Janice in NJ Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 OK. We're reading The Song of Roland this week. I'd like to pair a lighter/short novel or short story(s) (if you can't think of a novel) that covers some of the themes that I would like to address during our study. This is for a 10th grade boy who likes to read. Any suggestions for a book that deals with loyalty? I'd prefer something where the hero of the book chooses to be UNfaithful to the one to whom he owes allegiance. :001_smile: Not because of a flaw in his character, but because unfaithfulness is the right thing to do - or maybe if it's the wrong thing to do, it would be better... I haven't yet thought this through all of the way .... I really want to flesh this thing out a bit because I have a pretty good idea how my ds is going to react to this epic. I want to rattle his cage a bit if I can. Or - I'd also really like to consider exploring the rational character of Oliver who judges based on what he "sees" vs. Roland who judges based on his convictions. Any texts come to mind where the hero and his side-kick stand on opposite sides of the what-do-I-see vs. what-do-I-believe line. I'd prefer a text where either the hero is logical and the side-kick is the lofty thinker OR a text where the hero gives in to the side-kick's wisdom - for good or for ill. Actually this ties in closer to what I want to cover; we'll be spending a lot of time on characterization as we read through these lines... Any other light works that tie in with Roland and his 11th century values? Maybe a text where the character(s) learn to love and respect those that they were prejudiced against? If not, maybe a high-school level terrific historical-fiction title set during the crusades. As I said, I welcome all suggestions. :001_smile: But would really appreciate some shorter works to choose from, but PLEASE throw out the longer ones if that's all that comes to mind. Beowulf is next, and we need to keep mooooooovin along here. ;) THANKS! Janice Enjoy your little people Enjoy your journey P.S. If you have any awesome Beowulf tie-ins, please let me know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 JRR Tolkien's short story/novella: "Farmer Giles of Ham". VERY funny! GREAT vocabulary! Set in the middle ages, with a theme of how a King wanes in power by failing to uphold his oath to protect the people, while a Farmer rises in fame/fortune by disobeying the King's order -- but because the right thing to do was to protect the villagers, as the King should have done. See the plot summary at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farmer_Giles_of_Ham 13-page study guide at Book Rags: http://www.bookrags.com/shortguide-farmer-giles-of-ham/ My boys LOVE this story. : ) Cheers! Lori D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 The Celtic story of "Tristan and Isolde". A serious tragedy -- and this one takes the theme the other way: the hero should have been faithful, is unfaithful and it's the WRONG thing to do. Tristan is King Mark's most trusted, right-hand man. The King sends Tristan to pick up the princess Isolde who will become King Mark's bride to bring peace between his country and the princess' country. Along the way, Tristan and Isolde fall in love. Isolde and Mark marry, but eventually Tristan betrays his King and best friend with Isolde. It all ends in tears. See a version of it at: http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/tristan.html And of course, that reminds us all of Sir Lancelot, King Arthur and Queen Geneviere. Lancelot betrays his king and best friend by having a fling with the king's wife. Maybe you could do one story on each side of the theme of the hero being unfaithful and discuss if there is a time and place to do so. In Tristan and Lancelot's cases, their unfaithfulness was wrong because it was for self-centered purposes. (see Phil. 2:3-5) In Farmer Ham's case, unfaithfulness was (arguably) right, because the authority whose job it was to protect the people failed to do so, and in "being faithful to the king's command", Farmer Ham would have been condoning the King's failure to be faithful to his oath to protect his people. (Acts 5:27-32) Wish I could sit in on your homeschool, Janet! You're cool ways of approaching literature really fire me up. : ) Warmest regards, Lori D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 As far as a hero with a sidekick, and taking/ignoring the sidekick's advice... - "Othello": Othello takes (treacherous) sidekick Iago's advice and is disloyal to his marriage vow to trust his wife and ends up killing her, believing her to be unfaithful to him. - "Macbeth": Macbeth disregards (loyal) sidekick McDuff's advice and it all ends in tears. - (film story) "Star Wars V": Luke disregards the advice of his "sidekick"/mentor (Yoda) to finish his training, leaves Daygobah (sp?), and ends up losing his hand and nearly becoming disloyal to his oath to Obi Wan Kenobi to become a Jedi. - "Epic of Gilgamesh": Gilgamesh takes the advice of his sidekick Endiku and becomes a kinder, gentler king -- now able to fulfill his duty of properly ruling/caring for his subjects, rather than being disloyal to them by taking all the wives for himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 How about either the first or second novel in Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael murder mystery series, i.e. A Morbid Taste for Bones or One Corpse Too Many? Questions of loyalty to political and religious authorities enter these books. Further, the relationship between the characters of Brother Cadfael and his friend, Sheriff Hugh Morton, is well developed. If you are not familiar with the author (Edith Pargeter who wrote as Ellis Peters), you can check out this Wikipedia article. Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielle Posted August 17, 2008 Share Posted August 17, 2008 The Once and Future King by TH White. Once you get past the first "book", which has been made into the Sword in the Stone, it's not a little kid's book anymore--basis for the movie Camelot. Danielle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jugglin'5 Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 I like the suggestions of Farmer Giles of Ham and the Ellis Peters mysteries. One other would be The Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers. It is not medieval per se, but the bells and churchyard give a medieval feel. It is actually an Omnibus II medieval secondary selection. The various loyalties and secrecies of the characters make the mystery very hard to solve. I might be careful about Tristan and Isolde. I pre-read it because my daughter wanted to read it and decided to wait. There are some very disturbing elements in it, at least to me. (Spoiler) When King Mark decides to throw Isolde to the lepers, who were lusting after her, instead of burning her at the stake- well, that stuck with me for a while, and I knew my daughter would also find it very unsettling. But she is quite a bit younger than your son. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 Eeww! I only have read an abridged version! Didn't know *that*! :eek: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jugglin'5 Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 I know there are some different versions out there. I can't remember what mine was, but it was an older compilation and translation. Bedier? maybe? Apparently it is much like the Arthurian legends in that there are many diffferent strands and versions. Maybe there is a version out there that doesn't include THAT particular episode. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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