Question

what detail identifies the one thing that no one else knows about the merchant? why does the speaker throw this detail into this description? how does this detail, presented almost as an afterthought, contribute to the reader's understanding of the merchant?

Answer 1

Answer:The Merchant outfits himself in fashionable attire, with his multicolored cloak and his forked beard. He is a member of the new, rising middle class that Chaucer the author belongs to. Chaucer says that the Merchant hides being in debt by wearing fancy clothes, but the fact that even Chaucer, a stranger among the company, knows the Merchant’s financial troubles indicates that the Merchant does not hide his secrets as well as he thinks he does.

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

The one thing that no one else knows about the merchant is that he is listening eagerly to every chance word in the street, as if he never should hear human voices again. This detail helps the reader understand the merchant's desperation and fear of isolation.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the given excerpt, the detail that identifies the one thing that no one else knows about the merchant is that he is listening eagerly to every chance word in the street, as if he never should hear human voices again. The speaker throws this detail into the description to emphasize the merchant's desperation and fear of isolation. This detail, presented as an afterthought, contributes to the reader's understanding of the merchant by portraying him as someone who is deeply lonely and afraid of losing connection with others.