Perceval part three

3. Perceval has failed to act charitably several times throughout the story. One of the most notable of the acts- due to the fact that it is clearly his familial duty to do so- is his inability to return to his village and assure the safety of his unconscious mother. Perceval also fails to aid others in need many other times: he runs away from the lady of King Arthur's court who was slapped instead of avenging her immediately; he is unable to ask a question in order to save the Fisher King and thus his kingdom, as well as the Waste Forest; and he apparently cannot even restrain himself from harming innocent others, such as the maiden in the tent. Perceval's interests in charity lie only in the tasks that further his quests as a knight. Perceval is essentially the opposite of the man that he is told he must worship and embody: Jesus Christ. Christ made the ultimate act of charity by sacrificing his own life for the sins of all mankind; meanwhile, Perceval is committing those sins. Perceval so constantly misses the mark on what it means to be a good knight because he is more enraptured with the image of knighthood rather than the true meaning of it. He is the equivalent of a policeman who becomes part of the force not because he wants to help others, but because he is absorbed with becoming a powerful source of authority. Perceval needs to discard his glorified perspective of the selfish, violent masculine world and join the charitable maternal world that Jesus so embodied. In doing so, he parallels Jesus in being "resurrected" and starting a new life, closer to God. It can even be said that Perceval was "crucified" and outcast by others for doing what in their eyes was wrong- for not helping the Fisher King. As Jesus was elevated from the violent earthly realm to the transcendent divine realm, so is Perceval. He even experiences a cycle parallel to that of Jesus': He faces the end of his old life on Good Friday, as he "acknowledged that God was crucified and died" (461); that night he faces the scarcity of resources in torture and death with his dinner; he comes to face God; and then on Sunday receives communion, realizing the meaning of true sacrifice. As Chretien notes:

5. I finished the text with mixed feelings: I was both irritated and intrigued by the abrupt ending. I was most bothered by the fact that Perceval's story- and thus the Grail quest- was unresolved. Conversely, I think the ending is a valuable opportunity to consider and reflect on Chretien's creation. The fact that it ends with Gawain- who clearly is not the main character- is upsetting to Chretien's earlier promise to return to Perceval's story. I believe that, if given the chance, Chretien would have continued the story for much, much longer with many more enigmatic passages and symbols. I believe Perceval would have discovered the true meaning of the Grail, thus saving the Fisher King, his kingdom, and the Waste Forest, and would have become absorbed in the maternal world of charity, holiness, and valiance (and therefore becoming a true knight). On the other hand, Chretien is not one to end a story simply and straightforwardly- and not without a hint of irony- so I would not be surprised if Perceval fought an epic battle for the Grail, saved the Fisher King, and went back to Blancheflor without ever realizing his own errors. This story is probably the best to be left unfinished, because just as Perceval is left without an explanation of the Grail, so is the audience. Chretien's skill shows itself once again in his stunning ability to end a story only partway through but for the text itself to still (to this day) be renowned, studied, and investigated. Because of this, I believe this to be Chretien's greatest work.
On another note, I would not be surprised if Chretien killed of Perceval at the end. I think it would further and complete his metaphorical transition as Christ, and would prove to be a largely unforeseen ending with his most ostentatious ending. If I were to write the ending in what I would believe to be Chretien's intentions, I would lead Perceval to be killed in an important battle after becoming part of the matriarchal world, thus sacrificing himself for all others (including the Fisher King, King Arthur's Court, and the Waste Forest). Perceval's death would lead to a renewed world, better for its inhabitants (since he died for their sake). He would then be making the greatest sacrifice possible within the text, as a suddenly appearing and benevolent man losing his life too early; all would mourn the loss.