The Menagier de Paris has long been considered an important document in the study of late-medieval social history, but surprisingly little work has been done on the book as a whole. This dissertation studies the work in its entirety, considering issues of the author's personality and purpose in writing, his methods, issues of class, and the vision of marriage the work presents.

Chapter One examines the issue of religion, noting the author's use of his sources and his originality and imagination in regard to them. It considers the way the author's class outlook shapes his understanding of sins such as Sloth and Avarice, as well as his view of chastity and his view of the clergy.

Chapter Two considers the use of story in the Menagier, once again analyzing the author's use of both biblical and secular stories, as well as tales from his own experience. In the analysis of these stories the author's vision of marriage and wifely duty are revealed. He values chastity, but places it below emotional attachment. He desires obedience from his wife, but his support of male dominance in marriage is complicated by his apologies for the inclusion of harsh exempla and the Tale of Melibee. The stories reveal, once again, the author's class bias, as well as a desire to follow the latest trends.

Chapter Three focuses on household management, which the author clearly understands as one of the wife's chief duties and a key component to a happy marriage. Study of this section of the Menagier reveals the author's understanding of what comprises a “household”, considering the value he places on both people and animals. Again, his class perspective and desire to be fashionable appear in his attitude toward his servants and his emphasis on hawking.

Chapter Four ties everything together in a discussion of the cookbook portion of the work. An analysis of sources shows the author's originality in the use of recipes as in all else. His inclusion of both “low-class” and elegant dishes reflects his intermediary position in society, as does his vacillation between a desire for thriftiness and show.