University of Oxford academics issue trigger warnings to students over ‘racist and misogynistic’ Chaucer
- English Literature students have been warned of potentially upsetting themes n a range of medieval works including the likes of Geoffrey Chaucer and beyond
- Warnings state some texts works may contain ‘racist and misogynist views’
Academics at Oxford University have taken to issuing content warnings for certain pieces of medieval literature being studied by students.
English Literature students at the university have been warned of potentially upsetting themes that may appear in medieval works, covering a range of texts from those of Geoffrey Chaucer and beyond.
The content warnings state that some Old English works may contain ‘racist and misogynistic views’ and encourages students to seek support if they are troubled by the material, according to The Telegraph.
The note adds that the literature ‘often portrays extreme physical, emotional and psychological states’ and ‘graphic representations of violence’.
Students are typically taught the works of Chaucer, who has previously been criticised by academics for the way in which in work depicts women, especially in the well-known Canterbury Tales.
Academics at Oxford University have taken to issuing content warnings for certain pieces of medieval literature being studied by students
The work includes lines such as, ‘just as worms destroy a tree, so a wife destroys her husband’, and comments that there is ‘nothing’ better than a woman.
The Prioress’s Tale has also been a point of concern among academics, who believe it to be an early depiction of race in medieval literature.
Comments in the work include a nun calling Jewish people ‘hateful to Christ’, while the Man of Law’s Tale recounts an evil ‘sultaness’ thwarting Christianity in Syria.
A spokesperson for Oxford University has stated the institution does not ‘recommend or encourage the use of content warnings’.
‘We are aware that some academics choose to put content warnings on materials that they believe some students may find distressing, and we regard this as a matter for the individual academic,’ they added.
Source: Read Full Article
