“…More Than It’s Gonna Hurt You: Concerning Violence.”
1. violence in literature can have “cultural and societal…implications.”
2. authors may use violence in the interest of “plot or thematic advancement.”
3. violence between characters may reveal their innermost feelings.

1.) At the onset of the story which bears his name, Grendel is portrayed as a terrifying monster who terrorizes Hrothgar’s mead hall whenever possible, taking a few men or women for dinner each time. Throughout the introduction of the novel, Grendel makes it know that should he not kill them they will eventually kill him. What caused this fiend to become determined that preemptive strike was the best choice? Grendel narrates his first and very violent, encounter with humans from a very helpless stand, as he is hanging from a tree. At the first sight of alarm, the humans sent spears and other weapons threw Grendel’s arms and legs. This action, more than ensuring that Grendel was physically paralyzed, signified Grendel’s realizationthat the humans would kill him if he ever gave them a chance, and through pain set in cement the idea that the best way to prevent that was to strike first.

“It’s Greek to Me”
1.myth is literature is a “body of story that matters”
2. greek and roman mythologies are ingrained into our psyches and culture.
3. many characters in literature may have parallels in mythology.

2.) An ancient, silent, loving mother and an elderly, wise man whose prowess with words and the harp seem both supernatural and awe- inspiring. Both of these characters “resonate” with the promise of something deeper. Grendel’s mother, often portrayed in the book as sleeping or lying down, and, though she could not speak it, for she is too ancient to know the language, she loved Grendel (often representative of humanity itself) as “her creation.” This description, along with Grendel’s