Although I probably should have seen it coming, I was not expecting the plot twist. I guess I was thinking that since there was such a lack of action from Gawain on this "quest" that I assumed the big reveal was not going to be as easy as it was? As we discussed in class, Gawain and really the entirety of King Arthur's court seem to be chilling around, waiting to display their chivalric ways, whatever that might entail. At the same time, though, they are not quick to go into action-mode when the mysterious Green Knight shows up. I thought the poet might be showing that the court does engage in a type of logical discernment process rather than blindly accepting a rather odd challenge, but then King Arthur's speech of acceptance comes. After reading, I am interested in the idea of protecting chivalry. I found myself asking about the legitimacy of the Green Knight's request, but at the same time, does legitimacy even matter? I guess it's all just a back and forth of challenging and proving the idea of chivalry? It's not like Gawain goes to great lengths to succeed in this quest; he waits ten months before he springs into action, and even then, he's kind of just along for the ride. Also, is the act of proving chivalry supposed to be communal or individualistic? Gawain represents the court of King Arthur, but the poet also highlights his sulky attitude towards the end.
Great question re: proving and protecting chivalry being communal or individual activities. We didn't get a chance to unpack this last week, but go back and look at the ending. You know what Arthur's court does when Gawain confesses that he's committed a terrible sin that he'll never be able to atone for and from which he will never recover as a person or a knight? They laugh. And then they decide that it'd be great fun to wear a green garter around their necks as a remembrance of Gawain and chivalry. It's a bizarre moment, but I think it goes back to the issues you raise here. Could Gawain have been corrected, or at least better supported, by a different court? Could a good community (one not keen to laugh at the failures of others) have better helped to preserve and shape a more ethical chivalry?