Thursday, November 1, 2007

We’ll begin with Griffin’s prose-poem, which should set things up for SGGK quite nicely.

Office hours will be 10:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., in Cudahy Library. (I’ll be working on some of my own research, but please feel free to find me. I’ll be in the big study room with the high ceiling or meeting with another student by the vending machines.)

Reading

• Susan Griffin, “The Hunt” (146–148)
• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, fitt I

Notes

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight begins with a reference to the Trojan War, especially to Vergil’s Aeneid. See Borroff’s first note for one perspective on the so-called “Troy frame” of the poem. (I’ll give you another in class.) How might this opening influence our reception/interpretation of the poem’s main plot/narrative?

There are plenty of intriguing events and descriptions in the first fitt; take particular note of the following:

• the description of King Arthur,
• the way people are dressed (especially the Green Knight and his horse), and
• Arthur’s and Gawain’s response(s) to the Green Knight’s challenge and the result.