Analysis Of Grendel And The Epic Of Beowulf - 1294 Words

Merriam Webster defines a hero as a person who is admired for great or brave acts and defines a villain as a character who does bad things. These definitions may not be so indubitable as John Gardner takes a hero and villain to a whole new level in his novel, Grendel. Throughout the years of novels and short stories, heroes and villains have been constructed as strictly good versus evil, but what if there is good in evil and evil in good? Grendel and the epic, Beowulf, revolve around this idea of heroes and villains and good versus evil. Gardner’s twist on the stereotypical hero leads to the true definition of a hero being changed as he creates one who has a nihilistic view on his atypical life. A hero in the eyes of the Anglo-Saxons has superman strength, undertakes a great quest which relates to society’s values, battles a great monster, and is required to pay homage to a god. Beowulf makes it black and white on whom the hero and villain are; Beowulf being the wonderf ul hero who kills the inimical villain, Grendel. Gardner’s novel, Grendel, has a skewed view on who the hero and villain Gardner uses the villain from Beowulf and creates a novel around him and his viewpoints on his world. However Grendel fits almost perfectly into the characteristics of a hero, according to the Anglo-Saxons. He posses super strength which is demonstrated through the altercations he has with man. In fact, man is Grendel’s evil or villain. Chapter one includes examples to prove Grendel’sShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Grendel s The Elegy / Epic Of Beowulf 1840 Words   |  8 Pagesthe elegy/epic of Beowulf hints at biblical references consistently. The protagonist that starts of the epic, Grendel, refers to as a descendant of Cain. His â€Å"monstrous† actions are often a direct reflection of the story of Cain and his brother found in Genesis chapter four. Although Grendel is known as a heinous monster, he is an embodiment of the faults of humans and a victim that has fallen prey to the power of jealousy, and the need to be known within a community. In other words, Grendel is a symbolRead MoreEssay on Good vs Evil in Beowulf1568 Words   |  7 PagesIn Beowulf, the clash between good and evil is the poems main and most significant focal point. Although the epic poem Beowulf utilizes many characteristics of Christian themes, the violence in the poem relates to paganism. By exploring the characteristics of â€Å"good vs. evil† such as Cain, Grendel and Beowulf, this paper will explore the elements of Beowulf in such a light. The Anglo-Saxon poem, Beowulf, was originally told orally then later was written down anonymously in the Old English languageRead MoreWhy Is Beowulf Considered A Hero?983 Words   |  4 PagesMay 2016 Why is Beowulf considered a hero? Beowulf, an epic hero of his time, has some people that don’t think he should be considered a hero, but I think otherwise. He killed many monsters, and creatures from various places, saving the people who live(d) there, and this is the definition of a hero, â€Å"a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.† That definition really describes Beowulf because of the outstandingRead MoreEssay about Beowulf Battles: The Death of Comitatus1101 Words   |  5 PagesIn the epic poem of Beowulf, written by an unknown monk in about 725 AD, the Anglo-Saxon virtue of comitatus is displayed as a slowly dying aspect of life. Comitatus is the basic idea that everyone protects the king at all costs even if it means a warrior giving up his own life, and if a king is killed, the warriors must avenge the death of the king or they can no longer serve as warriors for the next king. This value of comitatus is displayed mo stly through the three battles that Beowulf encountersRead MoreBeowulf s Last Battle Of The Epic Hero954 Words   |  4 Pagesevil Grendel and his mother, the epic hero, Beowulf, faces his third and final monster, a dragon that has been attacking Geatland. But this last battle will be completely different than the ones before, and spells the end for our epic hero. !!!Beowulf s Last Battle Starting around line 2200 of the great epic poem __ Beowulf __, we have the entrance of the last of the monsters that Beowulf must overcome as part of the epic hero cycle. But this battle is unlike the earlier battles Beowulf facedRead More Beowulf: Christian Vs Pagan Influence Essay1652 Words   |  7 Pages The European epic, Beowulf, was written sometime in the eighth century in England. This time period provides us with an idea for the mixture of Christian and pagan elements because of an English society that was in the process of converting from Paganism to Christianity. Examples of Pagan and Christian traditions are presented all throughout literature. Many of the influences deal with what it going on in the world, when the piece is written. When Beowulf was written, St. Augustine had just comeRead MoreGood vs. Evil Found in Beowulf807 Words   |  3 PagesGood vs. Evil Found in Beowulf In the story of Beowulf, there are many different themes found. Many people argue the main theme found in this story. This has been argued for a very long time and will go on for many more years to come. Although many themes in this story stick out and a main theme will never be accepted, one main theme is very noticeable in the story of Beowulf. The main theme found in Beowulf is good versus evil. Good versus evil is very easy to recognize. â€Å"Some peopleRead MoreBeowulf: Christian vs Pagan Influence Term Paper1665 Words   |  7 PagesThe European epic, Beowulf, was written sometime in the eighth century in England. This time period provides us with an idea for the mixture of Christian and pagan elements because of an English society that was in the process of converting from Paganism to Christianity. Examples of Pagan and Christian traditions are presented all throughout literature. Many of the influences deal with what it going on in the world, when the piece is written. When Beowulf was written, St. Augustine had just comeRead MoreThe Becoming Of An Epic Hero1240 Words   |  5 PagesThe Becoming Of an Epic Hero Beowulf became the epic hero he was, from his will for his love to succeed, his strength to never give up even if it meant death .He existed trying to become like his father or even to surpass him. He defeated the dragon and his pride lead him to his death, but he saved so many lives before his inevitable demise. He gave his life for what he believed in, for honor, pride and for his people. Which in turn creates the next hero, Wiglaf who served Beowulf willing to give hisRead MoreThe Theme Of Fight In Beowulf798 Words   |  4 PagesRomane Cadot ELA 12 Theme of Beowulf Theme of fight: First of all I will to give you a definition of fight: Fight means limited engagement in space and time of enemy land, air or naval formations. Learn more about. In the book Beowulf we witness 3 fights, this theme is therefore the articulation of the book. Indeed, these fights that Beowulf delivers, the hero of history, intrigues the reader. Thats why I chose this theme. During the fighting the reader can feel suspense, will the hero

The Horrors Behind Cherokee Removal - 967 Words

The Horrors Behind Cherokee Removal The day the colonists first set foot on American soil marked the beginning of an arduous struggle for Native Americans. When the colonists first arrived, there were ten million Native Americans; over the next three centuries, over 90% of the entire population was wiped out due to the white man. The removal of Native Americans marks a humiliating period of United States history. President Andrew Jackson attempted to consolidate the Native Americans when he told them â€Å"‘circumstances render it impossible that [they could] flourish in the midst of a civilized community. [They] have but one remedy within [their] reach, and that is to remove to the west. And the sooner [they] do this, the sooner [they] will commence your career of improvement and prosperity.’† In contrast to Jackson’s justification for removal, historians such as Charles Hudson describe removal as a â€Å"‘gentle, almost antiseptic word for one of the harshest, most crudely opportuni stic acts in American history.’† A number of American people were opposed to removal, the most notorious of which included newspaper editor Noh-Noh-He-Tsu-Nageh. Author Walter T. Durham seeks to illustrate the abdominal nature of Cherokee Removal in his article Noh-Noh-He-Tsu-Nageh and the Cherokee Removal† through Noh-Noh-He-Tsu’s personal accounts and through the flaws of the various treaties signed with the Native Americans. Firstly, Durham uses the perspective of Noh-Noh-He-Tsu-Nageh (Noh-NohShow MoreRelatedTrail Of Tears : Reasons Behind The Action1648 Words   |  7 PagesTrail of Tears: the Reasons Behind the Action The march of the Cherokee Indians in 1836 from western North Carolina to Oklahoma, known as the â€Å"Trail of Tears,† is one of the most traumatic events in American history. By 1830, the Native Americans had adopted the written language of the Anglo-Americans and signed treaties with them guaranteeing their rights to their land. Although the Natives often adapted to the Anglo-American ways of life and many Natives converted to Christianity, the relationshipRead MoreEssay Removal837 Words   |  4 Pagesunjustified actions carried out by all man kind. The removal of the Cherokee nation in 1838-1839 is one of the worst affairs ever carried out by the American government. As no one can deny that this event is a terrible atrocity, the question however of if it is justified is an issue to be thought of separately. Debated by historians still today, the Cherokee Removal act under the Jacksonian administration was one of the greatest horrors ever to be justified in American h istory. In 1828Read More Jacksonian Era: The Removal Policy Essay1177 Words   |  5 PagesAndrew Jackson, who was the 7th President of the United States, signed the Indian Removal Act in May 28th, 1832 and this policy granted Andrew Jackson the right to forcibly move the Native Americans to land west of the Mississippi. Even though â€Å"it is presumed that any explanation of Jackson’s purposes is an attempt to justify the mass killing of innocent people†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Remini, 45) some would say his childhood affected him; seeing and hearing Indians Attacking places near his home. Or how he was the secondRead MoreEssay about The Trail of Tears: Indian Genocide2310 Words   |  10 Pagestitle given to an event that happened in 1838.In this event, the Cherokee community of Native Americans was forced by the USA government to move from their native home in the Southern part of the contemporary America to what is known as the Indian territories of Oklahoma. While some travelled by w ater, most of them travelled by land. The Cherokees took 6 months to complete an 800 miles distance to their destination. The Cherokee marched through, biting cold, rains, and snow. Many people died duringRead MoreThe Melting Pot By Harriet Jacobs874 Words   |  4 Pagesfinally given a glimpse into the horrors of slavery and the fight of the African American people. In 1859, America saw one of the first autobiographical/fiction novels written by Harriet Jacobs. In Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, folks were let into life as a indentured slave girl. Abused by the white family that owned her, she finds a way to respect herself and became self sufficient. This novel gave society of taste of things that were spoken of only behind closed doors and brought them outRead MoreThe Cherokee Removal Through The Eyes Of A Private Soldier3686 Words   |  15 Pagesâ€Å"The Cherokee Removal through the eyes of a private soldier† In the year of 1828, the president Andrew Jackson was appointed to the office of the American government with this the fact of the remaining Indians tribes were important which were named â€Å"The Five Civilized Tribes† including the Cherokee and with the pass of the â€Å"Treaty of Etocha† forced the Cherokee out of the land of Georgia also known as the â€Å"Trail of Tears† where thousands upon thousands of Cherokee were killed during the extractionRead MoreMarketing Mistakes and Successes175322 Words   |  702 Pagesfor example, to â€Å"google each other before dates.† Now large firms, such as Wal-Mart, the world’s biggest retailer, and Acura, a major automobile manufacturer, joined the entourage of firms advertising their wares on Google. What was the secret behind the rapid growth of Google’s advertising program? As we saw before, Google came up with an unique approach to advertising, an INFORMATION BOX WORK CLIMATE AT GOOGLE Employees worked long hours but were treated like family. There was even a gourmet

Accomplishing Goals Free Essays

Donnaree Allison I have always been told the choices I make now are going to determine my future. Everyone goes through a struggle and I have had my fair share, but no matter how hard I knew exactly what I wanted. I wanted to succeed. We will write a custom essay sample on Accomplishing Goals or any similar topic only for you Order Now I was struggling in High School and decided to give up. It didn’t take long for me to realize this is not what I wanted. By dropping out of High School I wasn’t succeeding. I thought to myself how could I accomplish any of the goals I set for myself? So I decided to enroll in Job Corps and attained my G. E. D within two months. That wasn’t enough. I wanted to go to college. Choosing a college was hard. Then it dawned on me what better college than the one my mom attended, and so I chose Monroe. Goal is a very important subject for me. I have already planned and completed some of my goals, which improved me a lot, however, my long time goals in the future are not easy as the past; it will take a longer time to complete and will be the most challenging mission for me, but with determination and hard work I will pull through. The first thing I am doing is complete my education. I plan to put my best foot forward excelling through each college course. I want to absorb as many learning opportunities and experiences as possible. In conclusion no matter how old or young one is; it is never too late or too early to start working towards an educational goal in becoming a college graduate! Like My Mother always said it is only the lack of belief in ourselves that stops us from achieving those things and it is only through our own understanding, ability and perseverance that we see them become realities until then, they are little more than visions in a crystal ball, with no chance of development. How to cite Accomplishing Goals, Essay examples

Cultural Baggage free essay sample

M. Venegas English Composition Professor Christine Redman-Waldeyer 11th week assignment Word count; 228/272 Summary of â€Å"Cultural Baggage† In the article â€Å"Cultural Baggage† published at The New York Times magazine on May 3, 1992, the author Barbara Ehrenreich assess and weighs hers and other people’s cultural and religious background. By listening to an exciting friend about her cultural legacy, Mrs. Ehrenreich abruptly understood that she hasn’t defined one. However, she impliedly denotes some English heritage. In the 60’s and 70’s era, she witnessed ethnical and cultural awakening.These celebrations carried on her some guiltiness about her Anglo-Saxon roots. While as a child, she ate ethnic foods that didn’t represent her owns, but her mother encouraged her to â€Å"Try new things†. She liked the idea of being Irish descendant, but displeased of their ancestral savage behavior. As motherhood arrived, she wanted to married a man with Yiddish roots in order to provide their children with a solid heritage. We will write a custom essay sample on Cultural Baggage or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Sadly, it did not work out because her kids knew that their grandparents did not honor their Jewish traditions either. Consequently, she realizes that nobody at home follows any religious line. She also remembers that her mother never mentioned any learned way to do house work. Nevertheless, she learned from her parents that anything new is better than the old ones. The aphorisms â€Å"Try new things, Think for yourself and Always ask why† were her only heritage, and thus passed along to her children. She calls this lacking of heritage the race of â€Å"none†. Venegas2 Reaction to â€Å"Cultural Baggage† In the article â€Å"Cultural Baggage† the author Barbara Ehrenreich philosophizes about her meager heritage and the heritage of others in America. We all came from descendants from any point in history and the world.We just didn’t appear on earth from thin air. Civilization of â€Å"none† is a delusion, a chimera. It may be fine title for a blockbuster movie, but not in real life. What are we? If answer it by a physician, he would say that we are an organic subject made of flesh and bones down to cells and DNA formation, which will decompose within decades and die. A religion representative would say that we are a creation of an almighty entity that cares about our body, mind and soul. A psychologist would say everything that comes with us genetically and everything that we are environmentally influenced.Therefore, our genes make a race or ethnicity and the environmental and surround our culture. But only we can decide how deep those roots can go under and how high we can climb on our cultural legacy. Americans have a culture made by basic values that locals and foreigners adopt as own. We proudly looked at Pilgrims and their devotion to create a nation that would be unique to the world. The man against wilderness and the rouged individualist made the American culture of inventiveness and â€Å"can do spirit† that the world have a high regard for.Despite the fact that some people don’t follow a religion; we all carry the protestant heritage of self-improvement, material success, hard work, self discipline and volunteerism in one way or another. Having an identity is part of the American culture and consolidating all these heritages into a strong one makes our culture. In other words, it is known as tolerance and respect for all. Being American is carrying all that cultural and historical baggage that most foreigners admire.