Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Warning: Rant Ahead.


                As the title states, this is a rant and will most likely contain R rated language, sloppy grammar, and will not be suitable for those under the age of eighteen.

            Now that I've warned everyone, I can begin. 

            Here is my question. Why, in most of the texts that we have read in this class, is everyone just okay with this affair that Gwen and Lance have going on? I am aware that it has been addressed many, many times, in both class and in various blogs. However, I just cannot come to terms with a few things about it. Perhaps my biggest issue is not with Gwen and Lance, but with Arthur himself. Nobody in his or her right mind is ever okay with being cheated on. Never in my life have I met a person who was cheated on by their significant other and was just okay with it. THAT IS JUST NOT HOW IT WORKS. I realize that when reading these stories that we cannot always apply common sense to them, but come on, really? Are we honestly supposed to just believe that the great King Arthur, the most loved and respected king that ever was, just shrugged off the love of his life cheating on him with his *supposedly* most loyal and trusted knight?  Right. That makes total sense. my biggest issue concerns Arthur himself and the way he deals with this traitorous affair, don't think that I have forgotten about the two traitors in question. I'll start with Lady Gwen. In my head, I see her as weak, pitiful, easily swayed by the opinions of others, and immature. In fact, she reminds me a bit of Eve in the Garden of Eden, when she is tempted by the apple. I think that she sets a bad example for her people as well. If the Queen cannot stay loyal to her king, how does anyone expect any other kind of loyalty (both to the kingdom, Arthur, or spouses)? The way that I see her reacting to Arthur finding out about her affair is kind of like this:
        

            Now, moving on to the famous Lancelot. As I said earlier on, if Lance is supposed to Camelot’s golden boy and Arthurs most trusted knight, how could he have ever thought that sleeping with Gwen, the Queen, was a good idea? Certainly we all have experienced different sorts of temptation and lived to tell the tale of how we denied it. Are all men as weak as Lancelot, or is the bravest knight in all the land merely especially susceptible to Gwen’s' charms?  The world may never know. Another reason that I cannot stand Lancelot anymore (before this class I was a firm believer that one day my knight in shining armor would one day come galloping up to me on a powerful steed. However, now I am a bit wiser and more savvy, I know that if he actually does do that, it is probably not his first or his last time doing it), is that he never shows any signs of guilt or remorse. Though it probably wouldn't help the situation, at the very least he could gain a few points back.

            And so, here ends my rant. I will ask this: Am I just a ranting lunatic who is fixated on this issue, or does anyone else feel the same way? 

8 comments:

  1. I too feel that although we have discussed in class a lot about the affair that takes place, I just don't understand how anyone would be ok with being cheated on too and we never really see how King Arthur truly feels about it. He cant just be ok with it !?

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  2. This situation is particularly hard to stomach in Avalon High. Not only does will just accept that his girlfriend is cheating on him with his best friend but he goes on to say that they're a better couple anyway. I'm sorry, what? Are you high? (Of course not he wears Polos, but SERIOUSLY?) If it seems incredibly unrealistic for teenagers it is never going to make sense with adults.

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  3. You stated, "Why, in most of the texts that we have read in this class, is everyone just okay with this affair that Gwen and Lance have going on?" I do not think everyone is okay with the affair between Guinevere and Lancelot, however, there is only so much conversation a class can have on this topic before we have to move on. I do agree with you, I do not like the affair and I am not exactly sure why King Arthur treats the affair the way he does. But as a class, majority if not all of us are against the affair. We cannot always talk about this topic, since there are other things we must go over. However, when it comes to Will and Jen, I like that Will doesn't put much emphasis on Jen and Lance. In other words, Will is King Arthur and he shouldn't trip over a hoe. So I am pretty happy that he ends up with Ellie (as if we didn't know already).

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    1. Trippin over a hoe never made anybody king of the Britons.

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  4. Yup, I'm not much of a Lancaster and Gwen fan either. Especially in Avalon high because it was like they weren't even real people. Gwen was all about cheerleading and trends and Lance was all about football. There wasn't much going for them. Also, in that sense, if I was Will and was giving up on that side of my life then I too would want to cut off relations with the people who want to suck me back into the norm. ( trying to salvage this ridiculousness in the story)

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  5. Arthur has been compared to Jesus. Similar to how Jesus turned the other cheek, Arthur's forgiveness shows the reader how truly perfect he is.

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  6. Even though everyone definitely has a valid point, I had the same opinion as Sarah. Point taken Julia, that is a perfect example about Arthur being perfect, but just in my opinion, I just didn't see anything right with being 'ok' about being cheated on. That would literally drive me insane to the point where I'd want to see a reaction viewed on Jerry Springer. Especially in Avalon High when we are dealing with teenagers. I know in my high school whenever there was relationship about drama, it was spread like wildfire. Guys have even had fights in the halls from finding out their girlfriends were unfaithful. In no way could I could see it being 'okay' to stay with someone who is cheating on you.

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  7. I never imagined that Arthur really loved Gwen all that much, to me it seemed more of a political marriage. But I could be wrong. A lot of the stories we've read have focused on the people surrounding Arthur, but not himself. I would like to see a new story that delves into the emotional side of Arthur and how he reacts to this betrayal. Who knows? Mayb he really is torn apart but knows he can't dissolve the marriage for political reasons? Or he is too proud to face facts?

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