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E-book
Author Phillips, Susan E., 1970-

Title Transforming talk : the problem with gossip in late medieval England / Susan E. Phillips
Published University Park, Pa. : Pennsylvania State University Press, ©2007

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Description 1 online resource (x, 238 pages) : illustrations
Contents Introduction -- "Janglynge in cherche" : pastoral practice and idle talk -- Chaucerian small talk -- "Sisteris in schrift" : gossip's confessional kinship -- The gospel according to gossips, or how gossip got its name -- Conclusion
Summary In recent decades, scholars have shown an increasing interest in gossip's social, psychological, and literary functions. The first book-length study of medieval gossip, Transforming Talk shifts the current debate and argues that gossip functions primarily as a transformative discourse, influencing not only social interactions but also literary and religious practices. Known as "jangling" in Middle English, gossip was believed to corrupt parishioners, disturb the peace, and cause civil and spiritual unrest. But gossip was also a productive cultural force; it reconfigured pastoral practice, catalyzed narrative experimentation, and restructured social and familial relationships. Transforming Talk will appeal to a diverse audience, including scholars interested in late medieval culture, religion, and society; Chaucer; and women in the Middle Ages
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (pages 209-229) and index
Notes English
Print version record
Subject Chaucer, Geoffrey, -1400 -- Criticism and interpretation
SUBJECT Chaucer, Geoffrey, -1400 -- Criticism and interpretation
Chaucer, Geoffrey, -1400 fast
Subject English literature -- Middle English, 1100-1500 -- History and criticism
Gossip in literature.
Social interaction in literature.
LITERARY CRITICISM -- European -- English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh.
HISTORY -- Medieval.
English literature -- Middle English
Gossip in literature
Social interaction in literature
Genre/Form Criticism, interpretation, etc.
Form Electronic book
ISBN 9780271034843
027103484X