Feminist Theory Response

I do not believe that Chaucer was chauvinistic. That feminist view is looking at the story from a modern 21st century lens. During Chaucer's time, his story would have been the societal norm. Women at that time were dependent on men. They could not go to school, and there were not many professions open to women aside from wife and homemaker. To say that Chaucer hated women because the main female character did not get what she wanted is taking the story out of its historical context.

It is not even completely true that Emily did not get what she wanted, either. She did ask Diana to let her keep her chastity and to marry neither Arcite nor Palamon, but she also added a small addendum to her request. She said that if she could not remain a maiden, she asked Diana to let her marry the one of the two that loved her most. In the end, Emily got Palamon. Palamon loved Emily as a goddess, while Arcite loved her as a mere woman. Palamon's love was better for Emily than Arcite's, so Emily did, in the end, get what she asked for. Chaucer did not completely deprive Emily of her happily ever after.

Speaking of happily ever after, I disagree with some of Disney's examples of anti-feminism. Granted, some stories like Cinderella and most villain's like Maleficent are perfect examples, but Belle of Beauty and The Beast is, in my opinion, a great example of a strong female heroine. Belle is not your average girl in the story. Instead of her looks or men, Belle cares about books and reading. She's intelligent, where other girls of the story, like the three silly girls, are anything but. Gaston, the seemingly perfect man, wants Belle for his wife. Gaston is the ultimate chauvinist. He does not even ask Belle to marry him. He demands it. Belle, on the other hand, refuses him to his face. And when Belle is stuck in Beast's castle, Beast demands that Belle come to dinner and Belle refuses, instead telling him to work on his attitude. Belle is independent--being held against her will is not the same as being weak. And when looking at Disney, we seem to forget Mulan. The whole plot of Mulan was a girl who ran away from home and masqueraded as a man, enlisting in the army so her father would not have to. When she was found out, she persevered and took down Shan Yu, the leader of the Huns. Mulan is not your typical Disney Heroine.

If you shift the focus off of Emily, you can see just how Chaucer is not a chauvinist. Emily did not get what she wanted, but Venus did. Venus is the goddess of love and beauty, and the pinnacle of femininity among the gods. She prevails, not Mars, the god of war and paragon of masculinity. Theseus is used as an example of Chaucer's misogynistic tendencies; he captured Hippolyta as a war prize and offered up Emily as a prize to be won. If, however, this is the Theseus of Mythology, he is not very misogynistic himself. His major feat was navigating the labyrinth and slaying the Minotaur, but he could not have done that without the help of a woman. Princess Ariadne of Crete gave Theseus a sword and a ball of twine to navigate the labyrinth, so he would not get lost. Theseus would not have gotten out if not for Ariadne. Chaucer is not misogynistic because his story is socially acceptable during his time period, even if it is not during ours.