Afternoon of Alterity - Nazareth College

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Gawain is the epitome of this so called “Christian” culture yet heproves to be flawed. He summarizes it in one word: “falce” (2383).Everything about Arthur’s court turned out to be false because theywere corrupted by paganism. It seems that Gawain represents theEnglish culture that is trying to change but is repeatedly hindered byincoming invaders.This irruption of paganism in Sir Gawain and the Green Knightreveals the cultural anxiety of England in the Middle Ages. Just asGawain is threatened by the intrusion of the Green Knight, Englandis threatened by the many foreign invasions. This pattern of themonstrous representing a cultural fear is a recurring theme, evenin the early English tradition. For Example, the poem Beowulf wasapproximately written in the 7 th -10 th century and portrays similarpagan threats. In this text, Grendel is the pagan symbol, who’s “eyesstood / a light not fair glowing like fire” (Luizza 726-727). These fieryeyes are similar to the Green Knight’s red eyes, presenting Grendelas a demonic being. This pagan character is also overthrown by aChristian, named Beowulf.Sir Gawain and the Green Knight exposes the fear of paganism whichalso reflects the cultural anxiety. This anxiety seems puzzling because tobe Christian means to trust in God. Therefore, fear of pagan intrusionis unnecessary because faith in God correlated with protection fromGod. Possibly, the anxiety stems from the weak Christian faith whichis clearly evident in Sir Gawain. Another possible explanation for thisfear is the worry that paganism with overthrow Christianity. Betteryet, maybe it is not so much a fear of paganism but a fear in Godand His wrath. Christians may feel they are being punished withthese many invasions. Although these are sufficient reasons, thereappears to be a more important clarification. Due to the fact thatthe Christian faith is weak, Christians at this time do not seem tounderstand that God controls everything. John Friedman mentionsthat “Christian thought held that God violated the order of naturejaime griffith 37
often and at will to show man something” (119). Since God is incontrol, then there would be nothing to fear. However, Christianitydepends on the choices that are executed. Sir Gawain fails becausehe makes the choice to trust in the girdle. The cultural anxiety existsbecause these Christians in England, just as Sir Gawain in the poem,do not have complete faith that God is in control.Bildhauer and Mills point out that monstrosity is “not meaninglessbut meaning-laden” (2). Monstrosity incorporated within a societycan provide means to overcome struggles with identity. The GreenKnight is the embodiment of residual paganism, which the late 14 thcentury English culture seems to want to eradicate. Although it isMorgan le Fay’s magic that transforms Sir Bercilak into the GreenKnight, “the monster signifies something other than itself” (Cohen4). The Green Knight represents everything that is non-Christianfrom pagan magic to demonic attributes. As the irruption occursin King Arthur’s court, Gawain is revealed as lacking the Christianfaith that the court supposedly represents. After discovering hisfaults, Gawain succeeds in removing the need for pagan magic andredefines himself as Christian. “As an embodiment of a certaincultural movement,” this poem reveals how literature can represent acultures background and struggle with pagan remnants overlappingChristian values (Cohen 4). Through the character Gawain, thepoem reveals the cultural tensions, England’s search for Christianidentity, and constant fear of God in the 14 th century.38 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 39 and 40: describing his fears of this place
Page 41: stained with sin” (Spearing 221).
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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