Everyone must turn in answers to one
set of reading questions on Parzival (or this assignment). If you
turn in more than one, the extra grades will be applied first to replacing
any zeros in the "shorter assignments" category, and then to replacing
any low grades. However, no more than three sets of Parzival
reading question will be graded. If you wish to turn in additional
sets, just for writing practice, I will be glad to comment on them for
you.
Writing assignment on Parzival.
Choose one of the theses offered below. You may alter
it or edit it slightly, if you wish. For the chosen thesis, write a short
essay presenting and organizing evidence in support of it–evidence from
the text of Parzival. Be as specific as possible. End your essay with a
conclusion, which, at a minimum, restates the thesis and sums up the argument,
but, ideally, points out the larger significance of the thesis and/or suggests
directions for further work. You do not need to discuss all possible evidence–discuss
enough to argue the thesis persuasively. This will probably require close
to two pages (500 words), but should not require much more than that. Please
regard three pages (750 words) as an absolute maximum.
1. In Parzival, Wolfram von Eschenbach develops an important contrast between Gawain, the “perfect” knight, who success is limited to the normal knightly world, and Parzival, who despite–or because of–his flaws, can achieve the even greater success of becoming Grail King.
2. In Parzival, Wolfram von Eschenbach develops an important contrast–a contrast surely influenced, at least, by typological interpretation of the Bible–between Gahmuret, a great knight whose successes are somewhat limited, and his son, Parzival, whose success in becoming Grail King transcends ordinary knighthood.
3. When, near the end of Parzival, Parzival’s heathen half-brother, Feirefiz, reappears in the plot and fights a terrible battle with Parzival, this represents, allegorically, the struggle of the Christian against the “heathen within himself,” whom the Christian must overcome in order to achieve salvation.
4. There is a good deal of talk in Parzival about various sins that are attributed to the hero–he is said to be guilty of killing a relative, or causing his mother’s death, of failing to ask the question–but his most important sin, by far, is his anger with God. (Optionally, you may argue further that this anger with God allegorically represents original sin, which is the prideful insistence that the self is more important than God.)
5. Religion certainly plays a central role in Parzival,
but the work does not have to be interpreted strictly as a Christian allegory.
For example, Parzival’s development may be seen in worldly, psychological
terms as the development of a human being from childhood, in which he is
completely self-centered, to adulthood, in which he learns to care about
others and integrate himself into society.
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