Being a wolf's head is way less awesome than it sounds. It sounds like you get to be part of House Stark , but since we're in Medieval England, not Westeros no matter how similar they may be , being a wolf's head means you're the lowest of the low.
As landless serfs, Crispin and his mom were pretty low to begin with, but after John Aycliffe accuses him of stealing from the manor and declares him a wolf's head, Crispin's not even human in a legal sense, which means anyone can kill him. And many try. When you thought you were already as low as you could get on the social ladders, it's got to be a shock to find out there's a rock bottom beyond that. And that this is your new social home.
Think about your name. No wonder Asta's son has a rather low opinion of himself and doubts himself all the time. It's one thing to be poor, and there's not much difference between a serf and a slave except that their nominal freedom means that serfs have to pay taxes and rent, but it's another thing entirely to not even have a name. Crispin's adjustment to his true name mirrors his increasing sense of self-worth as a person. After he first learns his secret name from the priest, he thinks about it:.
Occasionally I would say the name Crispin out loud. It was rather like a new garment that replaces an old: desired but not yet comfortable. Crispin wants to come into his own and embrace his individuality—it's "desired"—but it's pretty foreign in terms of concepts of self, or "not yet comfortable. I hesitated, not wanting him to call me what I had always been called—Asta's son. But I was not comfortable with my newly discovered name either. She agrees to help Crispin get away, but when Father Quinel fails to meet Crispin at her house as promised, she can't wait to get rid of Crispin.
She sends him on his way with a leather pouch containing three seeds, which sadly do not grow a magical beanstalk, but at least now he has somewhere to keep his cross. As the only character in this book based on a real historic figure, John Ball occupies a special spot as the novel's representative of new political ideas about freedom.
He's the leader of the group Bear meets in Great Wexly and appears to have no problem with treasonous talk… until the guards show up. Then he's tripping over his sandals to get out of the way while letting others, like Bear, get caught. We can't say she's wrong. Widow Daventry warns Crispin about Ball, "Beware all men who confuse their righteousness with the will of God" And sure enough, when push comes to shove, Ball bounces.
We see Lady Furnival only once in the novel, but she's the person who sets everything in motion by giving John Aycliffe, her relative, the order to kill Crispin, thus eliminating a potential threat to her inheritance. While this is definitely a classic evil queen move, let's remember that this is a dog-eat-dog world, and with her husband dead, she's vulnerable. Yep, Medieval England is a very sexist place, and she may not see that she has any choice if she wants to maintain her position.
Crispin observes:. As for her face of elder years, it was pale and haughty, and did not—or so it seemed—take in the world about her. Yet as she went by, she pressed a silken cloth to her nose as if to block the offending stench. Her nose knew where she was. In other words, Lady Furnival is aware of the world and its dangers, and she plans to keep every advantage she has.
It's hard to see much good in this guy—and in fact, no one does. While there's a big outward show of mourning and God-save-our-dear-lord when he dies, is anyone really sad to see him go? We know that he's no good to his people, that he cheated on his wife at least once and probably more than that, and that he impregnated and abandoned Asta after imprisoning her in Stromford. Maybe he was a good knight to his king, but we don't know. Overall, he just seems selfish. He has all the power, so it's hard to imagine any motivation but his own selfishness.
Bear says:. At the moment however, I think of him as Lord Furnival […] So much of the land we've passed through—and the misery—belongs to him. He treats his people badly. That's right: Lord Furnival is pretty much on par with the devil. And in a book in which everyone thinks God decides their fate, that's not an insult to be tossed around lightly. Luke and Matthew are Stromford villagers who help hunt for Asta's son early in the book.
Asta's son overhears a conversation they have as they're searching for him. Through this conversation, Asta's son learns that he is accused of theft. None of the villagers really believe he did it, but they are afraid to stand up to the steward, John Aycliffe:. Then they spoke bitterly of the things the steward had done: how he had increased their labors, imposed countless fines, taken many taxes, increased punishments, and, all in all, limited their ancient freedoms in the name of Lord Furnival.
Through these characters, we see that John Aycliffe is awful to everyone—it's not something he reserves for Asta and her son. Avi renders the sights, sounds and smells of medieval England accurately and compellingly. He shows the pervasiveness of the church in medieval society and, in a subplot, weaves in details about John Ball and the Peasant's Rebellion.
Exciting and true to the past. This novel is historical fiction as its finest. Website copyright - Avi. All rights reserved. Privacy policy. Site designed by Winding Oak.
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