Yvain the Miniseries
One thing that really irked me about this tale was its lack of any coherent plot structure. Yvain is always getting sidetracked. He vows to save Lunete from a bloodthirsty seneschal, but then Chretien makes him kill a giant before he can fulfill his promise to her. He agrees to help restore a lady’s inheritance from the clutches of her grasping older sister, but on the way he has to defend the cause of beautiful women in British sweatshops. Maybe this irritation is partly my fault, because I read it in two hours straight, which probably doesn’t make for maximum enjoyment. The entire story seems more like a television series. Every episode Yvain runs into a different adventure, and the larger picture is just vaguely alluded to until the end of the series.
I’m guessing Chretien’s audience didn’t have to sit through it all in one night either…or at least I’m desperately hoping. For their own sanity.
cristinamabob wrote:
We discussed this in our small group today. The tension between bravery and courtesy. A person who is brave is sought after to solve other people’s problems, and when he does so (usually out of courtesy to the other person), he receives even more credit for being valiant. But these minor courtesies cut into the true journey of a knight, and therfore cause more problems than anything else. It’ll be discussed more on thursday.
Posted 25 Sep 2007 at 10:55 pm ¶
sean wrote:
I can in one sense sympathize with your frustration, but I guess I would point you to the long post I wrote about “how to read” romance. Basically, if you’re looking for plot coherence (my modern novelistic or cinematic standards) – keep looking. It is entirely episodic. I also agree with cristinamabob’s observations that we’re dealing with a tale that poses a series of tests for Yvain where he has to choose and find the right balance of courtesy, and bravery, and make those things work together instead of in contradiction.
Posted 27 Sep 2007 at 10:12 am ¶