Perceval part two

1. Blancheflor's name -meaning "White Flower"- is clearly Chretien's allusion to her role as an innocent, virginal woman. She is delicate and pure: her hair is "so lustrous and blonde that anyone who saw it might mistake it, if that were possible, for strands of purest gold. Her forehead was high, white, and as smooth as if it had been moulded by hand or as if it had been carved from stone, ivory, or wood" (404). It is also worth noting that pale white skin was the most admirable complexion for a woman in medieval times; thus she is even more pure and deserving of her name's meaning. She is polite, elegant, and devoid of immoral action. Even when she makes moves on Perceval, she maintains her dignity and chastity by simply kissing or embracing him; it is noted that they simply lay next to eachother without acting further (and thus maintaining Perceval's promise to his mother). She is one of the few characters who do not give in to the temptation of sin; thus, she can be read as an example of a true role model in the text, as well as Perceval's opposite. He is simple-minded, quick to act, and juvenile; she is intellectual, poised, and mature. They would not seem to be an appropriate match, but Chretien still puts them together- perhaps to note the ironic outcomes of many of his actions (such as his rudeness garnering his knighthood and armor). Furthermore, her virginal "white" representation is invaded or perhaps "stained" by Perceval's "red" representation. His brash and violent actions earn him the color red; and as he intrudes into her life, his bright, graphic personality mixes with her pure, chaste characteristics.
Another quality in Blancheflor that I find intriguing is her sense of manipulation. Despite the fact that she appears to perfect and untouched on the surface, she still knows how to get what she wants through others. This is first seen when she approaches and embraces Perceval on his first night's stay, crying about the situation of her town. She explains her problems while weeping profusely (on him) but ends by saying, "Clamadeu, who hopes to have me, will not possess my body until it's devoid of life and soul for I keep in one of my jewellery boxes a knife of flawless steel that I intend to plunge into my body. This is all I had to tell you. Now I'll go back and let you rest" (406). Blancheflor -becoming the damsel in distress Perceval was taught to defend- is clearly baiting Perceval to help her in this explanation; and so her ability to control him through her relationship with him develops. The text notes that she purposefully says no instead of yes to him in attempts to make him more passionate in defending her (407). This process is repeated again througout the text; and it becomes clear to the reader that Blancheflor is not as pure as one would suppose.

3. The blood on the snow is yet another representation of Perceval's "red" personality intermingling with Blancheflor's "white" personality. Perceval sees the three drops of blood and it causes him to recall his lady: "When Perceval saw the disturbed snow where the goose had lain, with the blood still visible, he leaned upon his lance to gaze at this site for the blood mingled with the snow resembled the blush of his lady's face" (432). Though it is, at the surface, another example of their "colors" mixing, there seems to be an even more violent undertone. The manner in which the blood dropped to the ground- a falcon attacking at a goose's neck, thus drawing the blood- can be seen as symbolic of Perceval's violent actions leading to his meeting (and relationship) with Blancheflor. Even when they have already established their mutual affection, his violent actions (such as the defense her town) bring them closer together, thus further intermingling the red and white. There seems to be a hint from Chretien here that the violence that brought them together could tear them apart- and will possibly injure Blancheflor herself (please don't take her away, she's one of my favorites!) Also, the red blood on the white object can be connected back to the "bleeding lance"- another symbol of violence invading purity. Chretien is showing the reader once again that the beautiful and the pristine can- and will- by interfered with and possible desecrated by the corrupt and indecent (and furthermore the dangerous). The eternal bleeding of the lance could indicate that there is an infinite suffering ahead- specifically for the characters of the red and the white.