Love Test Discussion (a.k.a. Sir Gawain and the Whore)

I was just in one of my classes (it's about knights, and adventure, and all sorts of fun stuff like that). Right now, we're reading Sir Gawein and the Green Knight; today's discussion was over the part where Bertilak's wife tries to seduce Gawein while he is lodging at their castle, as part of a test of his loyalty to Bertilak, or some such. (Actually, prior to the discussion, we watched a very... unique cartoon of this part of the story, but that's neither here nor there.) 

Our discussion itself centered around whether it was acceptable to put love to the test. A few different thoughts on the subject were brought up (the most compelling of which by a student that reminds me wholly of Mat Cauthon from Wheel of Time... but once again I distract myself from my true purpose here, which is to express my sentiments on the topic, for I did not do so in class). 

The general sentiment seemed to be that love depends on trust, and that if one feels the need to put a love to test, there can be no trust, and therefore no love. I agree wholeheartedly with this, although it seemed they were including in this statement the regard between Gawein and Bertilak's wife. That, I think, is an exception. The feelings that exist between these two is naught but lust and physical attraction, for they have known each other for but a short time. Lust is not equivalent to love... it is but a glimpse of a vague impression of love. And if one has a relationship based on lust where they long for one of true, abiding love, this relationship must be tested. Although the test here is simple: just talk. Talk, not revolving around sexual innuendoes, but real, meaningful discussion... about likes, dislikes, beliefs, philosophy, memories, stories... whatever is meaningful to those in the relationship. And if the relationship cannot last through the constituents truly getting to know each other, then it was obviously not meant to be. 

We also talked a bit about how we would feel if we discovered we had been tested in this manner. Angry, hurt, offended. And, of course, before running one of these tests of loyalty or love or what-have-you, one should always consider the feelings of the one being tested. But often overlooked are the persons on the periphery who may be harmed by the test. As someone who speaks from experience... multiple experiences, actually, though not as a result of a test of love, but as a result of a test of friendship and trust, or some other such nonsense... it is apparently much too easy to overlook the pain of these innocent bystanders. These experiences have shaped a little part of me into what I am today... why I don't speak up in class during a discussion, for example, and why it has taken this long to regain most of my trust in boys in general. 

Instead, I choose to express my opinions on a blog which no one will ever read and for which no one cares or knows to search. 

(Which is actually probably a good thing. This is terribly written. If anyone on my floor saw this, I'd be hung by my toenails in the dungeon until New Years.)