The Buried Giant

The largest theme in the novel, the loss of memory caused by the mist, can also be argued to be the narrative’s main antagonist. It plays such a vital role in the novel, in fact, that this theme is divided into three major categories:

1.  Memory as a vital component to love. With the loss of much their memory, Axl and Beatrice’s journey together becomes a necessary journey toward remembering the fullness of their love—both the good times and the bad times. Beatrice understands that it will be vital for them to be able to remember the fullness of their love if they are to be together through eternity on the boatman’s island. The novel, then, argues for the importance of memory in sustaining lasting bonds—without it, the world and relationships seemed doomed to incomprehensibility.

2.  Memory loss as peacemaker. Gawain sustains Querig, and, thus, sustains the memory loss in the people of the land. His reasoning is that without memorythe people of Britain will not remember the past hurts suffered and will therefore have no reason to go war with one another. Gawainbelieves his quest, in this regard, to be a noble and true one, and it does seem to have been successful on a macro level.