The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle: predominantly, this text is interested in the tension between public and private roles of the domestic sphere; if Gawain has this loathly lady by day he will have improved sexual access, but if he reverses it he will personally suffer while increasing his social standing.
Stanzaic Life of Margaret: this text is largely interested in the maintenance of purity in the face of temptation; Olibrus makes offers to Margaret in a series of logical negotiations, but Margaret remains firm.
Stanzaic Life of Katherine: this text is about the preeminence of Christian theology over pagan philosophy, emphasized by the lack of physical consequences Katherine suffers until the end. This could be a bit of push back against the rediscovery and use of classical philosophy by Christian theologians.
"The Simonie": this text is convinced that, stemming from the practice of simony, the Church has itself become a commodified institution more concerned with its bottom line than the salvation of men's souls.
"Above All Thing Thow Arte a Kyng": this text is concerned with the socially transgressive aspect of money, that it crosses social barriers and supersedes the proper goals of each estate.
"In Erth It Es a Litill Thing": through its allegorical figure of "Sir Penny," this text is about the social inconsistency of money, which can be used for the aims of whomever happens to currently have access to it.
"London Lickpenny": this poem identifies that as sources of lay and clerical authority have become commodified they deny access and justice to the poor, creating a system that protects only the wealthy and ignores the existence of the poor.
Lydgate's Siege of Thebes: I'm not sure if I've yet wrapped my head around this one, but if I had to guess I would say that this text is about loyalty and the inevitable tragedy caused by breaking loyalty. Many agents attempt to end the conflict between these brothers peacefully, but at each stage peaceful solutions break down to lead to the eventual tragic ending.
Sir Gawain and the Carle of Carlisle: this text is a bit tricky, but I'd have to say that overall the "project" here is focused on the necessity of properly following social etiquette, even with those that are technically lower in estate than you.
The Dicts and Sayings of the Philosophers: these short texts are often interested most in using various famous figures as the mouthpieces of a spit fire of gnomic phrases. Some themes can be pieced together from these, however, such as in the Aristotle section where the philosopher's advice to a young Alexander promotes a society that is utterly interdependent upon each group in that society, suggesting not hierarchy but separate and necessary roles for each estate.
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