Today as we discussed the Knight and Squire in class I realized that their characters are actually seen in the modern world. Some parents when they plan to have a child they have a list of characteristics they want their child to acquire. For example, if they are having a girl they want her to like the color pink and be a ballerina; if they are having a boy they want him to be strong and play baseball. Parents have certain expectations of what they want their child to be long before they are born. However, the expectations they might of had may not be. The girl might want to be a softball player and the boy a professional dancer. It is just like the Squire. The knight had certain expectations from his son. He wanted his son to be a modest war hero just like him. Rather, the Squire wore pretty flowers, was artistic and chased after girls, nothing which his dad expected from him. This brings me to the fact that, sometimes, no matter how much we plan something or how high our expectations are we just might not have it how we wanted it to be.
That's a good observation. We always have our kids future planned out long before they were even thought of. Who are we to tell our children what they are to like and or become? They are an individual with the right to choose who they want to be. It's not our decision to make. We can only teach them right from wrong and hope for the best as they continue on their quest to find themselves.
ReplyDeleteGreat point! I think about the many conversations I have ever had, and I swore up and down I was going to have a boy just like his father. Truth of the matter is we are all made different. The title of someone does not have to match the personality ever. Yes you may be a female, but you love to play football. Yes you may be a principle, but you love to go and play kickball with your students. If everyone was meant to be the same oh how boring will this world be. I wish Chaucer would have grasp this idea.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you Tahis. A lot of times parents seem to have these expectations of what they want their son or daughter to be like. A lot of times because of these expectation, that child cannot be who he/she really is. The squire may one day turn out just like his father. Right now he's still young, so his focus is on girls, but who knows it can change later.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you Tahis. I find my self saying one day, I want my son to become a football player. Not realizing that he might want to play another sport, or just be that kid that stays home and plays video games.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the rest of my peers along with Tahis solely because I am one of those daughters' who is expected by my parent to become what he once wanted to be. Our parents sometimes want us to live a life they dreamt of living simply because they could not. It is not my plan to press a certain lifestyle on my child, and I wont.
ReplyDeleteThat was a great point because connecting the Squire and his behavior to a real life situation is eye opening. It forces you to realize that not everyone is going to live up to the standard or the norm (what is normal anyway?). People are different in so many ways and we have to remember not to judge and label someone as something that they are not because they do things a certain way.
ReplyDeleteI had never thought of the Squire in this context before. Thank you so much, Tahis. It's so easy to judge him, but I'm sure most of us have had moments where all we want to be is different from our parents. In that respect, maybe it is understandable that he is so much less serious than his father.
ReplyDeleteI really resent parents who live vicariously through their children. Considering how likable Chaucer makes the Knight to be, I don't know if he was accepting of his son or not. I would hope so. The Squire was still very talented, even if it wasn't in the way that the Knight was. I know parents want their children to be what they always wanted to become, but we have our own aspirations and I'm glad the Squire doesn't feel pressured to be a Knight like his father.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ms.Whitley I wouldn't have made that connection in this context but it makes a lot of sense. Good Job Tahis !
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