Wednesday, September 19, 2007

First, I'd like you to look at an online biography of Margery. This will help give you some context for the reading. The endnotes to the selection itself should help as well with the details. The larger website of which this is a part contains some images and intriguing commentary; browse around in it a bit. Now for some questions:

• The most important question to begin with is that of your response to Margery. Is she crazy? Does she annoy you? Is she an authentic woman of God? How might someone of her generation have attempted to answer that question? How would you go about answering that question?
• How does her visionary life begin? What do you note about her experience in the context of what we've already learned about late medieval spirituality?
• Why does she want to live in chastity with her husband? What do you think of his dialogue with her that ends in their agreement? Are there things aobut their relationship that surprise you?
• Margery goes on a two-year pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Rome, and if you've ever been on a guided tour you may find yourself sympathizing with her travel companions, who tried to keep her from joining them. What triggers her crying spells?
• Her Good Friday meditation is typical of other such musings of this period. What details occur that might be a product of Margery's own experience in the world as a middle class English housewife?
• Whatever else you may say about her, you have to admit that in her trial with the Archbishop she has guts. What do you learn about the clergy of this period from this passage?

Laurel Carrington carringt@stolaf.edu
Most recent update: September 19, 2007

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