period, who were to be a housewife pleasing to her husband throughout her life. The wife's fifth husband reads a book about a woman whose “wickedness/ Brought all mankind to pain and anguish,” rather than just people (Chaucer 277). When women are anything but confined, women are considered evil. The gender distinctions in the Prologue are clearly marked. Men seem to be economically powerful and educated on their own, while women seem to have to get what they want by manipulating men. In it, the Wife discovers the weaker side of the men she marries, who can be exploited through their desire for sex and status. But the location of wealth changes the condition of his relationships; the Wife Wife is powerful and independent until she hands over her property to her fifth husband. This social construction for women is still visible today, as we are still experiencing the echoes of a society with double standards. There weren't many female authors at the time, but “if women wrote stories. If Chaucer had written about Alison's life as a male character, he would have blended in with all the other characters. Because Alison's attributes towards her husbands portray women as always undermining their husbands, many see her as a feminist character. But this is tempered by the fact that she herself conforms to these misogynistic stereotypes. The wife describes herself as sexually insatiable but also as someone who only has sex for financial well-being, contradicting two female stereotypes. Despite the contradictions, these ideas about women were adopted by men to support a hierarchy in which men dominated women. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Social constructions are shared assumptions about reality created by our subconscious society in an attempt to understand the world. Gender is always changing, involving attitudes and social norms that society deems more appropriate for one sex than another. This can be seen through intergenerational changes within families, as changes in norms influence social values ​​about gender. Wife of Bath is Chaucer's creation, but it is shaped by literary traditions in which there is a model for the sexually experienced older woman. I would recommend.