The Decameron (Day 4)

2) 5:9- What is your interpretation of the quote, “…I would much rather have a man who lacks money than money that lacks a man”? (pg. 431)

This quote shows a woman's desire to have a real man, as opposed to a man who can bring in money with a stable job, and not provide any kind of emotional support or expression to the table. A woman always desires a man who can be sensitive and be expressive of their feelings toward their significant other, without material items having to get in the way of such a relationship. The aforementioned material items do not have to be money, but can be anything, such as gifts like shoes, shirts, et cetera. When a relationship is built upon material items, is it falsified and becomes stale at a rapid rate, while a relationship which thrives on emotion continues thus, becoming something that is sought out often by woman.

4) 6:7- How does this story show an example of how women have power and how they stand up for their rights?

While women do not deliberately have power in this story, it illustrates how social statute affect those who only belong to a certain gender, without taking into account the other gender's same flaws and feelings in conjunction with their own satisfaction, at least when it comes to intercourse. Women approach these sorts of matters in a respectful, honest way, allowing them to be persuasive, when supporting their rights with logical evidence and examples.