The Role of Deception in Writing Essay examples -- Character Analysis

The effect of portraying characters in writing can make an impressionable mark on a readers mind. These descriptions can lead a reader to infer the type of character they are reading about or how they feel about a particular character. Sometimes as we read, things that appear to be certain may be ambivalent. Chaucer’s descriptions of his characters throughout â€Å"The General Prologue† are written in such a way where the characters seem to be doing things for the welfare of others or seem to have traits that are excessively praised. However, they really may embody insincerity, selfishness and greed. In â€Å"The General Prologue† from The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, the Parson and the Pardoner, both members involved in the church, are described contrarily in order to provide two completely different effects for the reader. The Parson is shown to be pure and altruistic while the Pardoner who appears to be of good nature, is really not. The Parson’s character is described differently than any other character. There is nothing throughout the poem that suggests the Parson has anything but good intentions. â€Å"There was, and poor, the Parson to a town, / Yet he was rich in holy thought and work† (Lines 489-491). The description Chaucer provides about the Parson is that although he is very poor, the Parson is continuously devout to his religion: â€Å"rich in holy thought and work.† The Parson also does not live the luxurious life; instead he lives a life of simplicity. [â€Å"†¦both from church offerings and his property [were how he lived]†] (Lines 13-14). Overall, the Parson is a poor priest who lives off of what he has. He is never doubtful about his life as Chaucer says, â€Å"No scrupulosity had spiced his feelings† (Line 536). In life, some m... ...tal, and pig bones. These are supposed to represent Mary’s veil, the cross, and the holy bones of saints. However, these are all tangible things. He tricks the reader in thinking that he is doing good and he tricks the people of that time to give money to the church in such a discrete way that if it were to be read quickly, his trickery would not be noticed. Both the descriptions of the Parson and the Pardoner give the reader different thoughts about each of them. Chaucer does not simply tell the reader who they are and how they live, but the reader must decode the clues given by tone and other literary devices. Sometimes things aren’t always as they seem. By reading literature and trying to find the clues to what the author is trying to say, one will always encounter new types of characters, people and ideas that will become engrained in one’s minds forever.