Afternoon of Alterity - Nazareth College

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animals, and her magical control (Darrah 79). The Green knightprovides a description of Morgan’s power when he states “in mymanor lives the mighty Morgan le Fay, / so adept and adroit in thedark arts, / who learned magic from Merlin” (“Thurgh might ofMorgne la Faye, that in my hous lenges, / And koyntyse of clergye,bi craftes wel lerned. / The maystres of Merlyn, mony ho has taken”)(2446-2448). Since possession of magical control links Morgan withpaganism, then anything upon which she uses her magical powerswill also represent paganism, i.e. the Green Knight. As Markmanrightly states Sir Bercilak’s marvelous transformation into the GreenKnight is the “direct manifestation of Morgan le Fay’s magical power”(580). This magical transformation establishes the Green Knight’sassociation with the pagan world. As the central pagan symbol inthis poem irrupting Gawain’s reality, Gawain is unconsciously luredinto searching for his true Christian identity and overcoming thesepagan barriers.The Green Knight is connected with Paganism not only becauseof Morgan le Fay, but also because of the demonic elementsdescribing him and his habitat. The most sinister of these physicalcharacteristics are his “rede” eyes (304). Since this knight is “entirelyemerald green” (“And overall enker grene”), these red eyes are allthe more prominent (150). According to Hawkins, the color red canindicate anger, strength, masculine vigor, drunkenness, debauchery,corruption, malignancy, ill-heath in the soul, or death (50). Withthese various interpretations, none fits better than the associationwith the supernatural. The color red is often associated with demoniccreatures or the devil. By recognizing the eyes, the poem suggests thatfear extends from being observed by a supernatural power (Hawkins50). The red eyes enhance the monstrosity of the Green Knight. Someinterpretations regard the Green Knight as the Devil because of thedisturbing descriptions of his environment, such as “the devil’s lair”(“Whether this be the grene chapelle”) (2186). Gawain continues byjaime griffith 33
describing his fears of this place and referencing the devil: “Satanhimself / has tricked me in this tryst, intending to destroy me”(the fende, in my five wyttes, / that has stoken me this steven tostrye me here) (2193-2194). Corinne Saunders states that “magic isdemonic, whereas miracles occur through faith” (202). Thus, theGreen Knight’s demonization further associates him with magic. Ifthis is the case, then it is not only his red eyes but also his disturbingenvironment that make the Green Knight demonic. Once again heis connected to the magical, pagan world emphasizing the conceptthat to be demonic means to be pagan. It is this pagan world thatGawain discards after his atonement for his sins.The irruption of the textual reality begins at King Arthur’s court“as a fearful form appeared, framed in the door” (“Ther hales inat the halle dor an aghlich mayster”) indicating the Green Knight’sarrival (136). Bringing with him the pagan association, he disruptsthe “lovely illusory bubble,” or what they see as their perfect reality(Weiss 4). In truth, this disruption brings to light that their reality hassome flaws since a pagan element has appeared. After experiencinghis own faults of accepting paganism, Gawain eventually establishesthat a Christian reality should eliminate these pagan imperfections.Gawain recites what seems like heartfelt prayers: “let God be myguide” (“as God wyl me wysse”) (549) and “Let the Lord decide”(“Let God worche!”) (2208). However, as soon as he is tested, heresorts to pagan methods of magic to save him: for instance, thegreen girdle. Sweeney explains how Gawain “compromised his faithby choosing magic over reliance on God” when he took the girdlefor immortal protection (147). He simply could not resist when hediscoverd “the power knitted” within the belt, which will save himfrom any blow (“the costes that knit ar therinne”) (1849).As Gawain tucks the girdle away, he ironically rides to the chapelof worship. Not only does he speak empty words as he confesseshis sins, but he asks the priest to clear his mind. The priest then34 afternoons of alterity
Page 1 and 2: Afternoons of Alterity A Codex of t
Page 4 and 5: Table of ContentsFrom Medieval Mars
Page 6 and 7: From Medieval Marsh Monsters toFutu
Page 8 and 9: imagination, we must first attempt
Page 10 and 11: seed of monstrosity within themselv
Page 12 and 13: essence as a monster, it seems reas
Page 14 and 15: she bore two sons, one from the imp
Page 16 and 17: perhaps, anti-heroes) of the futuri
Page 18 and 19: to watch the murder and mutilation
Page 20 and 21: and modern audiences through their
Page 22 and 23: Works Cited“Bushwhacked.” Firef
Page 24 and 25: Projecting Otherness ontothe Disabl
Page 26 and 27: in any systematic structuration. An
Page 28 and 29: The idea of the monstrous’ vulner
Page 30 and 31: not us and are in the proximity of
Page 32: they want to be treated. The interv
Page 36: Monstrosity and theIrruption of Rea
Page 41 and 42: stained with sin” (Spearing 221).
Page 43: often and at will to show man somet
Page 46 and 47: What’s Love Got To Do With It?The
Page 48 and 49: story than as the beginning? What f
Page 50 and 51: It is textual content like this tha
Page 52 and 53: through the story as the Green Knig
Page 54 and 55: the first advocating voices for end
Page 56 and 57: “capable of seeing things objecti
Page 58 and 59: Darkness: The True Monster ofLitera
Page 60 and 61: the way they can make us feel, but
Page 62 and 63: not only closes out, extinguishes,
Page 64 and 65: and temptation, most especially for
Page 66 and 67: hours “led to the term ‘night
Page 68 and 69: specifically his relationship to da
Page 70 and 71: humanization of Grendel draws the r
Page 72 and 73: subconscious the message may be. Th
Page 74 and 75: Serial MonstrosityEmily Mastrobatti
Page 76 and 77: is clear that they are monsters and
Page 78 and 79: murderer that he once was. He has b
Page 80 and 81: of the killing, “When investigato
Page 82 and 83: ook “contains recipes from the bo
Page 84 and 85: asks Charles Manson to marry her, t
Page 86 and 87: Monstrous Mothers andObjectified Da
Page 88 and 89:
and her sisters plot to kill their
Page 90 and 91:
easons for “otherness.” On top
Page 92 and 93:
The original ideas are still intact
Page 94 and 95:
objectified creature. “Cultures o
Page 96 and 97:
Works CitedAcker, P. Horror and the
Page 98 and 99:
Grendel: A Manifestation ofMedieval
Page 100 and 101:
ut never was his physicality hinted
Page 102 and 103:
to wander in the darkness and the c
Page 104 and 105:
Magic could not resurrect Grendel t
Page 106 and 107:
Works CitedBeowulf. Trans. RM Liuzz
Page 108 and 109:
The Monster Under the BedThe Creati
Page 110 and 111:
to procreate but the accepted manif
Page 112 and 113:
Cain had/killed his father’s son
Page 114 and 115:
can, without a doubt, be placed int
Page 116 and 117:
The vagina’s ability to function
Page 118:
Ed. Barbara K. Gold, et all. Albany
Page 121 and 122:
To understand precisely how states
Page 123 and 124:
a strict delineation between each g
Page 125 and 126:
monstrous and societal rules to fol
Page 127 and 128:
Gawain is willing to accept his mis
Page 129 and 130:
survive, challenge, and defeat. Esp
Page 131 and 132:
governmental standards, then are we
Page 134 and 135:
They Walk Among UsOccupational Viol
Page 136 and 137:
sports and regard our members of th
Page 138 and 139:
modern readers are not part of the
Page 140 and 141:
otherness and disdain for humanity.
Page 142 and 143:
are underpaid and for the most part
Page 144 and 145:
Home and Spatial IdentityPhysical t
Page 146 and 147:
closeness among the people that the
Page 148 and 149:
Into the dark gorge I ventured; the
Page 150 and 151:
the treasures that fill up their ho
Page 152 and 153:
threatened by the very existence of
Page 154 and 155:
and draped in damp, shaggy moss, an
Page 156 and 157:
individual. Home resides within the
Page 158:
Works CitedArmitage, Simon. Sir Gaw
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Afternoon of Alterity - Nazareth College

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