Abstract
The ending in Sir Gawain is the climax of the hero's
drama over a full annual cycle, in which he encounters
a variety of strange characters, some of whom wish to
harm him and others to help him. I claim that the plot
presents an ordered system of cultural symbols and
clear archetypal substructures by means of which the
anonymous author describes the trials and tribulations
of the adolescent boy. I will employ for this purpose
Jungian psychologist Esther Harding's model that
appears in her book The I and the Not-I. I claim that the
plot demonstrates how an individual progresses from a
self-focused ego to a mature, responsible existence in
harmony with both nature and culture.
drama over a full annual cycle, in which he encounters
a variety of strange characters, some of whom wish to
harm him and others to help him. I claim that the plot
presents an ordered system of cultural symbols and
clear archetypal substructures by means of which the
anonymous author describes the trials and tribulations
of the adolescent boy. I will employ for this purpose
Jungian psychologist Esther Harding's model that
appears in her book The I and the Not-I. I claim that the
plot demonstrates how an individual progresses from a
self-focused ego to a mature, responsible existence in
harmony with both nature and culture.
| Original language | American English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 292-304 |
| Journal | Academic Journal of Creative Arts Therapies |
| Volume | 4 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| State | Published - 2014 |
Bibliographical note
ISSN 2312-3664Keywords
- Arthuriana, development of consciousness, analytical psychology, culture vs. nature, initiation, great mother figure.