I think one of
the most interesting aspects of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
is the connections made through nature. The seasons are tied to
events in Gawain's journey that mirror each other in their
descriptions. Gawain's departure for the Green Knight is marked by
All Saint's Day, an autumn holiday. Autumn tears leaves from their
trees and forces them to fly in the same way Gawain is torn from his
home and forced, through duty, to the Green Knight's. In autumn,
"al rypez and rotez that ros upon first," an early indication of
Gawain's possible fall (Line 528). Gawain begins his journey
swiftly, similar to nature swiftly blowing the leaves. When Gawain
arrives at the Lord's house at Christmas, "welnegh to uche hathel,
alle on hews lOwande and lufly alle his lymmez under" (Lines
866-877). Spring is a time of unfolding, building, and singing,
similar to the time Gawain spends there. Throughout the course,
we've discussed the refreshing aspects of nature. In last
semester's reading, we were posed with the question "Whither shall
the youthful student now betake himself, what relief will he find,
for his eyes, wearied with intense reading, now that the pleasant
stream is taken from him" (315). Does the mention of spring
symbolize the refreshment of Gawain before battle? Gawain's
associated with spring, but he never spends much time in nature over
his Christmas holiday. How can we reconcile the symbolism and the
reality? Is spring mentioned simply to represent Gawain's building
of strength or to tie the character with the nature he avoids while
staying indoors? When he resumes his quest for the Green Knight,
it's once again the cold winter. Gawain's stop proves vital to his
survival, supporting the strong association between nature, spring,
and reenergizing. When asked for a kiss, Gawain remarks, "'Ye, be
God,' quoth Gawayn, 'good is your speche; Bot threte is unthryvande
in thede ther I lende' (Lines 1499-1500). Autumn is characterized
by force, something Gawain's society looks down upon. What does
this connection reveal? Does the association foreshadow the
possible failure of Gawain's journey?
Also, the
imagery of a lance ties this work to The French Lieutenant's
Woman. In The French Lieutenant's Woman, after Charles
sees Sarah for the first time, he begins to think "of that look as a
lance; and to think so is of course not merely to describe an object
but the effect it has. He felt himself in that brief instant an
unjust enemy; both pierced and deservedly diminished" (10). The
lance is associated with uncovering oneself. As Gawain leaves to
find the Green Knight, he carries his lance. As Gawain approaches
the chapel, he still has his lance. After his encounter with the
Green Knight, the object isn't mentioned. In both works, the lance
represents a journey of self. In Sir Gawain and the Green
Knight, Gawain realizes "This is the bende of this blame I bere
in my nek. This I the lathe and the losse that I light have Of
cowardize and covetyse that I haf caught thare, This is the token of
untrawthe that I am tane inne, And I mot nedez hit were wyle I may
last; For mon may hyden his harme, bot unhap ne may hit, For their
hit onez is tachched twynne wil hit never" (Lines 2506-2512). Are
all experiences lances?