Plowman blog 2

A mystery typically involves a group of people, or even a single person trying to find the answer/explanation of a problem, whether it be murder, theft, or some other crime. The mystery is usually solved through analysis of evidence and logic.The effort is spearheaded by a sharp and quick witted detective who solves the problem in an uncanny way. Most end with a solution, and the perpetrator being punished for his/her deeds.

This Passus serves to develop the story more coherently, but I found myself very confused by the reading itself. Trying to understand middle English can be like trying to solve a Rubik's cube with your hands tied, even with the annotations on the side. The general idea (i think) is that woman Mede is about to be married to False, but the Theocracy prevents her, as she should be married to Truth. The writer is trying to make some sort of point about falsehood and truthfulness, but in a strange way. I wasn’t able to really understand what happens afterwards, but it ends with Mede sobbing by herself.

Obviously, middle English is challenging to read, it’s almost a completely different language. What confounds me more however, is how this story is or relates to a mystery. Its unlike any other mystery I’ve ever read. There's no lost letter to be found, murderer to catch, or blood-crazed Orangutan. It's certainly not a traditional “whodunit” mystery. I’m not even sure what the evidence is supposed to be. So far, it's about Mede and her desire to marry False. There is a answer that the narrator wants however: How can he live a pure life and save his soul? That's a mystery I suppose, and this angelic-like woman is giving him the answers. This story seems like a quest for the narrator to find self-understanding, not to catch a culprit. If you were to bend the rules of this genre slightly, you could consider it a mystery of sorts.