Thinking about "The Miller's Tale"

I was re-reading "The Miller's Tale" because I wanted to, I don't know, try to understand it more? I guess I really just wanted to re-read it to decide if I really as appalled by it as I originally thought, since not a lot of other students were. I thought maybe I was missing something.

After re-reading it and with the help of the discussion we had in class, I realise that I wasn't so offended by the story as I was the character of Nicholas. His character just disgusted me, honestly. And perhaps I had the same issue with this as I did "The Wife of Bath" where I just couldn't get myself to read the story in the mindset of Chaucer's time period. Maybe then Nicholas could go around being disgusting and...a groper because women basically had no rights, but it's hard to read that as a 21st century woman where that's, well, harassment, I'm pretty sure. And the fact that Nicholas's actions and really cheesy pick-up lines are rewarded? That just doesn't really sit right with me. That coupled with Chaucer's nonchalant use of "Queynte" just kind of makes me want to shy away and groan in disgust, because personally I just really can't stand that word, especially the modern, derogatory use of it. Which of course brings up full circle to my inability to read this without my modern-day and 21-century bias.

I guess I didn't really have a problem with the parodied version of Noah's story because I mean, we have parodies of Bible stories everywhere these days (Including the story of Noah. Just look at Evan Almighty). And trying to visualise John just hanging out on a roof in a bathtub is pretty hilarious.

And sure, Nicholas deserved some form of punishment for, I don't know, grabbing vaginas and helping Alison commit adultery, and while his unfortunate meeting with a hot poker wasn't offensive, it's not like it was tasteful, either.

But let's be honest, who doesn't enjoy a good fart joke every once in awhile, even if it shows up in the form of a clerk's very strange fear?