In "The Wife of Bath's Tale," what is the significance of "barley bread" ?
Correct answer: B. Barley bread represents the wife's answer to the belief that virginity is superior to marriage.
- A. Barley bread provides an example of medieval estates satire.
- B. Barley bread represents the wife's answer to the belief that virginity is superior to marriage.
- C. Barley bread suggests the heroine's state as a fallen woman.
- D. Barley bread signifies Chaucer's use of alliterative verse.
Explanation
The reference to barley bread contrasts ordinary married life with the idealization of virginity, supporting the Wife of Bath’s defence of marriage and sexual experience. It is not primarily an example of alliterative verse or estates satire.
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