The Queen of Air and Darkness

The second book in The Once and Future King, The Queen Of Air and Darkness, sets a different tone than the happy childhood story of Arthur in the first book The Sword in the Stone. The second book starts the hardships and tragedy that follow Arthur through his life while he tries to set up just ideals and better England.

In the beginning we see the Orkney boys Gawaine, Gaheris, Agravaine, and Gareth, and their mother Morgause, and the disturbing life they lead. Morgause is obsessed with herself and her sick beauty, paying little heed to her children's upbringing, showing them cruelty, and then random moments of affection to make herself feel perfect. The boys struggle with their lives and the confusion put forth by the mother they love. All show deep scars to their character do to their mother's poor parenting.

While fighting some of his Gaelic aggressors, Arthur has many discussions with Merlyn and Kay about might and right, and how might should be used. Merlyn states his opinions but forces Arthur to come to his own conclusions. Arthur finally puts down his opponents, and begins to start forming his ideals, his moral code of chivalry and decides he should have knights at a round table to avoid quarreling among the knights about rank.

In the end unknowing that Morgause is his half sister Arthur is seduced by her natural charm and a charm she wore around her neck, to sleep with her, and nine months later she gives birth to Mordred.

T.H. White is a perfectly wonderful writer. He weaves controversial subjects like war, and how it should be used into into his story thoughtfully and touchingly. His own opinions are obvious but there is room for discussion. Merlyn does not believe in fighting unless in self defence, and when Kay states that he thinks that if you had a valiant ideal but, people are to stupid to convert to it that you could use aggression for their own good, to make them understand it was for the best, Merlyn gets angry and makes reference to World War II and Hitler.

The Orkney boys are a tragic example of the effect that your lifestyle, surroundings and influences can have. Each of the boys loves his mother but all suffer because of her influence on them. they are never sure what is right or wrong, because their mother doesn't say, she will punish or ignore on a whim. They try to please her by catching the unicorn that she wanted, and at first she fails to even notice what they had done, and when she finally does notice, she has them beaten. Her flaunting of her sexuality and appeal ruins her son Agravaine, because he becomes confused and loves his mother in a way that he shouldn't.

In all the book is becoming more deep and the tragedy of it is starting to come out. Arthur has realized the basics of his ideals and plans to better England, but he still has the struggle to try to have them realized and followed ahead of him, and he will have to do it with only the help of Merlyns teachings sense Merlyn is soon to leave.