Premise of the Wizard Knight ¶

In the Wizard Knight, an American boy is Alice in Wonderland-ed into a seven-tiered fantasy world (with each tier having dominion over the tier below it) based on Arthurian myth, Norse and Christian theology. Soon after, he’s physically transformed into an adult man who’s jacked out of his mind but retains the young and impressionable mind of the young boy he really is on the inside. The story is framed as a letter written by this boy to his brother in America explaining everything that’s happened to him after he was transported to this other world.

Spoilers below for Gene Wolfe’s novel The Knight, if the premise seems interesting you should read it!

Able of the High Heart’s Encounter with Sir Ravd of Redhall ¶

Able of the High Heart, which isn’t a birth name but a name given to him by the Fate-like character he meets at the start of his journey, is this displaced American boy.

Everything about Able of the High Heart’s behaviour and thoughts stems from the discrepancy between his young mind and his adult body and the partial amnesia he’s suffering from which turns him into somewhat of an empty vessel searching for his “authentic self” for others characters to pour their very particular ideas about the world into.

“Who are you?” I said. All of a sudden it seemed to me I did not even know who I was. Was I really just a kid from America? A knight? Bold Berthold’s brother?

p. 176

One such character that have a significant influence on Able is Sir Ravd of Redhall, a knight that Able briefly encounters early on in his journey in this other world. During this encounter with Sir Ravd, Able learns many things that deeply influence his beliefs and his understanding of the hierarchical world he’s been transported to and where he fits into it. As we’ll see, it’s only really in retrospect that we as readers find out the scale and impact of Able’s encounter with Sir Ravd.

“I’m a knight,” I said; I always said that, because I knew I could never get people to believe me unless I believed it myself. “I’m Sir Able of the High Heart.”

p. 108

Able absorbs a lot from his encounter with Sir Ravd, let’s go over the most important bits of it.

Able learns from Sir Ravd that being a knight isn’t about money, a big horse or the accolade (the ceremony whereby a knight is knight-ed).

Being a knight is about honor, above all else.

“[…] It is honor, Able. A knight is a man who lives honorably and dies honorably, because he cares more for his honor than for his life. If his honor requires him to fight, he fights. He doesn’t count his foes or measure their strength, because those things don’t matter. They don’t affect his decision.”

The trees and the wind were so still then that I felt like the whole world was listening to him.

“In the same way, he acts honorably toward others, even when they do not act honorably toward him. His word is good, no matter to whom he gives it.”

p. 48

The trees and the wind were so still then that I felt like the whole world was listening to him.

PS: It’s lines like this that clue us in to how Able is perceiving Sir Ravd as a man he’d like to become, who’s words are worth listening to. Moving on.

Able also learns from Sir Ravd that knights speak properly, specifically knights use “may” instead of “can” when appropriate.

I tried to clean myself off a little and told Ravd, “You can have your scield back if you want it.”

“May.” He had never stirred. “May governs permissions, gifts, and things of that sort. You speak too well, Able, to make such an elementary mistake.”

I nodded. I had not figured him out, and I was not sure I ever would.

p. 47

Able learns from Sir Ravd that knights have followers, but Able doesn’t necessarily learn how to treat them well…

“Then he is not a knight, though he is someone I would like very much to count among my followers.”

I asked if he had many, because he had come into that forest alone, except for Svon.

“More than I wish, but not many who are as brave as this man you know.”

p. 48

Able learns from Sir Ravd about chivalry, but also how to exert control over women and become an active part of the patriarchy, one of many hierarchies within hierarchies present in this other world.

I went in, and the woman sat down on a little milking stool in front of Ravd.

He, seated on a short bench with a back, said, “Able, this is Brega. Because she is a woman, I permit her to sit. The men stand.”

PS: These few chapters with Sir Ravd of Redhall can be construed as a sort of veiled promise between Wolfe and the reader, telling the reader that Able is going to become like Sir Ravd or at least try to. The novel is called the Knight after all. Moving on.

Able learns a lot from Sir Ravd over just a few days of being travelling with him. Throughout the rest of the text, we’ll read some explicit evidence, and some less so, of Able’s integration of Sir Ravd’s teachings into his life and everything he does moving forward from there.

Able of the High Heart echoing Sir Ravd throughout the Knight ¶

Let’s go over some examples of how Sir Ravd’s teachings echo in Able of the High Heart’s behaviour and thoughts throughout the rest of the Knight.

… [examples here]

possible quotes to look at zone

Here’s some examples of how Able’s understanding of knighthood being tied to Sir Ravd’s definition of honor and his belief that knights should fight no matter how lopsided the circumstances are.

“You’re too weak, sir.”

“I know.” I felt like I ought to be angry, but I was not. “That’s why I wanted you to help me.” He did, taking my hands and pulling me up. “I’m a knight,” I said. “We fight when we’re weak.”

“Why’s that, sir?” Pouk sounded like he was a million miles away. I said I could not explain, there was not enough time. I tried to take a step and fell down.

p. 131

After the harrowing experience of rappelling down a volcano into another very hot level of reality to save Able’s servant Pouk, thrown into the volcano by Sir Thunrolf as a kind of test, Sir Thunrolf offers to adopt Able as his son and heir granting Able both land and the lineage that some people in this world expect knights to have.

Able refuses this offer choosing instead to continue on his journey to Forcettit to take service with Duke Marder, the Duke who Sir Ravd was working for before his death. I’d argue that Able refuses Sir Thunrolf offer because it clashes with Able’s understanding of knighthood passed down to him by his adoptive father figure, Sir Ravd. He believes that knighthood is more about what you do rather than who you are and so Sir Thunrolf’s offer is valueless to Able. Also, he values keeping his word and staying on track until he succeeds at the quest he’s set for himself, which is also a big part of Sir Ravd’s conception of knighthood.

“So there’s a new lord in the Round Tower.” Thunrolf seemed to speak only to himself. “I don’t care. I don’t care at all. I am out.”

“The king sent him, Your Lordship,” Aud said.

“Then I can go home. We’ll go home.” He shook himself, and drained his cup. “I’m so tired—you’ll have to help me up. Able, too. Sir Able. Help him too. Wilt journey to Seagirt with me, Sir Able? You shall be my chief knight, and my heir. I’ll adopt you.”

I thanked him, but explained that Pouk and I had been on our way to Forcetti to take service with Duke Marder.

p. 198

Soon after Able’s refusal of Sir Thunrolf’s offer, Able finds himself speaking to Duke Marder’s marhal, Master Agr. Able presents himself as a knight and Master Agr pushes back on this because other than Able’s jacked out of his mind physical build, he has none of the things that Master Agr expects a knight to have: a charger (a war horse), funds and land.

“You have the build for it, at least. As a knight, you are an expert rider? It’s the management of the charger that distinguishes a knight from other men. I’m sure you know that.”

“It’s his honor that distinguishes a knight,” I said.

Agr sighed. “But the management of the charger is the fundamental skill of knighthood. Have you a charger?” I started to explain, but he cut me off. “Have you funds to buy one?”

“Not enough for one I’d want.”

“I see.” He smoothed his mustache again. He probably did not know he was doing it. “Have you a manor from which you draw support? Where is it?”

I said I did not have one.

“I thought not.” Agr stood up and went over to his window to look out. “His Grace has need of fighting men. Sir Able. On what terms would you serve him?”

p. 204

Soon after this encounter, Able meets a knight in service to Duke Marder, Sir Woddet. He also questions Able on his self identifying as a knight. Able physical build and his behavior tells Sir Woddet that Able has certain aspects of knighthood but without noble lineage, Sir Woddet recognizes, from personal experience, that this will make it much harder for Able to be a knight.

“I told you about my folks. I haven’t got gentle blood.” “But I do.” Woddet sheathed his sword almost as quickly as he had gotten it out. He was trying not to grin. “I’ll have to ask His Grace’s herald.”

I said I would rather we were friends.

“I’ve given you my hand.” He shrugged. “Still I wish you had ancestors, Sir Able. It would make everything much easier for both of us.”

“I’m an ancestor,” I told him.

p. 216

PS: This non-sequetur is interesting to me because I think we’re meant to assume that Able is either his own father or that his identity has been overtaken or heavily influenced by another, perhaps the Valfather? The text implies that Able was called to this other world by someone, that someone seems likely to be the Valfather, another father figure for Able. …

Here Able is talking with Sir Garvaon, and Able corrects Garvaon use of the word “can” instead of the more appropriate “may”, at least according to what Able learned from Sir Ravd. This is one example of this but Able does this throughout the rest of the text over and over again.

Garvaon stared, then laughed. “You’re quite a fellow.” The point of his dagger carried a sizable chunk of summer sausage to his mouth, and he chewed in a way that showed he was thinking about something. “Can we talk man-to-man?”

“May,” I said. “Sure. Of course.”

p. 332

Able of the High Heart’s Transformation from a follower of Sir Ravd to his own leader and inluencer ¶

Throughout the text, Able gains experience and knowledge of his own and seeks to not only be a follower of Sir Ravd but become his own leader in his own right. The following quotes justify this.

AND

“Lord, this is foolish. You—”

I raised my hand, and finding the rag still in it began to clean my hauberk again. “What’s foolish is spending your whole life being scared of death.”

“You believe that because some knight told you.”

“Sir Ravd, you mean. No, he didn’t tell me that. Only that a knight was to do what his honor demanded, and never count his foes. But you’re right just the same, a knight told me. That knight was me. People who fear death—Lord Beel does, I guess—live no longer than those who don’t, and live scared. I’d rather be the kind of knight I am—a knight who has nothing—than live like he does, with power and money that can never be enough.”

p. 386

The following quote makes Able’s perception of his encounter with Sir Ravd and its influence on him up until this point much more explicit.

Ravd had not been among the phantom knights who had fought beside me, but it seemed to me that Ravd’s phantom stood behind me as I said, “I will.”

[…] So can I, Sir Able? Can I go with you?”

“May I,” I said, and felt Ravd’s hand upon my shoulder, though not even I could see him.

p. 427-428

Here, Able is referencing the metaphorical “phantom” of Sir Ravd who’s been “following” Able this entire time, in the sense that Able’s actions and thoughts about this other world have heavily influenced by Sir Ravd.

Then he explicitly calls back to Sir Ravd’s correcting of Able’s use of the word “can” instead of “may” and due to Able telling this to Toug, the young boy who’s younger than Able but treated as a sort of “double” of him, is on the path to becoming a knight, from context we can see that Able has taken on the role that Sir Ravd had for him with respect to Toug.

…

right at the end of the book, here Able explicitly is ascending not only into the next higher level of reality but also ascending from the child he once was into the man he now is, not needing any leaders (like Sir Ravd) to act as a guiding light for his actions. Now he’s committed to doing what he wants to do and how he wants to do it. This book also has a lot to say about free will in this universe, but that’s something for another day.

She laughed and held me tighter, and her laughter was that strange and thrilling sky-sound men hear sometimes and puzzle their heads over afterward. “That is enough for us, and you are a man after my heart. Will you defend us from the Giants of Winter and Old Night? Will you, if we lead you in battle?”

“I will defend you against anything,” I told her, “and you don’t have to lead me. Nobody does. I’ll lead myself, and fight on, when any leader you may give me falls.”

p. 430

Able of the High Heart - The Hero We Love ¶

Now, it should be clear that Able’s brief encounter with Sir Ravd impacted Able’s worldview, his behaviour, his perception and understanding of the hierarchical world around him and the quests he sets for himself throughout the Knight.

This is interesting for a few reasons:

• sir ravd’s encounter is not initially framed as being as important as it really is, it’s only through reading the rest of the text that eventually you come to the realization that Able is emulating Sir Ravd in every way.
• Because of Sir Ravd just being some guy, really, and Able’s very brief and skewed encounter with him this leads Able to becoming a single-minded (maybe even simple-minded) caricature of a hero, of a main character, of a knight who wants to be “good” but he’s missing the forest for the trees
• it makes for funnys conflicts and shit, clashes with main character energy

The thing we need to keep in mind about Sir Ravd of Redhall is that he dies soon after Able of the High Heart meets him. Leaving the reader to wonder whether the teachings of Sir Ravd, like not measuring the strength of enemy forces before engaging them in combat, might have led Sir Ravd to an early grave and might do the same for Able of the High Heart.

Thus, his being Able of the High Heart’s role model of knighthood might not be such a good thing for Able. And, that’s part of what makes him interesting.

Sir Ravd’s questionable teachings about knighthood, honor and the patriarchy come into conflict with Able’s main character energy (and plot armor) time and time again, and generate a lot of the tension, the humor and the excitement in the Wizard Knight.

…

Conclusion ¶

misc ¶

• determined
• gullible, influencable
• oblivious

In the immortal words of Sir Able of the High Heart:

“I am a hero”

“I am a knight”

I see Able’s interactions with the world being informed by 2 main things

1. Once he’s been Alice in Wonderland-ed into Mythgarthr, he meets with Sir Ravd, a knight. Pre-physical transformation Able is with Sir Ravd for just a short while and it’s not written as a big deal for Able but meeting with Sir Ravd is gradually revealed to have been a really important experience for Able. It’s made eventually that Able’s entire conception of what a knight is comes from the little that Sir Ravd tells him about it.

Sir Ravd talks to Able about the following:

• Honor being the most important thing about being a knight
• A knight being a knight, mostly, due to their actions not their genealogy (Squire Svon is an example of this kind of archetype)
• Using “may” instead of “can” (Able remembers this and corrects others like Sir Ravd corrected him)
• gathering followers
• staying at a bridge, waiting for another knight, beating them then taking all of their shit.

All of these anectdotes, teachings and moments that Sir Ravd shows Able are internalised by Able and explain a lot of his behaviour moving forward

clear from his understanding of what a knight does, honor, Sir Ravd is his role model and Able’s understanding of what being a knight means is informed it’s clearly a moving through the rest of the book all of Able’s actions are informed by 2. Able is faking it till he makes it constantly. His belief in himself seems to grant him power. I’ve noticed that Able is treated by the story as the main character. He has more than average Main Character Energy and I think that

I’ve yet to read other people’s thoughts on the novel so I don’t know what other people think but 1 is made explicitly clear on multiple occasions , 2

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