Crispin: The Cross of Lead

“In a world in which one lived by the light of a father’s name and rank, that meant—since I had no father—I existed in a shadow.”

Crispin is born into a patriarchal society, where status and roles are largely determined by birth. Although Crispin’s father is, in fact, the wealthy and powerful Lord Furnival, he lives a life of shame and neglect as though he has no father at all, which is what his mother tells him. As the novel opens, Crispin’s sense of worth and identity is almost non-existent since he accepts the roles and assumptions society assigns to him.

“Then they spoke bitterly of the things the steward had done: how he had increased their labors, imposed countless fines, taken many taxes, increased punishments, and, all in all, limited their ancient freedoms by being a tyrant in the name of Lord Furnival.”

While he hides in the forest, Crispin overhears two men discuss Aycliffe’s unjust rule in Stromford. Their reference to “ancient freedoms” suggests that their human rights date from before England’s feudal system of lords and serfs and are in fact inherent to all people. This passage also reveals why and how they have been deprived of such rights by the military might of Lord Furnival and his appointed officials. As the plot develops, Crispin will have to face and overcome barriers to his freedom embodied in the feudal system.

“Closer to the truth, I was in such a state of wretched disorder, I did not want to think. The things the priest had said made my heart feel like a city under siege.”

As Crispin begins to suspect that his mother was not who she appeared to be, he feels his life turning upside down. Stylistically, this reference is typical in two ways: First, it demonstrates Avi’s use of archaic-sounding words and phrases, such as “wretched disorder” to give a sense of historical distance to the language, even though it is different from the Middle English spoken at the time; second, it reveals his attention to Crispin’s historical perspective as he uses “a city under siege” as a simile to describe his emotions.

“I, who had already gone farther from my home than I had ever gone before; I, whose life had become so quickly altered; I, who had never really had to make important choices about anything—now I had to decide everything for myself.”

As Crispin leaves Stromford for the first time, he struggles to make choices and act for himself. His development can be considered as a coming-of-age tale and a hero’s journey. Crispin’s early unwillingness to act for himself, indicated here, contrasts with his later initiative and resourcefulness in rescuing Bear from the Furnivals’ palace.

“I knew then how much I wished, not to die, but to live. I can give no explanation how I came to this understanding, save that I did not want to become the blighted man who dangled before me, pillaged by the birds.”

Crispin momentarily engages in suicidal ideation, but his will to live is reaffirmed when he encounters a man who was hung for a petty crime. This marks an early turning point for his character as he decides to make the best of his situation, however dire, instead of giving up. Crispin’s resilience despite his ignorance and vulnerability paves the way for him to overcome challenges to his survival and wellbeing.

“‘It is as it is,’ is his motto. Mine is, Let it be as it may be!”

As he explains it here, Bear’s philosophy embraces social change and opposes the king’s efforts to preserve the feudal social order. Bear’s unconventional views mirror his quirky personality and his seeming ability to thrive outside the traditional structures of church and military, though he has experience in each area. At first Crispin finds his ideas dangerous, but over time he comes to believe in the possibility of creating a better future through his choices and actions.

“And yet […] when Adam plowed the earth and Eve spun, who then was the gentleman?”

Here, Bear refers to the biblical story of Adam and Eve to suggest feudalism, rather than being a natural or a God-given system, is instead a human invention. The implication is that human rights and freedoms exist independent of the political and social structures present in England in the 1300s. Additionally, if feudalism was invented by humans, it can also be destroyed by humans, as Ball’s secret society aims to do.

“To feed us I’ve put both our lives in jeopardy. […] That’s the kind of freedom that exists in this kingdom.”

Bear suggests that people can only truly be free when they have the necessities of life. Otherwise, they are forced to choose between keeping laws and surviving. His words recall the situation of the man on the gallows, who was killed for stealing to feed his family. Bear inverts the officials’ judgment of the situation by suggesting that they are stealing from and depriving the peasants of their livelihood, not the other way around.

“When I think on the perfections of our Savior, I choose to think most upon His most perfect laughter. It must have been the kind that makes us laugh, too. For mirth is the coin that brings a welcome. Lose your sorrows, and you’ll find your freedom.”

Bear’s quick wit and booming laughter are among his defining qualities. In contrast with the solemn monks and priests of the era, Bear presents laughter as a godly attribute and as a path to freedom from sorrow, not just for an individual but also for those who join in infectious laughter. Through laughter, among other things, Bear wins Crispin’s trust and respect.

“Crispin, […] a wise man—he was a jester by trade—once told me that living by answers is a form of death. It’s only questions that keep you living.”

Bear suggests that those who are rigid and confident in their own knowledge tend to stagnate while those who ask questions continue to develop. His reference to a jester as a wise man mirrors his own role in the narrative, connecting him with the archetype of the wise fool best represented in the plays of English playwright William Shakespeare. Like those fools, Bear questions and subverts existing social norms and orders.

“If, I told myself, I was to stay alive in this new world, I must learn such skills as he had. The sooner I learned, I told myself, the longer my life.”

Bear becomes a mentor to Crispin, marking the completion of another step in his hero’s journey. At first, as in this passage, Crispin sees Bear primarily in terms of usefulness as a source of skills and knowledge necessary to survival. Over time, however, their relationship grows to become more like that of a father and son, and they even present themselves as such to others. Bear thus fulfills a fatherly role neglected by Lord Furnival.

“I suppose the Devil has as many faces as there are sins. At the moment however, I think of him as Lord Furnival. […] So much of the land we’ve passed through—and the misery—belongs to him. He treats his people badly.”

Bear blames Lord Furnival for the misery he witnesses during his travels. His characterization of Furnival as the Devil reflects the tendency of the time to interpret most phenomena through the lens of religious imagery. As one of Lord Furnival’s serfs, Crispin has firsthand knowledge of the misery and injustice Bear identifies. This realization turns Crispin against Lord Furnival so that, at the novel’s end, he chooses not to seek the power that is his birthright as Lord Furnival’s son.

“When great men die there’s always unrest.”

Widow Daventry’s offhand comment reveals the instability of England’s feudal system. With multiple lords and houses competing for power, the death of a powerful ruler often leads to conflict during the transition of power. In terms of plot, Lord Furnival’s illness and death set the search for Crispin in motion, leading him to be branded a wolf’s head. Crispin’s suffering despite his innocence symbolizes the way other peaceful people suffer within a system where military might determine who takes charge.

“As she passed, people on the streets hastily made way for her, some doffing their hats, or inclining their heads in reverence. Some even went down upon their knees, so I knew her to be a personage of great power. And yet when the noble lady had once gone by, the crowds knitted together just as before, milling about, strolling, buying, or selling. It was as if she had never been there.”

Crispin’s chance encounter with Lady Furnival in the streets of Great Wexly subtly reveals the way the people feel about her. Outwardly, when they are in her presence, they demonstrate humility and respect to secure her favor. Once she passes out of sight, however, it becomes clear that they care as little for her as she does for them. The implication is that the Furnivals and others like them rule by fear and exploit the common people.

“‘Will you truly forgive me?’ I said.

‘There’s nothing to forgive. Sometimes I forget.’

‘Forget what?’

‘How little you know.’”

When Crispin asks Bear’s forgiveness for sneaking out of the tavern to roam the streets, Bear rejects the idea that forgiveness is even necessary, since Crispin is so naïve that he acted foolishly but not knowingly. Bear’s compassionate response solidifies the connection between him and Crispin, showing Crispin that Bear will not abandon or turn against him even if he makes mistakes. This in turn affords Crispin the confidence to act more independently, especially once Bear is captured.

“. . . that no man, or woman either, shall be enslaved, but stand free and equal to one another. […] That land must be given freely to all with a rent of nor more than four pennies per acre per year. […] Instead of petty tyrants, all laws shall be made by the consent of a general commons of all true and righteous men.”

Crispin overhears these snippets of Ball’s speech. They reveal that Ball and his associates aim to secure freedom, property ownership, and voting rights for England’s peasants. As someone who grew up without any of those things, Crispin is both attracted to their ideas and frightened by their revolutionary nature. Bear, meanwhile, agrees with Ball’s goals but feels that a widespread uprising is not yet viable. Thematically, this passage illustrates both the difficulty with which such rights were secured in England and elsewhere as well as the ongoing significance of protecting them.

“‘Crispin,’ she said, ‘what ever noble blood there is in you, is only . . . poison. Lady Furnival, who’s the power here, will never let you have the name.’”

Widow Daventry warns Crispin that it would be foolish, even futile, to try to claim power through his relationship with Lord Furnival. As an inhabitant of Great Wexly, Widow Daventry has a close view of how the nobility operate. Her comparison of Crispin’s ancestry to poison reflects her view that no good can come from pursuing that aspect of his identity. Indeed, Lady Furnival is a kind of poison to Crispin, as she orders his death as soon as it becomes clear that Lord Furnival is dying.

“How odd, I thought: it had taken my mother’s death, Father Quinel’s murder, and the desire of other to kill me for me to claim a life of my own.”

Returning to the theme with which he opened the novel, Crispin reflects that his new life arose out of multiple deaths and the threat of his own death. His ironic observation that death brings life hints at his development as an individual and his coming of age. Now that the authority figures of his childhood are no longer present to guide him, Crispin must choose what kind of life he wants for himself.

“To be a Furnival was to be part of that bondage.”

Instead of taking pride in his heritage as a son of Lord Furnival, Crispin draws on his experiences to realize that the house of Furnival is neither admirable nor heroic. Adopting freedom as his underlying value, Crispin rejects the entire system into which he is born and literally walks away from the inheritance that might be his if he chose to fight for it.

“The kneeling man appeared so devout, so adoring of Our Lady. Yet I knew him otherwise: a lofty lord without kindness or caring for my mother.”

Crispin learns to distinguish between appearance and reality. When he first arrives in Great Wexly, he is overwhelmed by the beautiful colors and the magnificent architecture. However, beneath the prosperous façade, he also comes to recognize disturbing abuses of power. When he sees a painting that depicts Lord Furnival as a heroic knight, he sees it as one more sign of the Furnivals’ hypocrisy.

“Just to see him in his exalted state, made me know with finality that I was not him. No, not any part. I was myself. What I had become.”

Crispin’s quest to discover his own identity is complicated when he learns that he is Lord Furnival’s son. The more he learns about Lord Furnival, however, the less attachment he feels to him. The distance between them grows as he observes Lord Furnival’s palace and the painting of him, which reveal him to be “exalted” in a way completely unknown to Crispin, who assumes full responsibility for his own identity from that moment on.

“The priests were singing ‘Media vita in morte summas,’ which means, ‘In the midst of life there is death.’ But, Crispin, […] can’t you see the new truth we’ve made? In the midst of death there’s life!”

As Bear leaves Great Wexly, he reflects on the words of a Latin hymn sung by the monks at the cathedral in Great Wexly. Following Aycliffe’s death, Crispin is granted a new life, free from the fear and forced labor of his childhood. Symbolically, his observation hints at broader themes of social upheaval and freedom, suggesting that, when the feudal system itself dies, England’s peasants will be granted new and more meaningful life.

“I, Bear of York, […] do dub this boy, Crispin of Stromford, a full member of the guild of free men. In so being, he is free of all obligations save to his God.”

Early on, Crispin is motivated and controlled largely by outside forces, including his mother, the priest, Aycliffe, and so on. By the time he leaves Great Wexly, Bear declares Crispin to be a free man and specifies that his only obligations are to “his God,” or in other words his own conscience and belief. This marks the completion of Crispin’s coming-of-age journey, with Bear now welcoming Crispin as a peer and an equal.