Characters Part 1
This elderly woman finds the Holy Grail at a charity shop.
Who is Mrs. Whitaker?
This knight comes to Mrs. Whitaker's house looking for the Holy Grail.
Who is Sir Galaad?
Mrs. Whitaker finds the Grail in this ordinary place.
What is a charity shop or thrift shop?
What is the first item Galaad offers Mrs. Whitaker?
Mrs. Whitaker shows this trait when she declines several gifts from Galaad.
What is practicality/complacency/satisfaction with her life?
Galaad's armor, horse, and formal speech show he is this type of character.
What is a knight or hero?
Mrs. Whitaker's home and daily life create this type of setting.
What is ordinary, modern, or everyday?
What are one of the two tasks Mrs. Whitaker asks Galaad to help with?
Moving boxes / gardening
Galaad keeps trying to get the Grail from Mrs. Whitaker, showing he can be this.
What is persistent?
Mrs. Whitaker is willing to bargain with Galaad and does not give up the grail easily, showing she is not this type of elderly woman.
What is weak or passive?
Galaad brings elements from this legendary world into Mrs. Whitaker's modern life.
What is Arthurian legend or medieval times, fantasy?
Who sent Galaad to find the Grail?
King Arthur
Galaad agrees to trade for the Grail instead of just taking it, showing he is this.
The author shows Mrs. Whitaker doing everyday activities while talking to a knight, as well as demanding his help for mundane activities. This creates this effect.
What is contrast or humor?
A knight in armor showing up in a modern neighborhood creates this kind of mood.
What is funny, strange, or surprising?
Which of the final 3 items offered does Mrs. Whitaker accept?
The egg and stone
Mrs. Whitaker puts the lamp back at the end of the story, suggesting she is...
What is content or unwilling to invite another fantastical character into her life?
Galaad treats the Grail with a certain reverence, suggesting that...
He views it as something holy, it means more to him than it does Mrs. Whitaker, he has dedicated his life to the quest.
By mixing magic with everyday life, the author shows that wonder can exist here.
What is in everyday life or the ordinary world?
What year and location is the story set?
1953, somewhere in England