I feel like the role of gossip, slander, and insults is kind
of self evident in this story. It is there to move the plot along by motivating
action from the characters. On the second topic question, it is curious as to
why there is so much misery in these stories…my only guess is that it is there
to emphasize and establish what are more “proper” reactions for real-life
events, like how one should feel at death of their spouse, when someone
challenges you/a friends honor, or when one makes a mistake. Although, I guess
it could also just be a reflection of the story-makers personal misery n
real-life expressed into a creative outlet. When one makes another feel bad die
to another’s misery (reader feels character misery/ character feels character
misery/some cases…reader feels bad for author) often sympathy is established,
making them more emotionally involved with the story.
Reading up to page 296…I was surprised by how much I learned
on a woman’s place in this type of society, and I can not help but be a little
disgusted by it. Not only do women not seem to think for themselves, but they are
complacent to forming to the standard by which men believe them capable (which
is not much). When the widow just decides that it is ok to marry her husband’s
murderer, right after Sir Yvain claims her mood will eventually change and they
should be lovers just because he desires her (pg 274), I could not help but think:
WTF?? He even admits that his love comes from only his eyes, which desire her physical beauty (pg 281).
How could one go from self-destructive harm during grief to
joyful agreement in a few (if not a single) night? This woman betrays her own
feelings, albeit for a pretty decent reason, but then she goes as far as to
convince herself she “loves” this murderer? (Around pg 276) All in the same
time frame? The book says she was eager for the marriage, and that nothing
would have stopped her from doings so (even if her people did not approve). Not
for protection, it points out, but to fulfill her own desires. Either this
woman’s feelings for the previous man were as shallow as can be (and she’s a
drama queen), or the beliefs of the time were backing her into a corner in
which brainwashing herself was the only way to happiness. Also, the claim that
all women get mad when given good advice really touched a nerve with me (pg
276).
Then there was this quote on page 286:
“And
while these two were becoming acquainted, the others were flirting. There were
about ninety other ladies, and each one was beautiful and charming, noble,
intelligent, prudent, and wise, ladies of noble birth and high lineage. And so
men were able to amuse themselves by conversing with them, looking at them, and
sitting besides them, as well as kissing and caressing them. At least that much
pleasure was theirs.”
…I felt sick to my stomach after reading that. It basically
listed all that a woman was worth (in that time period), then went on to point out such physical
actions by men (looking at them, touching them, kissing them) were simply for the men’s
amusement, and worse yet, the woman were ok with it. For some reason I thought a woman’s virginity, at least before her
first marriage, was really valuable, and things like kissing and caressing someone you did not plan to court was considered wrong...But I guess instead, I was
wrong.
Then I have some random questions, just from the whole
reading so far:
- Ø Why, when Sir Yvain is lead into the palace after dealing the fatal blow to the other knight, does the young maiden help the MURDERER of her lord to hide? -pg 269
- Ø Is there some sort of belief that when dead wounds bleed, the killer is near? Why are the people in such a commotion over bleeding wounds on the dead knight? -pg 271
- Ø So, is that a thing? That love is not allowed to exist from the woman if the man lacks honor? -pg 287
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