Reading Notes: Twenty-Two Goblins, Part A

Bibliography: 
Twenty Two Goblins, by Arthur Ryder

(Image Information: A Princess, Wikipedia Commons)

Reading Notes, Part A

Thoughts
Twenty-Two Goblins was an interesting read containing many familiar plot ideas themes. The main plot is similar to the well known 'the impossible task' plot, where a character is assigned a task that the person who gives the task assumes they will not succeed at. However, considering the ending, we might suppose that the monk who assigned the task did not know about the riddles, or else assumed the king was wise enough to answer them all correctly. Thus it would not be a proper example of the impossible task, but to me, it certainly read that way! Many of the stories/riddles were about a young woman and/or her father choosing between suitors. This is a very common idea in myths and fairy tales. Many of the short stories contain themes of death and being better than others. For example, the king is often asked to choose which character is the most deserving, based on their actions in the story. He always chooses one based on somewhat arbitrary reasons, and yet he is always correct. The stories also contain similarities in their objectification of women, which is pretty common in myths and folklore.

Main Character: The King
The King is our main character and he's a likable one with many positive attributes.
He is determined-We see this when he refuses to give up and continues to go back for the body.
He is smart-We can tell because he always answers the riddles right.
He is loyal- He never gives up trying to bring the goblin to the monk.
He is honest- As soon as he finds out about the jewels, he confronts the monk about it.
He is benevolent- When he finds out the value of the gifts the monk has been giving him he says he will not accept more (without knowing the reason behind it).
He is brave- He is unafraid, alone, at night, in the graveyard with a dead body possessed by a goblin.
He is even-tempered-He never loses his temper when the goblin goes back to the tree.
Other Characters: The Goblin, The Monk

• Goblin: IAt first appears to be a simple character, mischievous, tricky, destructive.
• Towards the end of the story it is revealed that he is more than that when he reveals the true plans of the monk to the king, and then grants him kingship over the fairies. From this, we see that the goblin is actually a very powerful, probably wise, character. 
• Monk- A more complex bad guy- We don't know he is evil until the very end when it is revealed by the goblin. He seemed to be a kind, innocent old monk in the beginning. He gives to the king and doesn't ask a favor until the king brings up the gift. But after reading the whole story we can see how he is actually manipulative, evil, and has most likely been plotting to use the king for many years.