"Identity" refers to who or what somebody or something is, or the characteristics or beliefs that distinguish individuals from othersin terms of culture and can be described as a feeling or common bond that inspires kinship and understanding. Identity in a literary motif can portray a social commentary or spiritual journey of growth to a perceived divine state of grace( "Identity," Oxford English Dictionary, 2005). This narrative provides a literary analysis of The Reeves Tale (The Canterbury Tales) and Chapter 4 of the Bhagvad Gita. In both works, identity is presented as both an ideal, divine kinetic energy and a barometer for comparing formed and unformed personal individual character that constrains or frees an individual to make decisions…show more content… "The REEVE was a slender, choleric man, His beard was shaved as nigh as ever he can.His hair was by his ears full round y-shorn," and he had been a carpenter, "In youth he learnd had a good mystér: He was a well good wright, a carpentér.( Canterbury Tales, The Reeve's Tale, v 613-614, Delasanta, 2007)" Through the prologue to the tale, the reader learns that the tale of the Reeve is told by an older man who speaks out of anger for having been made a foolish example of a carpenter as told by the Miller in his tale, but his message shows the wisdom of an older man. "But I am old. Me list not play for age. I don't wish. Grass time is done; my fodder is now foráge. This whi top writeth my old years. My heart is also mowld as my hairs is " (Canterbury Tales, The Reeve's Tale, v3867-3870)."
In terms of identity, the whole collection of the tales in the Canterbury Tales share intervals of comic relief in the Midieval vernacular. The identity of the Reeve is defined by his self description and his character. Though his tale is rowdy and contains adulterous characters, The Reeve himself seems to be portrayed as honorable, if not seasoned in a ribald and less than moral company of travelers on a religious
