101 pages • 3 hours read
Marion Zimmer BradleyA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summary
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Prologue-Part 1, Chapter 3
Part 1, Chapters 4-6
Part 1, Chapters 7-10
Part 1, Chapters 11-13
Part 1, Chapters 14-16
Part 1, Chapters 17-20
Part 2, Chapters 1-3
Part 2, Chapters 4-6
Part 2, Chapters 7-11
Part 2, Chapters 12-14
Part 2, Chapters 15-17
Part 3, Chapters 1-3
Part 3, Chapters 4-6
Part 3, Chapters 7-10
Part 3, Chapters 11-13
Part 4, Chapters 1-3
Part 4, Chapters 4-6
Part 4, Chapters 7-10
Part 4, Chapters 11-13
Part 4, Chapter 14-Epilogue
Character Analysis
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
Tools
Fate and destiny are the grounding principles of Avalon. All members of the Holy Isle learn from a young age that they ought to follow their destinies, which often intersect with other overarching forces like gender or religion. Igraine’s journey to understand and accept her fate does not and cannot exist without her struggles with her gender role. When she tells the Merlin that she “feels trapped” by her destiny with Uther, she is also expressing dissatisfaction with the options available to her as a woman: Regardless of what she does, she will still be subjugated as a woman and a wife. In The Mists of Avalon, fate thus underscores socio-political problems that various characters grapple with.
Many characters, especially those with heritage in Avalon, regard fate as more important than any moral principles or personal relationships. Viviane acknowledges this in the aftermath of Morgaine’s experience at Beltane. Morgaine is crying, traumatized by the incestuous situation Viviane placed her in. All Viviane has to offer at this is, “And at this moment, the hope of Britain is more important than your feelings” (191). Viviane’s callous response demonstrates that fate is the supreme principle in Avalon, even at the expense of others.
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