In this section of Margery Kempe’s travel narrative, she travels to Zierikee after leaving her husband in England and receiving a blessing from Master Robert. While in this town, Margery wept for her sins, the sins of others, and in compassion for the Lord’s Passion. She went to church to receive communion every Sunday, overcome by weeping and wailing each time. The people of the town noticed her constant wailing and wondered how God was acting though her. She was commanded to eat meat by her confessor even though she had not eaten meat or drank wine for four years before she left England. She ate meat and drank wine for a while but then refused. Her confessor became angry and chided her to which she replied with proclamations of how great the Lord is. Her companions abandon her and only one returns in the morning to invite her on pilgrimage with him and a few others to Constance. Her new fellow travelers still treated her poorly on their journey. In a church, she wept and prayed and the Lord spoke to her letting her know that no harm would come to her or her companions while she was with them.

There is an overwhelming amount of religion in this section of the Book of Margery Kempe. Clearly, the most important aspect and purpose of her travels are for religious purposes. The author describes Margery’s weeping and praying and how other people treat her because of her actions. She refused to eat meat and drink wine which caused trouble for her in this town. Her companions become annoyed with her because she refuses to eat the food and because she constantly weeps and speaks of the goodness of the Lord. The most we learn about her travel is that Margery is essentially bullied and made fun of constantly by her companions because of her weeping and constant proclamations.

There is not much detail about the actual location in this chapter. We learn a little bit about a few people, but only how annoyed they became with Margery. The author is very focused on Margery’s weeping and praying and how it affects her relationship with other people. This shows a fascination with Margery’s life as a mystic. If I remember correctly from my religion class freshman year, Margery was a mystic and these mystics were known for their weeping and public displays of compassion for the Lord’s passion. This book is autobiographical, so, Margery did not write it herself. The author’s concern for how mysticism affects Margery’s relationship with others potentially shows an “otherness” or a fascination with Margery as a mystic. Clearly, the people she interacts with are not big fans of her. Yet, there is a constant return to Margery’s relationship with God. When Margery struggles, she is said to turn to God and listen to him and he grants her safety. I wouldn’t say that this shows a particularly devout author however, I would say that the author has an interest in religion, as it is basically the only thing talked about in this section of the book. It is also interesting how Margery is referred  to as a “creature,” dehumanizing her. This is interesting because Margery is alienated from everyone else anyways because of her mysticism and the language used to describe her only alienates her more, making her seem less human.