Grendel is not a Monster

In our Survey of Liturature class, the discussion came up comparing Grendel’s perspective of the Beowulf story to the Beowulf “song” that is explained in the poem. And in the end of the day, it is all due to perspective. The protagonist’s view is almost always going to be seen as the right thing to do, but it is a rare situation when we actually get to hear the antagonist’s views. In the situation of Beowulf, Grendel is seen by almost everyone as a monster. However, I just believe that he is a misunderstood creature with animal like characteristics. But it is impossible to blame him for the things that he does because that is the way that he was raised, when you are ignorant to anything other than animalistic characteristics, you are due to act like an animal. In class I made the reference to a bear. When a bear attacks campers, it cannot be blames for its natural instincts, and they should not be punished for them. Why should this animal like character be punished for animal like characteristics. He is in no way, shape, or form a monster. He is just reacting off instinct, and his instinctual acts were not the typical actions for society. So he was punished for it.

Riddle

We move in pairs,
Up and down stairs,
Some keep spares,
and others wouldn't dare,
Hit us with coins or step over cracks,
We are filled with comfort but style we lack,
Sporting Abe on the front and brown on the back

Nobakov's Essay

i agree with what the essay is saying, but it is nothing more than a personal perspective of one man's idea on what "good readers" should do. not everyone has to read a story multiple times to understand it. for my Brit Lit class, we are assigned readings on a daily basis, majority of the time, we dont get an opportunity to read stories multiple times. if you are capable of taking good notes, you should be about to understand a reading with ease.

i do agree with what Nabokov says, "the reader should have a dictionary" because not everything is understood. and one should always understand or make note of the things that are not understood in a text.