Piers "Morgan" Plowman
In the stories prior to Piers Plowman, there was an almost defined "formula" in the stories in that they followed a bright detective who could have solved the mystery faster but lead the people he was working with on. These actions create the story as the detective lays out how hr solved the mystery and allows the reader to be amazed by his intellectual prowess. In Auden's The Guilty Vicarage, he really gives a clear definition of what makes a good mystery story as in the crime must fall into three different categories. Also, Auden's story defines what characters need to be present in the story to make the plot seem believable.
In Piers Plowman, I feel it is not a real "mystery" story as in there is no murder or crime to solve but rather is more of a mystery within the mind and what is going on within the story. The language that is used with Piers Plowman is not entirely different than the modern English language as in the as in the words are spelled like they sound instead of the convoluted way the English language is configured today. I think the verse poem moves along steadily as you find out that Will which could be described as a person's "will" to travel the world and make their own independent decisions rather than have somebody else make the decision for them. I also believe that the mystery is to where Will is going to be after his experiences.
When I began reading it, I thought it was very interesting to read and made my brain think as I was trying to translate the words into modern English. It was similar to reading to reading a foreign language but a little easier. It is not as enjoyable as Valley of Fear but was an easier read than Poe's story.
In Piers Plowman, I feel it is not a real "mystery" story as in there is no murder or crime to solve but rather is more of a mystery within the mind and what is going on within the story. The language that is used with Piers Plowman is not entirely different than the modern English language as in the as in the words are spelled like they sound instead of the convoluted way the English language is configured today. I think the verse poem moves along steadily as you find out that Will which could be described as a person's "will" to travel the world and make their own independent decisions rather than have somebody else make the decision for them. I also believe that the mystery is to where Will is going to be after his experiences.
When I began reading it, I thought it was very interesting to read and made my brain think as I was trying to translate the words into modern English. It was similar to reading to reading a foreign language but a little easier. It is not as enjoyable as Valley of Fear but was an easier read than Poe's story.
I completely agree with you and feel that this novel isn't a mystery story in the traditional sense, but more in the way it is formatted. Although there might not be any detective or formal evidence, the entire mystery that we need to figure out is revolved around the author's choices pertaining to the plot. Also, the fact that it is written in Middle English adds to the difficulty, making it even more challenging to uncover the details.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your belief that this story, at least so far, is not a traditional mystery story by any means. I am very intrigued by your idea that the mystery itself centers around Will and his actions; it is true that we do not have much information about who Will is. Could it be that the real mystery is not an external conflict, but an internal dilemma or decision Will faces? If so, that would revolutionize how we view the relationship between the narrator, detective, and mystery in mystery novels.
ReplyDeleteI think it's amazing for you to say that this was an easier read than Poe's stories. I completely disagree, as the language is infinitely more difficult. Nevertheless, I do agree with your statement that the mystery is more in the mind discovering what is in the story. I think the language is in fact a tool to cloud any image your mind might create, and thus make it harder to solve the mystery of what's actually taking place
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