The White Knight - Eric Nicol

The White Knight – Eric Nicol

Genre: Allegory

Point of view: The story is narrated in Third Person.

Setting: The story is based on the concept of the medieval role of the knights and takes place in the forest of life.

Character Analysis

Protagonist: White knight: The white knight in the story represents good, a Champion of virtue, honor, and justice. In addition, symbolizes ignorance. 

Antagonist: Black knight (Who isn’t present physically): Black knight represents evil.

Knight of Gleaming Whiteness: Same as the white knight

Conflict

Internal:

i.                    Man Vs Self: White knight Vs Himself

External:

i.                    Man vs. Man: White knight vs. knight of gleaming whiteness

ii.                  Man vs. Nature: White knight Vs. Nature: In pursuit of the black knight he spends all   his gold and is compelled to steal and keep himself healthy

iii.                Man vs. Society: White Knight vs. Society: The society’s stereotypical notions of good and evil conflict with white knights' appearance.

Theme

The story teaches and makes us ponder on ‘self-awareness’, whether actions are more important than appearance. The white knight by appearance represents the champion of virtue, honor, and justice in society and he goes in search of the black knight to slay it since that is what the white knight is expected to do. However, in the process, the white knight without realizing commits the deeds of a black knight turning himself into the black knight.

The story teaches us that appearance does not matter. It is self-awareness and good actions that make one a true White Knight. One doesn’t have to travel and be in the high post to do good deeds, good actions start when we understand and change ourselves and start making small positive differences in our own small ways.

It is one's action that matters not one appearance.

 Plot

Exposition

The knight looks into the mirror and sees himself as a white knight representing good, a champion of virtue honor, and justice. He then decides to ride into the forest and slay the black knights, who are evil.

Rising Action

He mounts his snow-white horse and rides into the forest to find the black knights. He rides further and deeper day after day but without sighting any black knights. As time passes, he spends all his gold in pursuit of evil. He is hungry and weak. His horse becomes lame. He commits bad deeds, which is unexpected for the white knight. He steals and replaces his horse. He even sleeps with the innkeeper’s daughter and leaves her later. He doesn’t realize any of it at this point and continues his journey.

Climax

One day, a knight in gleaming whiteness confronts him suddenly in the forest. He ends up killing him. However, before his last breath white knight heard him whisper in anguish: "Is evil then triumphant?"

Falling Action

Holding the dead knight in his arms, he saw that beside the bright armor of the youth his own, besmirched by the long quest, looked black in the darkness of the forest.

Denouement

He strips off his own soiled mail, turns his grimy horse free to the forest, and stands naked and alone in the quiet dusk. He then returns to his castle and starts living a simple life.

Summary

Ø  There lived a knight in a castle on the edge of the Forest of Life. The knight looked in the mirror and saw that he was a White Knight.

Ø  Since he was the White Knight, he decided to ride into the forest and slay all the Black Knights, as it was what the White Knights must do.

Ø  He mounted his snow-white horse and started his journey. Many miles he rode, day after day, deeper and further into the forest but without sighting any of the Black Knights.

Ø  He found many signs of the Black Knight's presence but as always, he just missed catching the doer of those deeds.

Ø  At last, he spent all his gold in pursuit of evil. He becomes hungry and weak. His horse becomes lame. To keep himself alive he steals and replaces his horse. He even sleeps with the innkeeper’s daughter, leaves her later, and continues his journey when he becomes strong and healthy.

Ø  He pressed on his search, yet all the knights he met in the forest were like him. They were knights of varying shades of whiteness, depending on how long they, too, had been hunting the Black Knight.

Ø   One day, a knight in gleaming whiteness confronts him suddenly in the forest. He ends up killing him. However, before his last breath white knight heard him whisper in anguish: "Is evil then triumphant?"

Ø  Holding the dead knight in his arms, he saw that beside the bright armor of the youth his own, besmirched by the long quest, looked black in the darkness of the forest.

Ø  He strips off his own soiled mail, turns his grimy horse free to the forest, and stands naked and alone in the quiet dusk. He then returns to his castle and starts living a simple life. Everyone then starts calling him a good white knight.

Literary Devices

1.      Symbolism

-White Knight: Good, ignorance
- Black Knight: Evil
- Forest of Life: Civilization / human society
- Innkeeper’s Daughter: Societal norms and expectations
- Mirror: Reflects deeds, not just appearance
- Shining Armor: Bravery, gallantry
- Nakedness: Self-realization, rebirth
- Knight of Gleaming Whiteness: Youth, recklessness
- The boy who was buried: Acknowledgment of mistakes and moral fallacy

2.      Irony

The White Knight, symbol of virtue, commits evil in pursuit of destroying evil, only to realize true goodness comes from self-awareness and small, ethical actions.

 Practice Questions

1. What does the Forest of Life represent in the story?
2. Describe the White Knight’s journey and the challenges he faces.
3. Who is the Knight of Gleaming Whiteness, and what role does he play?

4. Explain how the White Knight’s actions contradict his appearance.
5. Discuss the internal and external conflicts in the story.
6. How does the story show that actions matter more than appearances?
7. Identify symbols in the story and explain their significance.

8. Can a person be considered good if they have noble intentions but commit wrongful actions? Explain using the White Knight’s journey.
9. How does the story challenge societal ideas of good and evil?