Ideological Representations of Medieval Peasant Labor
Jonathan Alexander’s article, Ideological Representations of Medieval Peasant Labor is an analysis of the ideological conditions of peasant labors during the renaissance period. With various natures of evidences, it outlines the views of the author based on the treatment and view of the people on the labor during the stated period. This essay will provide a succinct review of the article with response to the stated guidelines.
Analysis of the article reveals that its validity is based on researches conducted with no experimental practices used. The researcher has mainly used historical evidences as portrayed in many instances within the entire article. An example is the talk of calendar in the article, the author talks of the miniature in the final month of the calenderer. He says that it is not the same as the ones he is used to whereby a ceremonious activity involving feasting occurs. He talks of the same pig type as that in January signifying no appropriate change or difference in the way peasants value different months of the calendar. He explains this referring to the historical article, Tres Riches Heures written by another author. The author also uses photos taken preserved in different museums and other articles to put his point across to the readers. He does not show any kind of experiment, neither scientific nor any other form, in order to deliver his message to the readers. For instance, he talks of the distant figures walking around the opposite bank of Seine. In the article, he goes ahead to give the pictures he describes in the article. Concerning the clarity of the problem definition, the author has not cogently laid the problems affecting the peasant labor. His excess use of evidences and quotes from various articles make the article a little confusing and ambiguous, to some extent.
The problem being discussed in the article is mainly disparity among the ancient population in medieval age. It talks of the problems faced by the poverty stricken population during the stated time period. Logically speaking, the article is of great importance to people, especially in the health sector, as it helps in making necessary corrections to existing daily practices that encourage unhealthy or inhuman human behaviors and practices. An example is the mention of the Black Death that led to the death of numerous people who were mainly peasants with no ability to seek for treatments. However, this article can of more importance if the writer made it much clearer, specific and straightforward to the topic.
The purpose of any research can be made clear when few and relevant sources being used. Considering the fact that the article is a research being done with no experimentation, the author has gone ahead to use many sources from various geographical areas to relay his message to the readers. Specifically, the information being relayed by the author requires a lot of scrutiny to analyze. Most of it is written in literary format that requires interpretations for one to deduct the exact meaning. The hypothesis in the research paper as conducted by the author is that most peasants in the medieval ages suffered discrimination of different kinds, notably racial and gender based types of discrimination. He comes up with several sources to argue in favor of the stated statement.
The author is delimited to natural or conventional signs within his research article. The assumption made in the paper is that the sources provided are valid enough to provide the required conviction to the readers. The conclusion is an appropriate one to the title given to the research article. The article is of great importance or usefulness, especially in the study of various historical cultures among different people. It can also be used as a reference platform in making corrections in various governance systems with an aim of including the minority in the distribution of resources and essential services.
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