IcedChaiWithVanillaColdFoam
3rd Period
Final Exam Blog post
Introduction
The short story “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'' was written by an anonymous author in the late 14th century. This story is a medieval romance that follows one of King Arthur's knights. The story begins with Gawain beheading a knight, who mysteriously survives, then gives Gawain a mission to look for the green castle. While journeying to the green castle Gawain is tested along the way and is told to tell the truth upon arrival to the green castle, which he does, partially. This short story holds the postmodern elements of magical realism and intertextuality.
Magical Realism
Magical Realism is when fantasy elements are casually incorporated into the real world. In “Sir Gawain and the Green
Knight” a very mystical tone is established through magical castles, enchanted objects and settings, encounters with
death that someone somehow survives. In the beginning of the story, at a banquet Gawain beheads the mysterious Green Knight, after being beheaded the green knight “seated himself in his saddle as if naught ailed him, and he were
not headless” with “His head he held by the hair, in his hand.” Much like in the music video for the song “Humility” by the Gorillaz impossible and extraordinary things happen around the main characters, who do not react, as if this was normal behavior. Magical realism surrounds the primary points of these works and allows for very interesting character interactions and development.
Maximalism
Maximalism is exactly what it sounds like, to most people it would be characterized as being synonymous with the phrase ‘doing the most.’ In the poem “[I carry your heart with me (I carry it in]” by E.E. Cummings the high intensity in which he expresses his emotions can be classified as maximalist. (I mean he states “for beautiful you are my world, my true.” if that is not extra, I don't know what is.) In “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” maximalism is seen the most when Gawain takes his journey to the green castle. When Gawain arrives and sees the knight, he describes him as “bright green and of glorious hue;
Both his face and his flesh and his apparel beyond all measure were brightly bright green.” While most would see this quote as an expression of vivid imagery, the great detail expanded upon is very maximalist. While the maximalist elements in these two pieces of literature are very different, they are alike in the way that they compellingly convey the intensity of emotion the speakers are feeling.
Obviously, I am no professor of English or postmodernism though I think if I wanted to be, this class would have prepared me to do so. I think I have proved evident that postmodern elements can be pulled from a literary source from any era. Postmodern elements can connect many different worlds, in an interesting way.
Works Cited
Anonymous. "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature, edited by Stephen Greenblatt et al., 10th ed., vol. 1, W. W. Norton & Company, 2018, pp. 157-218. Accessed 3 May, 2024
Cummings, E.E. "[I Carry Your Heart with Me(I Carry it In]." Complete Poems: 1904-1962, edited by George J. Firmage, Liveright Publishing Corporation, 1991, p. 596. Accessed 3 May, 2024
Giphy. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Giphy, uploaded by filmeditor, 14 October 2016. www.giphy.com/gifs/filmeditor-the-legend-of-sleepy-hollow-3otPoztpszlSfgPGAo. Accessed 3 May, 2024
Gorillaz. "Humility." YouTube, uploaded by Gorillaz, 31 May 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5yFcdPAGv0 Accessed May 3,2024
Vogue. "What Does It Mean to Be Maximalist? Interior Designers Explain." Vogue, Conde Nast, 10 Jan. 2019, www.vogue.com/article/what-does-it-mean-to-be-maximalist-interior-designers-explain. Accessed 3 May, 2024.