I don't believe this passage is necessarily a feminist approach to this story. The emphasis on masculinity and the need for a God to match her Goddess (she really says this) is inescapable. Lancelot proves himself to be the man's man when he says a few times that he "has lived in a world where men do not wait for a woman's bidding" (146). Morgaine exerts a lot of energy admiring Lancelot's physical appearance, and is heavily influenced by the way she feels when she's near him. Starting at their first interaction, her obsession with his outward appearance is perpetuated throughout the passage; on page 147 she spends almost an the page admiring every detail of his physique. She likes that his look is not androgynous, but especially manly like a "stag," and comments that she had "never seen such a masculine creature before" (147). This fixation on his appearance is especially annoying compared to Morgaine's own desire for Lancelot to see her inner beauty when she apparently sees only his surface level.
The physical attraction is noteworthy, but what really makes me doubt the woman-power in this passage is the fact that Morgaine says she has never felt happiness before Lancelot. She feels validated because “he desired her...his love and respect for her were so great that he would even hold his own desire within bounds” (154). So now we’re impressed that he's not pushing sex on her? Cmon. And let’s just take a moment to consider the phallic implications of Lancelot saying the only god he worships is his “sword” (140). Lancelot seems to quickly shift gears, and Morgaine feels a burning hatred for young Gwenhwyfar, concluding with what I think might be a redeeming moment (maybe just a petty one) as Morgaine leaves him to find his own way back.
No comments:
Post a Comment