The ironic quest
The story has a playful narrative device as its opening act. Although the story eventually points to the inherent benefits of both masculine and feminine, the story is markedly feminine in its tone. Instead of serving King Arthur as a knight, Erec is a helper to Queen Guinevere, a sign for the inversion of expectation that will define the story. The first major inversion of expectation is that Erec has to go defend his queen's honor, but instead of defeating Yder in some meaningless way, Erec earns for himself a wife, honoring the queen in a roundabout demonstration of his superiority as a mate. He respects women and is therefore more attractive. It appears their "hunt" was more than he thought.
The troublesome lovers
The narrative then captures a common pitfall for young lovers. Their match is so compatible and heavenly that they never need to depart from their marital bliss. But Erec and Enide have accepted the holy role of royal courtesans. This means that their never-ending honeymoon becomes a snare for them. In order to grow, they must look past the immediate pleasure and adoration of their marriage to acknowledge a mutual obligation which they share; they must contribute to their community.
Guinevere's blessing
Remember that the novel is properly Guinevere's. When Queen Guinevere gives her blessing to Erec's younger, more spritely wife, she also sets Enide on a higher path. Now, Enide is a main character too. This is the second iteration of the gender reversal from the narrative's opening. Not only is Guinevere a competent leader, she also makes young women into competent leaders. For Enide, the blessing is ironic, because it seems on the surface like blanket approval, but she learns it is a call to become heroic and helpful to her community.
Twain insight
The novel shows the dance of opposites and their ideal union. Although Erec is more suited for battle, his strength is not without weaknesses. His preoccupation with the immediate demands of conflict often leave him blind to surprise attacks. This means that the young married couple is most powerful when both are contributing their point of view equally. Erec is the immediate executor, dealing in particular moments and events, like swordplay for instance, while Enide provides a motherly, comprehensive point of view, watching him fight from the sidelines and warning him of threats he wouldn't see otherwise.
The surprise of royalty
Some kings and queens preserve authority for themselves, never discipling young people for fear of being overthrown. Then, when the leaders die, the kingdom falls into chaos. When Arthur and Guinevere raise up Erec and Enide as young king and queen of Nantes, they are completing the thematic balance of opposites. Male and female are balanced, and old and new are balance. The kingdom is in order. To Erec and Enide, the coronation comes as a surprise; they are delightfully unaware of their true nature as royalty until the honor is already bestowed.
