Voices of Adversity

You may know about knights in shining armor, princesses, kings and queens of medieval times but have you ever heard a story told through a peasant's point of view?  

In our next unit, Voices of Adversity we're going to be inquiring about medieval times. First, we'll do some research about that particular time in history and later, we'll read from the book Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! to learn about young people who lived around that particular time. 

The book is written from the different character's points of view. We'll be reading fictional monologues that detail the character's work and life circumstances in the 1200's.  These monologues not only tell facts about the occupations necessary to sustain life in the Middle Ages; they also put a human voice on the individuals who were so engaged.  These are voices that reveal humanity as it is in all places and in all times. There are difficult tasks to accomplish; there is competition between classes, the wealthy and the poor, the pretty and the not-so-pretty; there are men who feel stuck and on a difficult path with an uncertain and unhappy future. 

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! tells human stories in warm and varied voices from a distant time in history, a time with which twenty-first-century readers may be unfamiliar.