Question

Read the excerpt from the General Prolgue to the Canterbury Tales.

Her headkerchiefs were of the finest weave,
Ten pounds and more they weighed, I do believe,
Those that she wore on Sundays on her head.
Her stockings were of the finest scarlet red,
Very tightly laced; shoes pliable and new.
Bold was her face, and handsome; florid too.

Which details suggest that the narrator may be unreliable?

“Her headkerchiefs were of the finest weave”
“Ten pounds and more they weighed, I do believe”
“Her stockings were of the finest scarlet red”
“Bold was her face, and handsome; florid too”

Answer 1

Mostly the “Ten pounds and more they weighed, I do believe” line. It’s obvious hyperbole (headkerchiefs wouldn’t really weigh ten pounds) and the narrator even hedges with “I do believe,” admitting he’s guessing or exaggerating.

Also worth noting: phrases like “of the finest weave,” “of the finest scarlet red,” and “Bold was her face, and handsome; florid too” are subjective and value-laden — they reveal the narrator’s impressions or biases rather than neutral fact, so they further suggest unreliability.