...Roslyn Marshall Mr. Lerma English 1B 1 December 2014 Word Count: 3,399 Grendel: A Symbol for the Unknown In the history of human civilization, stories have always had an educative role. In the literary works of fiction, authors use diverse images and symbols in order to trigger a particular reaction from the audience. Some authors, however, use traditional images in new contexts challenging the audience's perception of those iconic characters. Authors often argue that characters can have different meanings and symbolism in different cultures and different times. The best example of these new meanings is seen through the writing about iconic monsters in different time periods. From the analysis’ of Beowulf and Grendel: The Truth Behind England’s Oldest Legend by John Grigsby and Grendel by John Gardner, the character of Grendel in both books is the symbolic meaning of how society is afraid of the unknown. When people are confronted with an unfamiliar circumstance, it is human nature to twist the unknown into something frightening and unacceptable....
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...Grendel Literary Analyses In John Gardner's novel “Grendel,” a monster, Grendel goes on a quest and enters a war between Hrothgar and himself. During this journey, Grendel has an encounter with the dragon and ends up learning a new way to live life. Through Grendel’s encounters with the dragon, the dragon questions Grendel about the true meaning in life, and makes Grendel re-think the true meaning of life. In “Grendel, John Gardner expresses his opinion on the discourse of the philosophical topics of existentialism and heroic ideals. The dragon establishes a theory for himself that all things in the world will die and are useless. The dragon shares his advice with Grendel, by sharing, “Seek out gold and sit on it" (74). This piece of advice...
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...and how one is, one repeats his or her own experiences and actions. In Grendel, John Gardner, the author, writes to a broad audience to people from the modern time. This time period brought reflection of why people believed what they do. John Gardner retells the poem Beowulf from the perspective of Grendel, the protagonist. The intended audience in Grendel by John Gardner is targeting introspective thinkers to compare the human-like characteristics of Grendel to the reader. To begin with, Gardner argues that there is no meaning to life and no reason to follow the organization of the...
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...Twelve Zodiac Symbols Through out the novel Grendel, John Gardner has put in all of the twelve zodiac symbols that attribute towards Grendel. The three major zodiac signs that are shown in Grendel are the Goat, the Bull, and the Fish. All three of these zodiac symbols show deep meaning into who Grendel really is, how they relate with Grendel, and the zodiac symbols also deeply express the ways of his thinking Grendel has and the encounters he has with others within Grendel. The Goat in Grendel represents Grendel’s will to never stop attacking Hrothgar’s meadhall, his stubbornness, and Grendel’s negative attitude. “It is the business of goats to climb.” (Gardner, 139) This is what Grendel says about the great horned goat that is...
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...epic poem written in Old English encompassing the mythical tale of the eponymous character of Beowulf. The tale includes his heroic struggles with monstrous beings such as Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, and an avaricious dragon. The primary of those, beast Grendel, serves as the protagonist of a philosophical novel of the same name, Grendel. Written by Anglo-Saxon Scholar John Gardner, the novel presents the fictitious tale of Grendel in the world of Beowulf as he struggles to find meaning and purpose in its life. Grendel is a bastard of man and monster. Yet, he feels himself separated from both. This lust and yearning for purpose sets out on his adventures. His purpose is to find purpose. Now, naturally Grendel is monstrous, but...
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...In John Gardner’s 1971 novel, Grendel, the protagonist’s mind is open to readers, giving them an inside look into the troubles of life from an outside perspective. Even though the mind we are diving into is not human per se, the elements exhibited throughout the novel are extremely similar and relatable to that of a true human’s. Through this, the reader is able to explore essential themes present in Grendel’s life that also correlate with everyday life for humans. As he is very similar to most humans besides his physical abnormalities, he experiences events and thinks about them the same way. Knowing and witnessing his troubles first-hand such as isolation, the search for meaning, and the formation of one's personal identity reveal raw elements...
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...experience. In the mythical poem “Beuowulf” the audience is able to see how he grows in wisdom about himself and about the world with each monster he faces. Beowulf is a hero who battles three different monsters, Grendel, Grendel’s mother and the Dragon. Each monster he faces represents different meanings to him. In times of battle, Beowulf experience many hardships and victories. Grendel is a strong evil water-monster who went to Herot Hall and slaughtered many of Hrothgar’s men. When Beowulf is called to fight Grendel he depicts himself as a man with no fear. Beowulf knows that he is a young strong warrior and is the only one who has the strength to defeat this evil monster. He accepts the challenge and announces that he will fight barehanded which concludes that he is fully confident in himself. He announces, “I have also heard the thrust of a weapon no threat to his threws. Thus I foreswear my sword and strong shield. Instead I shall grab and grapple with Grendel, fighting for life with that fearsome foe” (Gardner 40-41). Beowulf proves his expertise to defeat Grendel by keeping Grendel’s arm. As described, “ As a token of triumph, the troop leader hung the shorn-off shoulder and arm by its hand: the grip of Grendel swung from the gable!” (Gardner 48). Fighting Grendel with just his bare hands and keeping Grendel’s arm as a prize proves that Beowulf has developed into a confident young hero. After Grendel’s death, his mother was enraged and wanted revenge. She went to Herot...
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...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...
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...A hero is an individual who alters a society in a progressive way and becomes irrelevant when the society is changed due to a lack of purpose due to the new culture’s different needs for advancement; Grendel, in Grendel, written by John Gardner, is an excellent example of this ideology by showing the replacements of role models in society. When the hero is unaware of their status, they make rash decisions affecting the society they are shaping. This time period, in a sense, is the beginning of Joseph Campbell’s quest cycle, before the inciting incident. While the humans scrutinize Grendel, he identifies their abilities and the depth of their thinking. He studies them as well, discovering that, “Suddenly I knew I was dealing with no dull mechanical...
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...Real Hero: Beowulf vs. Grendel The story of the famous battle between Beowulf and Grendel are told in two stories in The story of Beowulf by an unknown author and Grendel by John Gardner. The story of Beowulf is told in 3rd person by someone recounting the events and Grendel is told in a 1st person view of Grendel himself. There is lots of controversy whether which of the two is the real hero, so here is the gist of both stories for you to decide: There is a small town full of people that is being tormented by a monster who comes only to kill and bring terror among the people, the attacks continue and after a short while comes a famous warrior named Beowulf. He comes to defeat the town’s monster to save the people and end the mindless killings of Grendel. Both stories result in Grendel being killed and Beowulf being praised for his actions and he eventually becomes a great, fair king that all the people adore and love. The Anglo-Saxon definition of a hero is typically a man who is strong, brave and an intelligent warrior. They had to be willing to fight to the...
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...Can we be born evil or is it something developed by the environment around us? Researchers have conducted experiments on this very question, and more often than not, have found surprising results each time. Each of those times though, a common consensus being that we all have the capacity to commit the unimaginable, but it takes a certain environment and people to bring it out in us. While some interpret that those who are evil are born that way, evil is something that is developed over time by their individual environment and the people within it. It’s entirely possible to be born with traits that give us the potential to be evil. In William Harms article “Psychopaths are not Neurally Equipped to have Concern for Others” he reports a study done by University of Chicago that took 80 prisoners between ages 18 and 50 and tested for levels of psychopathy using standard measures. The results showed: The participants in the high psychopathy group exhibited significantly less activation in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, lateral orbitofrontal cortex, amygdala and periaqueductal gray parts of the brain, but more activity in the striatum and the insula when compared to control participants. This latter region is important for monitoring ongoing behavior, estimating consequences and incorporating emotional learning into moral decision-making, and plays a fundamental role in empathic concern and valuing the well-being of others(Harms, 2013). The study showed that the parts of...
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...Sir Gawain and the Green Knight contains many themes. Some of these themes are more obvious than others. Love, lust, loyalty, deceit, trust, courage, virtue, and righteousness are most of the themes within the poem. There are some more that are hidden within the concepts of the ideas that the poem presents. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, translated by John Gardner, many different themes are addressed throughout the story. The translation by John Gardner portrays these themes by using specific characters, medieval symbolism, and various settings within the story. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a great work of medieval literature. The story is considered to be verse romance. There are not many solid facts on the story. The story was composed in the second half of the fourteenth century. It is likely that Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was written around 1375. The author of the piece remains unknown, but we do know of the northwestern dialect of Middle English with which he wrote the poem. The unknown author also consciously wrote in an old-fashioned style. The author is usually referred to as the Gawain poet or the Pearl poet. Three poems were included with Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. "Pearl", "Patience", and "Purity" were all with Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in the same manuscript. This is the reason the author is named as the Pearl poet, in addition to the Gawain poet. All four poems were uniquely named Cotton Nero A.X. This is due to the manuscript's...
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...Meaning and Existentialism in My Life - Existentialism is a phiosophy which revolves around the central belief that we create ourselves. External factors are not important. It is the way that we let external factors affect us that determines who we are. As individuals we all have the freedom to choose our own path and that is what life is all about. Along with the freedom of choice comes the responsibilty of one's actions which can make some people anxious but give others meaning to their lives. To overcome this anxiousness and accept responsibilty is to meet the challenges of life and to truly live it.... [tags: Existentialism, ] 675 words (1.9 pages) $14.95 [preview] Understanding Existentialism - Do we matter. Do we seek personal happiness in life. These are questions from existentialism. The dictionary defines existentialism as an individual’s experience filled with isolation in a hostile universe where a human being attempts to find true self and the meaning of life through free will, choice, and personal responsibility. Hamlet is an existentialist character who believes that he is forced to avenge his father’s death and the hatred builds in his heart because of the many betrayals which direct him towards a senseless life and constant thoughts about suicide; this ultimately leads to his demise and he is left with naught.... [tags: Existentialism] 872 words (2.5 pages) $14.95 [preview] Life Value vs. Existentialism in Grendel - A main theme in John Gardner’s Grendel...
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...innocence b. Sexual implications—a trait of 19th century literature to address sex indirectly c. Symbolic Vampirism: selfishness, exploitation, refusal to respect the autonomy of other people, using people to get what we want, placing our desires, particularly ugly ones, above the needs of another. 4. If It’s Square, It’s a Sonnet 5. Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before? a. There is no such thing as a wholly original work of literature—stories grow out of other stories, poems out of other poems. b. There is only one story—of humanity and human nature, endlessly repeated c. “Intertexuality”—recognizing the connections between one story and another deepens our appreciation and experience, brings multiple layers of meaning to the text, which we may not be conscious of. The more consciously aware we are, the more alive the text becomes to us. d. If you don’t recognize the correspondences, it’s ok. If a story is no good, being based on Hamlet won’t save it. 6. When in Doubt, It’s from Shakespeare… a. Writers use what is common in a culture as a kind of shorthand. Shakespeare is pervasive, so he is frequently echoed. b. See plays as a pattern, either in...
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...10000 quiz questions and answers www.cartiaz.ro 10000 general knowledge questions and answers 10000 general knowledge questions and answers www.cartiaz.ro No Questions Quiz 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 Carl and the Passions changed band name to what How many rings on the Olympic flag What colour is vermilion a shade of King Zog ruled which country What colour is Spock's blood Where in your body is your patella Where can you find London bridge today What spirit is mixed with ginger beer in a Moscow mule Who was the first man in space What would you do with a Yashmak Who betrayed Jesus to the Romans Which animal lays eggs On television what was Flipper Who's band was The Quarrymen Which was the most successful Grand National horse Who starred as the Six Million Dollar Man In the song Waltzing Matilda - What is a Jumbuck Who was Dan Dare's greatest enemy in the Eagle What is Dick Grayson better known as What was given on the fourth day of Christmas What was Skippy ( on TV ) What does a funambulist do What is the name of Dennis the Menace's dog What are bactrians and dromedaries Who played The Fugitive Who was the King of Swing Who was the first man to fly across the channel Who starred as Rocky Balboa In which war was the charge of the Light Brigade Who invented the television Who would use a mashie niblick In the song who killed Cock Robin What do deciduous...
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