There are countless ways in which the reader can be touched, though, from excitement at battle descriptions, tenderness at the goodness of King Louis IX, or annoyance prompted by the imposing presence of the narrator himself.
Clearly, Joinville had this appeal in mind when he composed the chapters that open and close the work. There is hardly any narration, and all there is is subject to the purpose of illustrating the attributes of the monarch. The facts enumerated have little or no logical relation between them. The frontiers between the parts may vary depending on what we consider to be the main plot, if the crusader adventure of the main characters, the development of the friendship between Joinville and Louis, or any other, but establishing these boundaries is not a concern in the present essay.
Trying to define the plot itself is, however, and this will be looked into below. If in the crusading account his enthusiasm of knightly display and bravado is evident, the Joinville of the biographical chapters openly criticises the contemporary values of the knightly class, particularly in what concerns expenditure with fashion and display. In my view, an analysis of the characters in the crusading narrative will show the purpose to be applicable only to the opening and closing chapters.
In the latter, the main character is King Louis, of which all others, including the narrator, seem to be subsidiary. In the crusading section, however, he appears to have a different role, subsidiary in its turn to that of Joinville. The king is referred again when he calls his barons to Paris to pay homage to his children, and regarding a case the Provost of the city took to his consideration. However, and even though the latter episode does give evidence for the wisdom of the king, both references are here but secondary, as they are introduced in some connection to the person of Joinville, either to show him as one of the barons called on, or simply because he came across the second story.
Louis gathers all the qualities of the ideal Christian ruler. This mighty Christian king, the ultimate standard of the faith, is portrayed in the old French c hanson de geste as pious, just and strong, a powerful, charismatic leader, who, yet, will sit on the grass to confer with his council of Twelve Peers, whom he loves as a father his sons. The King has a council of nobles, to whom he listens frequently, consulting them in matters ranging from whether to stay in Cyprus waiting for the troops still at sea, or leave immediately for Egypt, to advice on changing of tactics in the middle of a battle.
