Northern Virginia Community College Societal Expectation of Women Discussion

• The Life of St. Liutberga download
• The Goodman of Paris   download
• Christine de Pizan, excerpts from “City of Ladies” download
• Canterbury Tales: Prologue to Wife of Bath’s Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer download

Directions

Choosing two of the readings above, answer the following questions. Focus on creating an argument that is supported with specific evidence from the documents. 

• Are there specific expectations placed on women according to the documents? 
• How do the women discussed in the documents challenge these expectations? 
• Some of the women in these documents were not actual women but allegorical characters, how does the creation of these women allegory a way to challenge social norms?
• How might these documents portray how women negotiated their own space within the expected norms?