Some of the most fascinating stories to occur throughout British literature surround the fictional times of King Arthur and his court in Camelot. The story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight follows suit. This Arthurian legend is meant to be an initiation story. Throughout the course of the tale, a single hero sets out in search of adventure and finds a sense of Christian maturity through his trials. Sir Gawain is similar to any other hero we see in fiction writing, who is predisposed to respond to any obstacles coming upon them, and is in turn gaining maturity both physically and mentally. It reintroduces Christianity as the focal point of the chivalric code. Through all of these trials and tribulations, he realizes that his challenges are not to each individual knight, but to the code as a whole. He begins to rely on a higher power to give him the direction and the bravery to face his fear with all he has to offer as a knight.
The chivalric code itself is based on Christian ideologies. Clein speaks of this when she says, "The ideals of chivalry derive from the Christian concept of morality, and the proponents of chivalry seek to promote spiritual ideals in a spiritually fallen world."1 This is true as the reader sees the world in which he inhabits is fully of abandoned virtues and self-proclaimed moralities. During his trials, including, temptation at the hands of a woman, the character grows from adolescent awkwardness and foolishness to the ideal Christian knight. Other literary critics agree that Sir Gawain's journey is meant to test his ability to suppress all other desires and emerge as a Christian hero. This holds true in many instances where Sir Gawain is torn between his loyalty to God and his loyalty to Arthur's court.
This tale is clearly an excellent example of an initiation story. It successfully introduces and develops Gawain through the basic initiation format.
