The Canterbury Pilgrims

[Munsook]

I teach ESL at a local college. We use the textbook, "Journeys through American Literature" for reading. Honestly I don't know much about literature. I have a teacher's manual, but that doesn't provide all the answers.

In "the Canterbury Pilgrims", what does irony does Hawthorne achieve by using "the summer moon" in the first sentence of the story? What does the moon suggest?

If anybody like to share your opinion or have an answer, please let me know ASAP.

Thank you.

[Dan in The Pan]

I have no idea and I`m no expert but I`m in the same boat (ESL teacher using this book). I think it`s dramatic irony because dramatic irony is giving information to the reader that the characters are not privy to. So where he says "The summer moon, which shines in so many a tale, was beaming over a broad extent of uneven country" is a bit of a nudge nudge wink wink to the reader to tell them this is just a story.

I`m probably very wrong but either way it`s enough to confuse my students into thinking I`m smart enough to be teaching this book and I welcome any constructive feedback that can shine some light on the matter. I suppose I should just email the author.

I`ve just realized when you posted this. Did you ever find out the answer?





I teach ESL at a local college. We use the textbook, "Journeys through American Literature" for reading. Honestly I don't know much about literature. I have a teacher's manual, but that doesn't provide all the answers.

In "the Canterbury Pilgrims", what does irony does Hawthorne achieve by using "the summer moon" in the first sentence of the story? What does the moon suggest?

If anybody like to share your opinion or have an answer, please let me know ASAP.

Thank you.