Merlyn Taught Me Right and Wrong

"It was more as if she had brought them up—perhaps through indifference or through laziness or even through some kind of possessive cruelty—with an imperfect sense of right and wrong. It was as if they could never know when they were being good or when they were being bad."

-on a young Sir Gawaine and his brothers 

in T.H.White's The Once and Future King, pg 214 

This quote comes from one of my favorite pieces of literature--one of the few books on the "classics" list that I've picked up and really, really enjoyed reading.  I'm more of a reader of contemporary young adult novels of the fantasy/sci-fi realm (The Hunger Games, The Ender Universe, His Dark Materials, The Lost Years of Merlin...and, Twilight, unfortunately.  But it was a necessary part of growing up.)  So The Once and Future King sorta fits that fantasy/coming of age novel feel, minus the "contemporary" bit.  


I read this book when I was a freshman in high school, as part of my honors English curriculum, and I definitely don't remember it being this funny.   My teacher told me I'd love it when I read it, but all I remember is that she had us reading at breakneck speed with tests for every section.  I'm sure I skipped bits...In fact, I'm nearly positive I skimmed/sparknoted the last 3/4ths of the book.  Perhaps that's why I don't remember enjoying it nearly as much as I do now.

The quote above is not necessarily my favorite one, nor the funniest--just the one I happened to cross when I was in a blogging mood. T.H. White is a master of words.  He manages to achieve humor while infusing it with bits of insight or wisdom that truly make me think. ("Think, Wart, think!")  And his perfect nonchalance when he's writing from omniscient point of view is ALSO funny.  I mean, shouldn't it matter that these kids don't really know right from wrong?  He doesn't seem to think so, because he moves on! But what got me thinking was not whether those kids needed to know right from wrong, but if I had an imperfect sense of right and wrong.  And then it spiraled into a million other questions that don't always make sense:  (feel free to ignore the following rant)

What is right and wrong? I mean, morally, I know, but morals vary from person to person.  And right and wrong are just signifiers--wouldn't it all come down to semantics in the end?  Of course!  So if it doesn't matter that the kids know right from wrong, why should it matter if I do?  But that's a stupid question--society demands it.  So does society set moral standards?  Who are we considering "society" to be? 

 ....I digress.

"Blow me to Bermuda!"

The point is, T.H. White has a tongue-in-cheek humor that cracks me up every time.  I suppose that's why they chose the first book as the model for Disney's The Sword in the Stone.  Merlyn (the cooler way to spell it) is the epitome of failed wizard and accidental comedian.  Task his backwards self to educate ("eddicate!") two young boys, and you're bound to end up shaking your head, laughing, and stroking your chin in thought all at the same time.  I certainly will be--this is my "fun" book for the quarter.  =P

I wouldn't be surprised if you've witnessed me giggling to myself in the Atrium over a particularly tattered and yellowing copy of this monster of a book (when I'm not giggling at someone tripping over a brick).  They just don't make them like this anymore.  I mean, where am I supposed to get my arm muscles if I start using a kindle that smells like...new?  =)

This scale is broken...those books are DEFINITELY heavier.