Reading the Chunksters discussion

Thoughts on this section? I haven't read it yet, so I'll pose a question or two when I get there!

I just finished this section - still loving the scenes where Merlyn turns Wart into various animals. I was so excited to have him turn into an ant because I have always been fascinated by ants, but then reading the interpretation of the ants' lives and how they "think" (or not really) and have their specialized duties that they perform over and over again, really made me sad about the individual lives of ants!

I also loved when Wart was turned into an owl, and his conversation with Archimedes, especially when Wart accidentally fell out of the window and then his trying to fly and Archimedes calling him an idiot for his ungraceful attempt at flying. Wart's interpretation of the magical mouse he ate as being a flavorful peach, where the skin was not as good as the inside, was funny too. And the ending of this section where he discusses with the female goose how there are no borders in the sky and how it was horrible for her to imagine that geese would ever fight amongst themselves. It gave a good contrast to the ants. Seeing how Wart disliked being with the ants in the end, but was so fond of being with the geese, I can see how this difference in fighting and not fighting among their own kind will take root within him.

I also like the bits thrown in here and there concerning the sergeant who puffs out his chest often. Such as in this scene with the nurse when she is tending to Wart after his adventure with Kay:

"Arrah, leave they childishness," exclaimed the nurse. "Now Master Art, my innocent, be off with thee to thy bed upon the instant. And thou, Sir Ector, let thee think shame to be playing wi' monsters' heads like a godwit when the poor child stays upon the point of death. Now, sergeant, leave puffing of thy chest. Stir, man, and take horse to Cardoyle for the chirurgeon."

She wave her apron at the sergeant, who collapsed his chest and retreated like a shoo'd chicken.

I also found hilarious the end of the boar hunt where King Pellinore has found the Questing Beast, all forlorn and withered because the King had been absent (sleeping in a feather bed nonetheless!) and so the Beast had not any purpose left to his days if he was not actively being pursued by the King. And then the King allowed the Beast a 10,000 count head start before he followed him back into the woods (very comically, of course) to continue their lives of hiding and questing. Too funny!

I love the parts with the animals too. I found the ants scary!

I was stunned in the first chapter of this section where (unless I misunderstood) Kay saved Wart's life by shooting the griffin in the eye and while Kay is happy to boast about shooting the griffin, nobody (not even Wart) seems to appreciate the saving of Wart's life...?

I enjoyed the hunting of the boar which seemed relatively realistic until we reached the Pythonesque humour of the Questing Beast. But it was cute the way the Beast was pining to be Quested.

Rosemary wrote: I was stunned in the first chapter of this section where (unless I misunderstood) Kay saved Wart's life by shooting the griffin in the eye and while Kay is happy to boast about shooting the griffin, nobody (not even Wart) seems to appreciate the saving of Wart's life...?

I also took Kay's arrow shooting the griffin as saving Wart's life, or at least something horrible but possibly not fatal. I wonder if Kay realized that he had saved Wart's life? Maybe he was so focused on the griffin and shooting his arrow, that he did not realize what a close call Wart's encounter was. He was really excited to tell everyone back at the castle that he had shot a griffin - maybe he was just so focused on the "fun" of the adventure and not the serious side of what could have been?

I finished this section last night. What can I say? The whole animal metamorphosis scenes don't seem to be my cup of tea. I really hated the ant scene and just found the bird scenes kind of boring. But, pressing on!

Linda wrote: "I also took Kay's arrow shooting the griffin as saving Wart's life, or at least something horrible but possibly not fatal. I wonder if Kay realized that he had saved Wart's life? Maybe he was so focused on the griffin and shooting his arrow, that he did not realize what a close call Wart's encounter was. He was really excited to tell everyone back at the castle that he had shot a griffin - maybe he was just so focused on the "fun" of the adventure and not the serious side of what could have been? "

I think you're right - and Wart must have been the same. Perhaps Wart just doesn't take life very seriously.

I'm with you Victoria. Not feeling this section. Disliked the ants most of all. Wondering if all this will have some bearing later.

All the metamorphises seem important- Wart learns bout the importance of individuality but also cohesion from the ants, and he learns that maybe there is something a darker to war and fighting then the silly half-hearted battles he has seen between Grummore and Pellinore.

Still, I find this book terribly boring. Its really not to my taste at all, which surprises me because I really like Arthurian tales. I just find the narrative style childish, and yet this isn't a book for children. I'm waiting until Wart matures and becomes King, but if it hasn't picked up by then I don't know if I'll finish it.

Yes, Becky, I think you are right on the meaning of these sections. Maybe my problem with the book is the same as yours, I'm just finding rather boring.

I'm loving it, but I'm mostly enjoying the dry, witty humor. (Which is funny, considering I hated A Confederacy of Dunces, which is also very dry). My favorite line so far hasn't been a comical one, though:

"But what creature could be so low as to go about in bands, to murder others of its own blood?"

O, if only more humans thought that way!

And yes, I loved the scene with the Questing Beast, how funny! But there's a layer of meaning, there, too... when life has no purpose, one cannot go on living. Something in that for Wart, too, I think.

From Spark Notes "Boxing Day the first weekday after Christmas, when gifts or "boxes" are given to employees, postmen, and so on."

That's really what Boxing Day is? I always wondered, but that's not what I thought. How interesting!

Alana wrote: "And yes, I loved the scene with the Questing Beast, how funny! But there's a layer of meaning, there, too... when life has no purpose, one cannot go on living. Something in that for Wart, too, I think. "

I like your take on that!

I thought the ant scene was quite interesting. I loved how it was almost dystopic in a way. I was amused by the way in which the ants saw everything in terms of Done and Not Done.

Ants, and the way in which the ant social structure, so to speak, is set up are frequently used in stories as a metaphor for human civilization/government.

I also wondered if White was using this chapter to send a message about his own political views and perhpas making a commentary upon Communism?

Silver wrote: "I also wondered if White was using this chapter to send a message about his own political views and perhpas making a commentary upon Communism?"

This was the impression I got, as well.

I found Merlyn's theory (or I should say Aristotle's theory according to Merlyn) about the language/song of birds to be quite interesting. I never thought of it that way, but there is some truth in what is said, a lot of birds to make sounds which seem similar to that of the source of their diet.

The questing beast incident was quite strange though typical of the humor within the book. I had always viewed the questing beast as being somewhat metaphorical and I think that is reflected within the scene. The questing beast is a personification of the quest (or desire for quest) itself, and thus when one is not upon a quest there can by no questing beast in which to quest after.

I did really enjoy the whole boar hunting scene.