Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Comparison

A Timeless Comparison of the New and the Old (work in progress) Agatha Christie and the rather known, unknown author of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight appear to be sharing the same playbook when it comes to major themes in their writing. It may be a British concept, but using themes that capture the reader’s attention is key when writing a piece of literature. Over the course of time Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and The Murder on the Orient Express have been raised upon the themes of isolation, color, and time. The expression of something’s physical attributes or personality traits and how those are seen, could simply be categorized as simply, color. Charles Osborne describes the characters of Agatha Christie’s work as “colorful and an international collection of travelers” (Osborne 113). It is true that these characters are from many
different backgrounds and different places, ergo their “colorfulness”. The main character of Christie’s novel, Hercule Poirot, is a very skilled detective that waits for suspects to show their true colors before assessing a murder and naming the killer. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, however, color is moreover a physical aspect of the story. Throughout the course of the story, color is very adamant about making an appearance. “…But he fails to give the lord the magic green girdle that the lady gives him...” (Borroff 178) The green girdle is not the only place that color shows up, in fact there is the Green Chapel, the Green Knight, and even nature; all important parts of the plot. The authors of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and The Murder on the Orient Express use the theme of color to become raconteurs and bring to life a different aspect of the story. Color can have a double meaning, and these two authors took the opportunity to take ahold of the double meaning word and use it to their advantage. Remote, outlying, and inaccessible are three traits that both the main characters of these stories exhibit. Charles Osborne said it best with the words, “A murder mystery is usually at its best when a group of people are isolated from the world at large” (Osborne 113). Stuck on a train in the middle of a snow storm is the perfect opportunity for one to commit a murder, and Agatha Christie illustrates that perfectly. The snow storm also brings about another aspect of isolation; the cold. The cold appears very literally with the snow, but also in a more figurative sense, the cold brings the isolation in and ties it together with a feelings of being alone. The isolation that Christie’s setting allows, gives her main character the chance to observe the other passengers without drawing attention to himself. “M. Hercule Poirot, having nothing better to do, amused himself by studying her without appearing to do so” (Christie 8). The isolation the Sir Gawain faces is quite similar to that of Mr. Poirot. “I am the weakest, well I know, and of wit feeblest” (Borroff 128) is said by Sir Gawain because he already feels like an outcast and alone because everyone else is large and burly. “For weeks, he travels alone through the cold, threatening woods of North Wales” (Borroff 178). Sir Gawain goes weeks without human encounters while facing the cold and threatening woods. This ties back into the same cold and threatening sense of isolation that Poirot was also affected by. Isolation can often bring a ‘cold’ and ‘threatening’ aura, which hangs in the air like the smell of rain on pavement. These two stories use a ‘cold isolation’ in different ways, both bringing about the sense effect. In the length of these two stories, the passage of time is relevant through the course of the plotline.
In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight a New Year’s is in the process of going on. Celebrating the end and beginning of the old and the new, a passage of time and the time to come. “That your neck should have a knock on New Year’s mourn” says the Green Knight when stating the terms to his proposition to the King’s court. (Borroff 177) In the same regards Hercules Poirot is working against the clock. “By the time the Yugo-Slavian police arrive, how simple if we can present them with the solution!” (Christie 46) Like Poirot, Sir Gawain is also facing pressure to find the Green Knight and follow through with the pact he made, with a very limited amount of time. “Fitt two begins with the passing of the season until almost a year has passed” (Van Court) is a clear indication that time has come and gone. The way in which the anonymous author spreads out Sir Gawain’s adventure over the course of “several months, which pass in two stanzas” (Sauer) allows for readers to discover a sense of time passing
themselves. A common theme when there is a very distinct and obvious hero, is skill. If these types of characters didn’t have their respective skills, then what would the authors be writing about? Christie’s Poirot is a prime example of how skill helps develop a character alongside the plot. “I know your powers… I know your reputation” (Christie 46) gives readers the idea that Poirot is known and carries a very large reputation in his line of work. Along with his skill, Poirot is not one to brag about said skills and successes, instead he stays low, and because of that he is able to utilize his skill even more than a more flamboyant person would. Physical strength is just as much a skill as mental ability, so don’t count Sir Gawain out. It is made clear near the very beginning of the story that Sir Gawain is no Hercules or Thor. He is more of a Ron Weasley or Robin Hood, and just like Ron Weasley and Robin Hood, he steps up to offer what little strength he has to help his King against the intruder. “I am the weakest, well I know, and of wit feeblest…” (Borroff 174). As time passes on, Sir Gawain shows his skills by not falling prisoner to Lady Bertilack’s advances, almost being one hundred percent honest, and my following through with the Green Knights instructions. All things considered, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and The Murder on the Orient Express share not only the title of being British Literature, but also a likeliness of isolation, time, skills, and colorfulness. Both stories use each of these themes in different ways but nonetheless, the authors make a clear path with the respective themes. Whether a well-known mystery author, or an anonymous 14th century writer, using themes to your advantage helps build character development, a plot full of details, and a piece of literature interesting enough for people to read.