Chaucer's contribution to Literature
Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales" is a diverse collection of medieval stories, showcasing romance, saintly tales, fabliaux, and moral fables. Chaucer, drawing from Norman-French and ancient literature, skillfully portrayed all ranks of 14th-century English society. He criticized social inequality, foresaw the rise of a bourgeois class, and depicted characters like the Ploughman and Poor Priest with sympathy. Despite his portrayal of a distrustful peasantry during the 1381 uprising, Chaucer contributed to a new literary language using the popular London dialect. His humor-infused works influenced English language evolution, earning him the title of the true founder of English literature. Chaucer's timeless perspective, free from moralizing, offers a representative picture of the English people.