Tag Archives: week 6

Week 6: Breaching the boundary

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In my post from last week I talked about how Melusine’s curse is an example of how outside forces can impact the bond between us and them, but I only read the summary of the legend of Melusine from the Penguin Book of Mermaids. Whoops! The Romance of the Faery Melusine, although a more difficult read, offers much more depth than just a mere summary. So for this post, I will do an analysis on how the environment around Raymondin reflects the shattering of the boundary between the natural and the supernatural as a result of his curiosity in chapter 19 of The Romance of the Faery Melusine.

At the start of Chapter 19, we see Raymondin in a state of restlessness brought on by his “regret and his anguish,” pacing up and down in his room distractedly. (119) His regret comes from his suspicions about Melusine, while his anguish stems from the grief that Melusine might be betraying them, as per the title of the chapter. The tapestry in the room is a stark contrast from the overall mood of this scene. While the design is quite elegant, Raymondin is only focused on a fawn with open legs and horns that “seemed to mock him” because the woman he married has tainted their marriage with her curse. This leads to his murderous obsession with Melusine’s secret, donning his armor and grabbing some weapons to protect himself in case Melusine attacks.

Of course, this obsession leads to an “irresistible and fatal” urge, as seen when Raymondin charges up the stairs to Melusine’s room, eager to strike (120-121). The climbing of the “narrow winding stair, steeper and steeper, to the very top” shows his bilnd franticness in discovering Melusine’s secret. And apparently, what lies at the top of the stairs is a place where “he had never been before.” He finds himself in some unknown territory, a dwelling place for the other, in which no one had dared to explore further. At the top, however, there is only one obstacle in his way: a door.

The door serves as a barrier between the natural world and the supernatural. The natural-ness of the door comes from its composition of wood, iron, and stone. Raymondin, already driven by his curiosity-fueled obsession, begins the process of unlocking the door, chipping away at the barrier separating the supernatural from the supernatural. After he opens it, he breaches the barrier, finding himself “in another world.”

The “world” he steps in is decorated to resemble the depths of the ocean, coupled with a “strange sound of splashing water.” It is oddly spacious for a room located at the top of a tower, essentially making it a pocket dimension for Melusine, and its unnaturalness comes from how it is decorated: “Thousands of shells in unknown forms, thousands and thousands of pebbles in all colours, including great rocks…” (123-124) And in this world lies a giant glass wall, serving as the final separator between him and her. And lo and behold, at the end of the chapter, he looks through the glass, that final barrier, and discovers Melusine’s half-human half-serpent form, and as his face falls into the sand, (125) he is left truly devastated.

Curiosity is the driver of the soul. Sometimes it rewards us, sometimes it kills us. And when curiosity gets the best of us, it drives us into obsession, leading us into places unknown. Some places are better off unexplored, yet our obsessions compell us to explore deeper. As seen in Raymondin’s obsession with Melusine’s secret, curiosity can make us overstep boundaries when it comes to discovering something beyond our comprehension.

Jealously into Concern

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This post is about Chapter 14: Betrayal

This chapter focuses on Raymondin being deathly curious about what Melusine is doing privately during the one day he can’t see her. From what I can understand it seems to prove what I thought in my previous post where Raymondin was tempted/egged on to seek the truth. From this quote on page 121, “There where he had never been before. Neither he, nor anyone, except her – and – who else? He believed there must be someone, but without entirely believing it”, it seems Raymondin is driven by jealously and paranoia. Once the thought of Melusine doing something behind his back with another person (implied a man) he becomes “Suddenly frantic” (121). I like how in this chapter we focus on Raymondin’s perspective and are given more of a reasoning why he breached the trust between him and Melusine, despite all the love he held for his wife he is still human and allowed his insecurities to drive him. Admitting being unable to understand why he wasn’t deathly curious before, “He could no longer understand why he waited”. I would like to point out while this can be seen as infidelity, a man being possessive, alongside possibly control, Raymondin’s jealously soon shifts to concern.

“Suddenly a terrible idea seized him. Suppose he came from the parapet, out of the high airs? Could it be the Devil…? The painful thought of what he might be undertaking, despite his grief and shame, slightly relieved his jealousy, and even strengthened him. Ah! If that should be the case he would be sure to win, since he fought on the side of God! And above all, to save her! It seemed to him that when he rescued her she would thank him for overcoming the evil.” (121)

One can see this as him deflecting/downplaying his jealously but he has little evidence to go off of that Melusine could be cheating. As she only spends one day a week without letting anyone see her, and Raymondin more alludes to someone, aka anyone, seeing something he’s can’t as the main reason for his jealously. I see this part as Raymondin now seeing it as an odd situation, why is Melusine going off on her own for a single day every week? I believe he thinks something else is going on and is shown even more terrified that his beloved wife could be in danger. This serves as a sympathetic way to tell the reader that while Raymondin’s actions were unfounded and aren’t justified, they are understandable. Showing the situation is black and white, and it simply isn’t a breach of trust or Raymondin not believing in his wife enough.

Week 6: Fragility of Trust In Melusine

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The central tension in The Romance of the Faery Melusine lies between the delicate balance of secrecy and trust. In the story, the titular character Melusine offers Raymondin her love on the condition that he never sees her on Saturdays. With this oath, it symbolizes the boundary between her faery identity and her human marriage. As long as the oath is honored, their holy union should flourish. However, this fragile boundary was shattered when Raymondin’s suspicion drives him to break his oath to Melusine, revealing the narrative on how love collapses once trust is replaced by doubt.

Raymondin, consumed with paranoia due to rumors, spies on Melusine and bears witness to her serpent form, “Transported beyond himself, his brother’s brutal words came back to him, driving him to clamber up.” This act is portrayed as one of intrusion and potential violence, with the text exemplifying how secrecy breeds suspicion and leading the husband to imagine Melusine’s hidden life as that of a threat. Melusine herself is described using imagery that highlights her liminality, “…more pale than usual, pearled almost to transparency.” Here she is alluring yet uncanny, embodying a dual identity between that of the supernatural and human. In this moment, Raymondin’s failure in his ability to trust reveals the cultural fear of the feminine as both desirable and uncontrollable.

In this, by breaking his oath Raymondin not only loses his beloved wife, but also destroys the delicate harmony between the human and supernatural realms. Melusine’s sorrowful departure, “fate decrees it, since there is no other”, demonstrates how inevitable betrayal is once suspicion and doubt overcome faith. Where love cannot survive where one’s desire for control overcomes trust, where secrecy, when violated, turns intimacy into exile.

Nature v. Nurture: Melusine’s “Cursed Womb”

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What interested me during this week’s reading, was that despite the unfortunate separation between Raymondin and Melusine, there was an underlying discussion of nature versus nurture. Melusine entered into a marriage, knowing that Raymondin had murdered his uncle. She assisted him through marriage in rising through the ranks, and becoming a wealthy noble. She acknowledges the crimes of her soon to be husband, and later of her son, but does not judge them harshly and instead focuses on what good can come from our sins. Her attempt to reason with her husband, is that their son only acted through his pride and sense of honour, instilled by his father: “He has only sinned through too much zeal, for the service and glory of your line, by too much obedience to his nature, which comes from you. He has too much spirit, and a very fine spirit. As for you, you cannot blame him.(138)”

However, Raymondin can not look beyond his wife, and child’s monstrous nature, and blames Melusine for the disfigurement, and murderous behavior, of their children: “False serpent,’ he whispered, avowing and breaking out with all that she could even pretend, from now on, not to know, or to doubt. ‘You are only a phantom, and so is your fruit! None of those who have come from your cursed womb know how to come to a good end, because of the sign of reprobation with which you have marked them by your sins(139).” However, only a few pages before he discovers her secret, he is plagued by memories of his own murderous sins. At the point of his discovery, the only sin he is knowledgeable about Melusine committing, is the secret he agreed to keep, her serpentine nature, of which she had no control over.

The narrative acknowledges Raymondin’s error in not controlling his “cursed curiosity(142)” and breaking the pact of trust with his wife. In this tale, Raymondin’s humanity is regarded as fallible, despite not being cursed with hybridity. His jealousy and rage is passed on to his son, and carried on through his lineage, outlined by Melusine’s departing words: “After you, my Raymondin, no man will be able to hold this country in peace as we have seen and as it is held at present.” By betraying her trust, his lineage is cursed by his actions, rather than her inherent nature and “cursed womb.”

Week 6 reading response

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Humans have always been attracted to the “dark and unknown” parts of the world and wanting to defeat “it”. For example in this story is Raymodin and his incessant need to override his promise to Melusine and goes to search for her on Saturday. “The memory of his oath and of all his preceding life forgotten, he slid, fascinated, toward the unknown source of his misfortune and loss”(Knight, 124). The enticement of the unknown and the potential for gaining more control which means more power for Raymodin (or humans). Since, Raymodin fights on the behalf of God, this will be a victory for Christianity as well. The justification of control over new domains is forgiven and encouraged in the name of God. The quote also highlights how Raymodin is ignoring all the telltale signs to turn back and go back to his environment. But, his obsession with Melusine’s unknown secret had turned into an obsession that he need to quench by any means discover the truth. This a reflection of human nature and the curiosity of wanting to gain more knowledge despite having a gut feeling that it will cause more harm than good. The greediness for power/ control of unharnessed beings can take a turn of destructiveness to both parties.

Time to Call the Arborist

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In the readings from The Romance of the Faery Melusine from when Raymondin breaches the confines of Melusine’s Saturday quarters there are implications of sexual impropriety made by Melusine by the symbolism of the objects and environment around her. Even with her motivations for privacy not relating to an extramarital affair, her conduct is coded within the tale of still being a violation to her marital obligations.

Beginning with Raymondin arming himself with “one of the short swords…passed under his belt”, finding this weapon to be inadequate he also brings “a well tempered spike, a round dagger…a way to deal with whoever had ravished his honour” (119). I believe these items to have a phallic connotation as he is a husband who believes his wife is compromising his standing by limiting access to her. His short sword and dagger being the means in which he gains access to her, implies the tools are righteous in their ability to violate her boundary.

In the description of the environment around Melusine there is a plume of trees “..cypresses appeared like the tines of an enormous comb” (122). The comb is a common symbol associated with the Christian depiction of mermaids and as discussed last class of masturbation. Raymondin finally noticing these trees and wondering how they grew so tall as well as his comparison of the comb, implies perhaps a sexual negligence or impotency towards Melusine that he, encouraged by the words of his brother, must remedy. After he sees her in her hybrid form he notices a “thick fine cypress, immobile except almost at the end of it fine points, climbed toward the starry sky. A natural cupola that seemed to break into the mysterious beauty of this extra-terrestrial place” (125).

Having damaged his tools from gaining access to her rooms, the sight of this particular cypress with its organic state having a phallic resemblance may imply that his vitality has returned as now he has discovered his wife’s transgression against her marital obligations. Her violation of implied masturbation as oppose to infidelity does not compromise the legacy of their union, but it does bring into question her devotion to Christian doctrine and her husband being to her the only source of life and pleasure. It is still a violation to him because she has a power that he thinks is exclusively his domain and right. It’s fair to say Raymondin felt threatened by this ability to reserve this time and power for herself, it threatens not only his emotional stability but the societal emphasis on the power of man (male/husband) over women and the terrain they occupy.

When Raymondin wonders where his trust in Melusine had gone his mind goes to “that they were the same and ever one flesh, each becoming the other to form a single being…and this making themselves one, including their sons, their lands…At one with the earth with its trees and flowers, its meadows and woods, its sweet and fruitful soil…without limit…boundaries or edges. At one with the whole orb that God the Father holds…” (121). Raymondin thinks of the terrestrial power he holds, but later he finds his wife in water, a part of the globe he does not consider when musing about the things they have achieved together. As he believes them to be one, he could believe anything done alone to violate her marital vows and compromise his standing. Without this standard of man’s dominance over others and land it calls the system of society into question and could allow for other ways of thinking that do not hold men as supreme.

The Chivalric Husband: Truth or Myth?

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In Chapter 19 of The Romance of the Faery Melusine, André Lebey throws the reader into the conflict by showcasing Raymondin breaking his vow not to see Melsuine on Saturday as he breaks into her private chambers to try and spy on her. More specifically, an important element within the chapter is the way in which Raymondin breaks his vow in a particularly violent manner by breaking down her door. By using violent imagery during Raymondin’s betrayal, the author critiques the notion of the chivalric husband as a constructed idea since Raymondin’s facade as a loyal husband is broken down when he unearths an aggressive side within him, highlighting the idea that men are not as different from what they deem as “other.”

Raymondin exhibits this violent behavior when he “pulled out his flat knife” (122) and “inserted a little more of the thin blade to enlarge the space he had with such difficulty obtained” (123) to get to Melusine. The barrier between the “supernatural” Melusine and the “human” Melusine is broken down with a knife, a violent object. Raymondin’s desire to know every part of Melusine ends up “transforming him into another being” (120) as he discards “his original oath [that] seemed to rise before him” (121). Here, the author reveals his hostile nature that is hidden beneath his identity as a gentleman. Despite him trying to uphold his reputation as a chivalric husband, the conflict of Melsuine’s privacy proves to be more than he can handle and causes him to become a destructive husband. When faced with conflict, these chivalric men will abandon their codes and honor to become a more animalistic version of themselves. Raymondin’s chainmail, the symbol of his chivalric knighthood, makes him now look like a “strange serpent with iron scales” (124) due to the shedding of his trustworthy identity. The author’s comparison of Raymondin to a snake indicates that, while he may view himself as a good husband, he is no better than the snake as he slithers his way into Melusine’s private world. 

With this in mind, the author proposes the idea that expecting men to constantly be in the position of a gentleman or chivalric is not natural. While one may act like a gentleman, there is always an underlying nature of violence that is revealed under pressure. It is easier to pretend to be a gentleman than to adhere to that code when they are put to the test. The gap between gentleman and animal becomes smaller as they both exhibit similar tendencies.

The Power of the Leap

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In chapter 22 of “The Romance of the Faery Melusine”, Melusine leaps from a window showing how betrayal destroyed her relationship with Raymondin and she is now forced to choose between two worlds. After begging Raymondin for forgiveness and him refusing she knows she has to make a super tough decision and choose between her two worlds. The text says “Meluine looked out over the green meadows, and added in a voice so sad that everyone renewed their tears: Sweet and beautiful county, I must now leave you as well! I hope however to live until my end in loving you and admiring you, and being loved and admired by all myself …and she wept again at these last words. Farewell, farewell, each and everyone of you…Then tearing herself away, scratched and grazed by the frightful  violence that she did to herself, she threw herself straight out of the window in the form of a winged serpent, about 15 feet long” (144). This specific scene shows that exact moment where love and identity collide. 

In this story, the window represents so much more than just a part of a house. It represents the line between Melusine’s human life with her marriage, family and children and the supernatural world she comes from. When Melusine chooses to jump she crosses that line forever. The “green meadows” show a life of stability that she’s leaving behind while her serpent form shows the side of herself she doesn’t have to hide anymore. The window acts as a symbol of choice and once she goes through it, there’s no going back. 

When Melusine decides to take the leap this brings up the power of  identity.  Melusine has been torn between living a normal life as a wife and hiding her true self from the people she loves. By taking the jump, Melusine accepts her true serpent self even though it means losing the life she currently has. The sadness in her words shows us that this isn’t what she wants but at the same time it’s freeing because she no longer has to live in disguise. This proves to us how acts of betrayal can sometimes be irreversible. Raymondin was unable to forgive Melusine and so she was forced to make a decision. Her choice to jump means that she is choosing herself over anything else and it’s a way to take control back over her life  

Overall, I think the leap can be seen as both tragic and powerful. At this moment Melusine’s two worlds are split apart for good and everything she’s ever known has been torn away. The idea of her disappearing into the air as a serpent really sticks with me because it shows that love will never survive without trust and hiding who you truly are will always come with a cost. 

Sexual Metaphor and Ecocritical Violence in Melusine

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In chapter 19, “Betrayal,” of André Lebey’s version of The Romance of the Faery Melusine there are continuous metaphors and euphemisms of sexual innuendos, more  specifically sexual assault. Throughout the chapter the audience gets a third person limited perspective into Raymondin’s thoughts as he enters into Melusine’s private space. Significantly, Raymondin views his relationship with Melusine as the two of them being “the same and ever one flesh, […] At one with the earth, […] its meadows and woods, its sweet and fruitful soil.” (121). Here, their relationship is merging together as “one flesh” and also to nature being “one with the earth.” Their relationship is a physical joining to each other and to the environment that surrounds them. Though this merging may superficially seem beautiful with words such as “sweet” and “fruitful,” the diction is actually a euphemism for something more sinister. The word “sweet” for example is a pretense for the seductive nature of the scene, and “fruitful soil” equates to fertility. The metaphors and euphemisms strewn throughout the chapter can be seen through a feminist ecocritic lens where female bodies and land are seen as commodities to be explored and exploited. 

This notion is apparent through Raymondin’s persistence in trying to get through the door to Melusines (metaphorical and literal) private place. As Raymondin has now discovered where Melusine goes on Saturdays, he is inexorable in leaving well alone. His intrusion is described as follows: “The blade entered [the door] a little, so slowly that he almost began to despair. But he forbade himself to think what he would do next, for he could not, he saw, fully part the adjacent boards. But he might make a crack wide enough to see through! He would soon find out something, no matter how!” (122). The imagery is more explicit in its violent forced entry with the blade opening the entry. The violence does not lie in his brute force but in the way that he chooses to try and enter. Raymondin could very well just knock on the door but instead takes a knife out and jimmies it in and “forbades” himself to think of the wrong he is doing. On that, the blade is a euphemism for penetration, it no longer is an instrument of survival but a tool of destruction. Which would mean that the door and “crack” are symbols of barriers to consent and bodily autonomy as Raymondin does not care for what is right as long as he finds what he seeks “no matter how.” Feminist ecocriticism presents the interconnection of conquering both feminine and environmental nature. This chapter evidently examines this concept through how Raymondin both sees and treats Melusine, something less than human. In this case, both land and women’s bodies are disrespected, pierced, and exposed for knowledge and profit.

“I’m Every Woman”: The Duality of Women and the Supernatural

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While reading the “Legend of Melusina” from The Penguin Book of Mermaids, something that stood out to me was the theme of duality and hybridity. Specifically, what piqued my interest was the idea that, despite Melusina being “a serpent…from the waist downwards” (87) who can inflict harm, she is also depicted as being a doting wife who builds an empire for her husband. By creating this paradoxical characterization, the author forces readers to contend with the idea that although Melusina is this “supernatural” creature who is capable of damage, she is not an inherently evil being – showcasing the idea that women are multi-faceted. 

At the beginning of the story, we are shown that Melusina “conceived the design of being revenged on [her father]” (87) after he had violated his wife’s privacy and trust. In turn, this results in a curse that forces Melusina to become part serpent on Saturdays as punishment for her crimes (87). This aligns with the nefarious characterization of hybrid creatures that most readers are accustomed to reading about. She is posited as a trickster to highlight that there is still this “deviant” nature within her as a result of being part human and part otherworldly. Starting the story with this dangerous characterization allows the reader to play into their biases so that the later actions of Melusina illuminate her complexity.

However, we are then shown that Melusina has the capacity to be what is considered a “good” wife to her husband and help him succeed since “Out of her great wealth, she built for him… the castle of Lusignan” (88) and other properties. Rather than simply keep the wealth for herself, she used it to help build him up and elevate his status in society. The author shows us that she has the capacity to care for Raymond and their family, which goes against the previous notion of her “untrustworthiness.” The opposing characterization helps rethink the notion that simply because a being is a hybrid, there is something inherently wrong with their disposition. In spite of Melusina having what some would deem “dangerous” characteristics, it does not mean she can’t possess the ability to be loving and caring.

Much like women in real life, Melusina illustrates how women can have many characteristics and qualities. Illustrating Melusina as a complex being allows readers to move past the idea that both women and hybrid creatures are essentially “one size fits all.” The duality that Melusina possesses can be seen in all women since they are made up of a multitude of aspects. To say that all women or supernatural beings possess a limited set of characteristics would be to ignore the complexities that they both experience. Therefore, the story empowers readers to see the duality that can exist in an entity instead of seeing it as a rigid being.