Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

1978

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Greer, Allen W.

Abstract

Harry Bailly, the Host figure in the Canterbury Tales, is used by Chaucer as an artistic device to bridge the gap between the worlds of reality and fiction. His existence is central to the believability of the entire poem; as he developes as a convincing character, his interaction with the pilgrims reveals aspects of their characters also. This investigation examines Chaucer's method of using Harry Bailly an an "authenticating device" to create an illusion of reality in his poem, beginning in the first chapter with a review of the background scholarship concerning Harry Bailly's functions throughout the narrative. The secon1 chapter considers the Host's interaction with various pilgrims, as seen in his regular appearances in the frame. Finally, the third chapter is devoted to two views of Harry Bailly which serve to depict him at his most real, in his confrontation with the Pardoner and in his comments on his own marriage.

Extent

46 p.

Comments

Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters|Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1978.|FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection|Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters

Identifier

FADT13924

Format

pdf

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