Piers Plowman 6-9
I've come to accept that this poem will never make sense. We're more than halfway through with it and none of it seems to really add up. So, the plan from here on out is to weep and just do the work without trying to comprehend all of it.
In passus six, we are finally introduced to Piers Plowman, who claims to know where Truth lives. In passus seven, Piers comes off as very selfish, forcing people to plow and sew and complete a number of other favors for him in exchange for directions to Truth. I don't really like Piers...I feel like he's just a jerk. Who are you to be threatening people with starvation?? PLOW YOUR OWN LAND. Also, the whole situation with Hunger is just weird. Why does Hunger live in a yard...like a dog? And he just stays to keep eating everyone's food...which is expected because he's Hunger but still weird.
In passus eight, it's sooo ironic to me that the person who's supposed to know Truth well and guide everyone to Him won't be granted pardon. This is also when our narrator wakes up. I want to know why this dude keeps sleeping and why he keeps waking up!! It's noted that he's reflecting on the content of his dreams...is this where the mystery aspect of the poem comes in? Is our dreamer a detective? He's trying to make sense of his dreams, drawing connections between the characters who represent virtues. He's also searching for Truth, which gives him that detective vibe because he's on the search for someone.
Surprise surprise! The narrator falls asleep again in passus nine and meets someone who looks just like him...named Thought. And now he's searching for Dowel...and is learning about Dobet and Dobest. Weird passus.
I've noticed that Truth is a God-like figure. Everyone is searching for him and worships him. It's almost like Truth is a living, breathing, walking God.
In passus six, we are finally introduced to Piers Plowman, who claims to know where Truth lives. In passus seven, Piers comes off as very selfish, forcing people to plow and sew and complete a number of other favors for him in exchange for directions to Truth. I don't really like Piers...I feel like he's just a jerk. Who are you to be threatening people with starvation?? PLOW YOUR OWN LAND. Also, the whole situation with Hunger is just weird. Why does Hunger live in a yard...like a dog? And he just stays to keep eating everyone's food...which is expected because he's Hunger but still weird.
In passus eight, it's sooo ironic to me that the person who's supposed to know Truth well and guide everyone to Him won't be granted pardon. This is also when our narrator wakes up. I want to know why this dude keeps sleeping and why he keeps waking up!! It's noted that he's reflecting on the content of his dreams...is this where the mystery aspect of the poem comes in? Is our dreamer a detective? He's trying to make sense of his dreams, drawing connections between the characters who represent virtues. He's also searching for Truth, which gives him that detective vibe because he's on the search for someone.
Surprise surprise! The narrator falls asleep again in passus nine and meets someone who looks just like him...named Thought. And now he's searching for Dowel...and is learning about Dobet and Dobest. Weird passus.
I've noticed that Truth is a God-like figure. Everyone is searching for him and worships him. It's almost like Truth is a living, breathing, walking God.
I really like your analysis of the dreamer! I guess I didn't really put together that he could technically be the detective of this extremely weird "mystery" since he's constantly looking for something that could possibly be the evidence in the story (Truth). I also have tried to make sense of the timing when he keeps falling asleep and waking up, but I honestly still have no idea what the author is trying to do with it - I really wonder what was going through his head while writing this...
ReplyDeleteI like your connection between the Dreamer and a detective. I hadn't considered that the detective could be the Dreamer, since he is a passive character with a minimal role until Passus 9. I agree with your definition of a detective, one who is trying to piece together different facts and make sense of a situation. I was wondering if the Dreamer is in search of Truth, or if Piers Plowman is? Do the Dreamer and Piers share characteristics of searching for belonging in society?
ReplyDeleteI like your personal writing flair with this blog post. I believe that Piers is making those individuals work on his land as some form of penance. If we think that Truth is almost God-like, then maybe Piers believes that the individuals need to make up for their sins before he can take them to Truth. That being said, it is very interesting how powerful Truth can be, even though he has never appeared in our text. Interestingly, False, who I assume is Truth's antithesis, has appeared multiple times, and while he is very evil, he did not seem like the main antagonist at all. In Mede's court hearing with the king, False did not seem to act more powerful than the mortal king presiding over the court. I am really curious about how this Truth/False duality will be developed later on.
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