I wrote this paper, which analyzes a specific aspect of The Miller’s Tale, during coursework for my English degree at UVA. Making clear arguments about a text in Middle English (hard!) required the kind of close reading, textual analysis, and focused argumentation that I excel at in academic contexts. These analytical and communicative challenges are what draw me to a career where I can put them in practice.
In this paper, I analyze the story of The Miller’s Tale, as perhaps Chaucer intended. This is the kind of paper that involves deep-diving into text and finding a nuanced and slightly complex point of argumentation. The ideas in the story, albeit simple and delightful, still offer a means to explore a character, their actions, or sometimes even a concept. This paper, in particular, focuses on how a character’s character slowly becomes revealed.
