With A Sword In My Hand Analysis

In Jean-Claude Van Rijckeghem & Pat Van Beirs novel ‘With a Sword in my Hand’ Marguerite finds it hard to fulfil the roles expected of her due to what is expected of her in medieval times and she is still exploring who she could be. Marguerite occasionally struggles to be classy, a follower and fulfil her father’s image of the perfect child. In medieval times ladies were expected to be followers and do what men told them to do. Ladies should have also been classy and graceful and Marguerite sometimes finds it hard to do so, however at the end of the book Marguerite makes a few decisions that fulfil the roles expected of her.

Marguerite is expected to be a classy and feminine lady and she is some of the time. When Marguerite is five years old she tries very hard to impress her father and be graceful for him. “I can’t wait to show myself to my father.” (pg.15) However when Marguerite …show more content…
Right from the get go we can see that the Count of Flanders and Marguerite are going to have a bumpy relationship. Marguerite’s father finds it challenging at first to except Marguerite as his child especially as Marguerite is not the gender the count wished for. He wished for a boy so strongly that when he found out it was a girl he didn’t know how to deal with this development. “He can barely speak with disappointment.” “It… it is… a girl”(pg.14) At the end of ‘With a Sword in my Hand’ Marguerite’s dad confronts her about leaving to go live in the chapel, here we see that the father never really cared for her and just about is reputation. “I have to think of my reputation, daughter.” (pg. 263) “You fight well daughter” (Pg.257) During the fight her father does give some praise and this must fill Marguerite with some hope that things at home will improve. The fact that she goes home shows that she is ready to fulfil her roles as a countess and although she still may struggle she has come to except her roles and