Anita Obermeier

Stefan I really enjoyed your connection to Schrodinger's cat, and your connections to Pluto/Hades. I would totally read that paper. I also thought it was interesting that a person must be in a liminal state in order to be brought into, or engage with, the fairy realm or the mystical realm. I was also thinking about this in relation to the female mystics and anchoritic visions. I think women during the middle ages were kind of always present in a liminal space, and I wonder if women in these texts are more prone to spiritual messages from the "other side" because of their residence in a liminal space. For example, Sir Gowther's conception is from an "other realm" as is Merlin's. And, in Orfeo, the Queen is taken. I wonder what it is about women that make them more vulnerable to "liminal" contact. Great analysis!

Stefan I think this is a really interesting, and perhaps critically ignored reading of this text. In contemporary literature theory Lisa Ruddick wrote an analysis of broader theory trends called, "When Nothing is Cool." The basic principle is that literary critics are turning to criticism that is "cool," edgy, and potentially contentious rather than textually accurate in an effort to "fill a gap" in critical work. I think for this particular essay, there is textual evidence for the claim, but maybe the claim had more to do with a really good, pointed argument than greater trends in the work. I really like your reading and its broader approach to the text, rather than a singular chapter. I think that, potentially, your reading highlights a hyper focus in this article that is applicable to the singular chapter but does not tell us something about the work itself.

I'm so fascinated by this article. Particularly the utility of the analysis of the poet's identity, and, as you mentioned, the focus on the text, but also other materials. I think it's interesting that we read the section on government so differently. I completely disregarded, or perhaps just didn't focus on, the section about lollards. Maybe a potential failing of this article is its lack of a central narrative. I really enjoyed the sections on the identity of Langland, but was confused by some of the textual analysis and discussion of greater cultural themes. Perhaps, this article should have focused on a more general analysis, and disregarded close reading all together. Maybe this article should have ended after its discussion of the Langland poet.

Marybeth, I agree with you that this text/article has not aged particularly well. I did enjoy, and resonated, with the idea of the chanson de geste and recategorization of this genre, but I almost saw her perception of the Saracen's representing one group, or group of characters, as lazy analysis, and possibly also lazy research. Perhaps, much of the current information we have on "Saracens" as a broadband label of many Arabic tribes, and subsequently "others" that were unfamiliar, is fairly new, and an excellent recent critical turn in Medieval studies, but even the presence of the term Saracen in other works seemed to repudiate many of the claims Speed made. Perhaps, she was too focused on the Romance of Horn.

Oh dear. I just read Lukus's comment. So sorry for repeating you. It was not my intention. It's encouraging that you know about legal matters at the time and we came to a similar conclusion.

Marybeth! I really enjoyed your summary and analysis of the article. I totally agree with you that the analysis was often repetitive and circular, and that there was failing in evidence from the text. One other consideration, and something I couldn't quite shake about the article was the concept that the text was a reflection of legal channels because there was no victor. There is always a victor in legal channels, which is generally the point. In mediation on the other hand, which is not necessarily legal, compromises are made and perspectives are made to be heard. I agreed with Matlock that the lack of violence, especially after such an intensive argument, is clear evidence of a successful conclusion, but I think it was arguing, possibly, for nonviolence action instead of legal channels.