Grendel Essay.

“Grendel”
In the book Grendel by John Gardner, figuring out who the antagonist is quite the challenge. If you take a quick look at the story from different points of views, each character has the characteristics that could relate them, or lead us to think they’re the one causing or about to cause the problem. Beowulf has a different outlook on this subject, as do we all. The monster, more know as Grendel, is facing the rejection from most characters. He strikes one as being a blood thirsty monster, going on rages to kill anything in site, human or animal.
From a different point of view, Grendel views the dragon as a charade. Most people, not only in class, but also online, see the dragon as a God-like figure, but to me, it’s the complete opposite. The way he mocks Grendel leads me to believe that he cannot be taken seriously. Grendel doesn’t know how to react or show any reaction towards this dragon. What would happen if he even chuckled? Would he be burned into fiery shreds? Would God act in this certain manner, scare away and be vicious to people seeking the truth?
When Beowulf and Grendel had their fray, wings and fiery eyes “appeared” on Beowulf’s form. Why would Grendel envision a man who is about to tear him limb from limb as God? Perhaps, the dragon morphed himself into Beowulf to take advantage of such a distorted mind. It seems like Grendel was scared to fight back, like a parents arguing with their child. Grendel held back and just tried to move away from Beowulf’s reach. The way we make ourselves picture Grendel is a humongous beast with sharp razor teeth and the strength of 100 men. If this is so, why couldn’t he have fought away with such an arrogant human. A greater power must have taken over Beowulf’s body, perhaps a devil or the dragon who I am lead to believe are two in one.
I take pity on Grendel for such a mistaken death. This failure of his, wasn’t and wont get away with being “meaningless”. The significance of this failure and Grendel’s realization is as a result of Beowulf’s success and the arrogance it brings to his head, his shoulders weigh down. A heavy shoulder that he cannot do anything about except being the pain upon a creature that can’t even help himself.
Grendel, hopeless and declined, goes back to the place where we first met him at the beginning of the book. The cliff, where he shared a view with animals that would get a joy of watching his painful death. The cliff, where he looked at the world and tried to figure out what message a cruel place could bring. Grendel finally realized he’ll never have an answer, and as for searching, the search is deadly and will rip you apart. The failure of a search and finding emptiness will kill you quicker than a knife itself.

"The Problem of Evil" Essay

            Characters like Grendel in Beowulf edited by M.A. Roberts, are those who in some way represent the devil. No, this isn’t considering Beowulf as God, but as a God-like figure. He kills those of evil and doesn’t mind the reasons for his death, but for the fact that now he proved to those who praised him, that he is now in control. He controls not only towns, but souls that are no longer with us.

            In many stories and comic books, Grendel can be considered the “villain”, and Beowulf as the super hero, more specifically as the joker and batman. Characters like this show people and children that evil does exist in the world, but truthfully, God conquers all. Not in any story or tale have I heard of the bad-guy winning or getting away with it. Instead, the bad guy disappears or gets killed. This could also be as a lesson for most. In most novels or tales, their purposes are to teach people lessons about life. These life lessons teach people everyday formalities that is so common with people.

             Evil in the world all started the exact day God come to be what it has become. Bu that, I mean, evil had no exact beginning and nor does it have a reason. It came to be one of life’s empty reasons. No explanation can be given to this, just the fact that not everything in life can or will be enjoying, having a “demon” or devil to hand off the blame to is like having an easy target. In most cases, its what people rely on to stay “pure” to themselves. “The devil made me do it!” will never get old!

Imperial Adam

　
Then he remembered through mysterious sleep
The surgeon fingers probing at the bone,
The voice so far away, so rich and deep:
"It is not good for him to live alone."

                   Imperial Adam, by A.D. Hope, is what seems to be a simple poem that has so much symbolism and meaning that every line has it’s own story. For example, if you take the first line of the poem and mix it with the second, its telling an experience Adam had. It states that Adam was put to sleep for the surgery God was going to perform. By putting Adam to sleep, he is not suffering or feeling any pain, he would be pain free and peaceful, just like someone whose passed away. The surgeon, being God, takes half his rib to create a female for Adam. As the “surgeon” is performing his works, it seems to be that he whispers to Adam, with his powerful voice that he wouldn’t get far living alone. Life would simply be so useless and worthless that eventually, Adam will have no reason to live. This could also relate to real life, for example, if someone who is living alone, with no love or any type of interaction with anyone, they’d have a high chance of being depressed or even be suicidal. This “surgeon” is saving Adam’s life from it’s own death, just like any true doctor or surgeon would.

Invisable Man Essay

Catarina Sousa

                    The novel Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison is a story about a black man who keeps referring to himself as “invisible”. Realistically, no, he is not invisible. He is seen in public just as I’m seen or anyone is seen. But due to his skin color, people forget that he is human. Many of them looked up at him as some type of creature for entertainment. They tortured him with electric carpets, fake coins, and boxing gloves. For what you may ask? Simply for the whites to get a good laugh. The invisible man goes on this life changing journey, and on the way he finds his true self. He became part of a horrific power plant accident that ended him up nearly dead in a hospital bed. This, to me, was his “baptism”. He woke up from there on, and did what made him happy, and what would benefit him, not just his grandfather that he dreams of every night.

                    Back in the 1950s, society was strictly based on wealth and on color. Although they might have overcame slavery, blacks from the south had a harder time adjusting to the north. Based on all the speeches he gave, the reaction of the crowd at the Brotherhood ceremonies was simply ecstatic. His own kind were there cheering him on and clapped their hands till they fell off. His point of view on some people changed there. It didn’t matter what whites thought or what Dr.Bledsoe did. He was surrounded by his own kind, and that made him feel on top of the world. But, unfortunately, for him at the end people changed and promises were broken. As he was burning important papers for light, he saw things for what they really are. He didn’t need those things to be happy, or to prove anything to anyone, he found his true self. “This and this or this had made me more human”.