An Organized Mess
You enter a full, undergraduate-classroom. Sadly, you recognize no one, and must find a seat quickly or risk standing alongside the wall. To your knowledge, the classroom contains people of all shapes and sizes from various walks of life. In addition, some call themselves fathers and mothers, while others have brothers and sisters. Moreover, some have a clear direction they are heading in, while others are lost in the sea of life. Yet, all of these people still share similarities. They are in this classroom, with each of them a story to their own. And, they are human. It is an organized mess.
Ironically, the illustration that was just portrayed is not an uncommon one. Rather, it is arguably a recurring situation every second, minute, or hour on this Earth. From transit and offices, to restaurants and theatres, the possibilities are simply endless.
In the “General Prologue” of “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer, we are introduced to well over 25 different characters who each have their own story. Although there is great debate on Chaucer’s intentions for “The Canterbury Tales” as a whole (due to its incompleteness), it is clear on what we do know from the “General Prologue.” There are people of all shapes and sizes from various walks of life. And, they all happen to be in Southwark at the same inn, “The Tabard,” resting before they make the pilgrimage to see the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket. And while resting, they decide to share stories. In all, the theme of story and how stories make a man who man is can be portrayed through this excerpt. Also, the theme of fate is visited as we have completely unrelated individuals sharing the same setting and goal.
After reading this excerpt, it was clear to me that I personally have encountered a bizarre room of individuals more than once. And, more importantly, have seen whatever you may call this situation in other works of literature/cinematography. Those works that come to mind immediately are the novel “Murder on the Orient Express” by Agatha Christie, and the film “The Hateful Eight” by Quentin Tarantino. To elaborate, in “The Canterbury Tales” the “host” character is eager to find out more information from the people he shares a room with. While the “knight” character is understood to have gone on many crusades and abides by a moral code. Thus, it is both the “host” character and the “knight” character that can be seen in some way through detective “Hercule Poirot” (in “Murder on the Orient Express”) and hangman “John Ruth” (in “The Hateful Eight) as they exhibit leading characteristics and a desire for justice. Furthermore, the “shipman” is a character who is far from home and out of place, but has a skillset unmatched. He can be represented by major “Marquis Warren” (in “The Hateful Eight”) and by colonel “Arbuthnot” (in “Murder on the Orient Express”). In short, I could keep going down the list, but I think you understand the point. “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer is symbolic in that it is an organized-mess of people with certain stories, just like life. And, just like the novel “Murder on the Orient Express” and the film “The Hateful Eight.”
In conclusion, the art of storytelling has been around for centuries and arguably can be attributed to the way society is today. We share stories for a variety of reasons, but primarily to relate to others and share what we have learned. It is through our stories that we grow closer to others or grow in knowledge. And, it is through our stories that we have a past, a history, handed (or spoken) down to us from generation to generation. In “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer we are introduced to dozens of characters from varying backgrounds. As a result, it is almost impossible to fully comprehend who is who, who’s been where, and who does what, but it is the stories that stand out to us that we remember. The same could be said for life. Faces come and go, but memories are everlasting.
