Grendel As Dynamic Character English Literature Essay

Grendel As Dynamic Character English Literature Essay John Gardners Grendel provides us with an in-depth look at the personality and mindset of a monster known to be an antagonist to mankind. The reader is seeing the world through the eyes of Grendel, giving the reader the feeling of having a very close relationship with him. Through this close relationship that the reader creates with Grendel, it becomes evident that Grendel undergoes a personality change throughout the novel as a dynamic character. Grendels development throughout the novel is highly influenced by his communication with the Shaper, Grendels mother, and the dragon. The first human to have a major influence on Grendel was the Shaper, a blind man who preaches to those around him. The first mention of the Shaper was in chapter one, when Grendel attacked Hrothgars meadhall. During Grendels attack, the flaws of human instinct become apparent. Instead of running away at the sight of a horrid monster, the citizens become frozen in terror like a dear in headlights. The only exception to these humans was the Shaper, who acted quickly and despite his blindness, was able to escape the building and run away from the danger. Grendel had admired the Shaper for being different from the other humans, and reacting properly and quickly, as well as for possessing knowledge Grendel wished he could have himself. Grendels envy for a mind like the Shaper causes him to fill with jealousy, so he subconsciously tries to mirror the ideology of the Shaper despite not being a human. The Shapers songs teach Grendel about the way that the humans live and function. To Grendel , it appears that everyone around loves and respects the Shaper, which is evident when Grendel explains that the people, and even the surrounding hills were hushed when the Shaper spoke. This popularity causes Grendel to wish that he could be like the Shaper even more, so that he can finally lose the feeling of isolation and gain acceptance among the humans. As Grendel analyzes the popularity and appeal of the Shaper, he begins to realize why people have are always running away at his sight. Grendel dives deep into himself to get a sense of the flaws in his own character, and subconsciously decided that he doesnt really need nor care about getting the approval of the humans because he isnt a human and shouldnt have to live by the expectations and standards that they have for themselves. (Gardner, letter) He was born not as a human, but as a monster that would never be able to live like the humans, and instead must follow his own role in society: to terrorize and kill humans. Although it was evident that Grendel cared for his mother, their relationship wasnt always perfect. She was very controlling, and attempts to keep Grendel at her side throughout the novel, but she loved him and was even considered a source of comfort to him (Grendel pg. 17). In chapter two of the novel, Grendel views his mother as a fat and lazy brute who is to unintelligent to able to speak the same language as the humans. As the mother tries to become more protective and sheltering of Grendel, he tries to break away from her more and treats her as truly a monster or animal instead of an equivalent to himself. He realizes that she is exactly what he wants to avoid becoming, so he begins to spend less time with her and instead spend more time with the humans, which starts to make him become more like a human than a monster. Grendel became more independent as he looked less to his mother for advice and began to think for himself, using his own thoughts and observations as a guideline. He starts to develop philosophical thoughts, and begins to question the meaning and purpose of life. At the points in the novel where Grendel is leaving or returning to the cave, his mind becomes restless with thoughts about the humans and what he should. The complexity of Grendels thoughts is synonymous with the complex design of the cave itself. Getting in and out of the cave is no simple process. Grendel describes the process as swimming up through the firesnakes, hot dark whalecocks prowling the luminous green of the mere., and continues by saying that he gulped churning waves and smoke, which implies that the mere is on fire. (Grendel pg. 9) The water is used as a symbol of the subconscious and emotion, which explains the thoughts that start to jump around in Grendels head as he is on his way in or out of his cave. Grendels thinking to himself is key to his development as an independent individual. He feels so dependent near the end of the book that he even ignores the warning of his mother. His mother wants to protect him and warn him of the danger he is getting into, but her warning only comes out as Warovvish. (Grendel pg. 145) Without trying to understand what she was saying, he shrugs her warning off as gibberish and continues with what he originally planned. Instead of relying on the advice and opinions of others, Grendel tries to sort everything out within his own thoughts. This causes him to become less and less dependent on other characters, which in turn allows him to become more of an individual. The final character to have a major influence on Grendels character was the dragon, who makes his first appearance in chapter five of the novel. Prior to meeting the dragon, the only being that Grendel ever met more powerful than himself was his mother. Grendel became so terrified at the site of the monstrous dragon that he could barely even speak. Grendel has never really felt this level of fear, and it makes him realize that there are more fearsome creatures to walk the planet than him. This fear also rationalizes the feeling of the terror the humans exhibit when encountering Grendel, so he now understands their fear of him. The dragon proves to be an incredibly smart philosopher, and when the dragon starts reading his mind, Grendel becomes even more afraid of him. He never felt fear like when he saw the dragon, so he didnt understand why the humans would run away in terror even if he were to do nothing wrong. He tells Grendel that the essence of life is to be found in the frustrat ion of established order, so he should continue terrorizing the humans. (Grendel pg. 67) The dragon proceeds to tell him that being terror to all humans that is actually important to their development. He goes on to explain that humans are constantly trying to destroy anything they consider to be evil, but evil is actually very important to them because without evil, the world would not be balanced. The dragon tries to explain to Grendel that he drives them to poetry, science, religion, all that makes them what they are for as long as they last (Grendel pg. 72).This means that Grendel is actually very important to human society, and without him, mankind would not be advanced as it is today. This confrontation with the dragon allows Grendel to rid himself of the doubts he had about the morality of killing humans, finally providing him with the reason and conformation he desired to continue with his role in society. Grendel has become one of the most important and developed characters throughout the history of literature, despite him being an antagonist. His thoughts often conflict with each other, but by the end of the novel, they become very deep and complex. After his confrontation with dragon, Grendel finally develops an understanding of his role in society, and the importance that he plays. Through the influence of Grendels encounters with the humans and other important characters throughout the book, he was able to undergo a change and become a much more intelligent, sophisticated being. In the beginning of the novel, Grendel was portrayed as being an unintelligent monster, isolated from the humans, having no understanding of his role and importance to society, but by the end of the book, Grendel has developed into a sophisticated being with a greater understanding of the world than the humans even have.

oldman and the sea :: essays research papers

The Old Man and The Sea Old Man and The Sea, a great book by Ernest Hemingway, is about a fisherman’s struggle to save his career. This book is very different than any other book that I have read. It is different because this book doesn’t have multiple events that happen in the story. Santiago, an old fisherman, goes out fishing and hooks a giant marlin. The book explains his struggle to kill the fish and bring it back home. The book symbolizes the struggle of the author to write a great book. Santiago is an old man that wasn’t having much luck fishing. One day he decides to go fishing and hooks a marlin. The man struggles to kill the marlin and in the process he is pulled very far out into the ocean. Santiago becomes attached to the marlin and calls it his "brother". Santiago gains strength by thinking about the things he loves and has interests in such as Manolin, a young fisherman, and the New York Yankees(baseball team). Santiago fights the marlin for three days and finally kills the fish. Santiago goes through many of obstacles to achieve his goal of catching a big fish but when he finally gets it, it’s taken away from him by sharks that eat the marlin. The young man, Manolin is the old man’s best friend. Santiago, taught him how to fish. Manolin use to fish with Santiago but then Santiago ran into a streak of bad luck. Manolin started fishing on another boat. Manolin is very attached to Santiago. They get along very well. Manolin understands why Santiago had to go on the 3-day trial fishing to test his luck and admires him for it. Manolin is the person that takes care of Santiago. The marlin is a very noble, big and beautiful fish. Whatever it symbolizes, to the reader it's something worth fighting for since Santiago risks his life battling sharks in his attempt to save the marlin. The marlin is Santiago’s last shot at luck. Santiago knew that this fishing trip would be the last spark of luck he would have for the rest of his life. Although he doesn’t get the whole marlin to shore, he did bring luck with him because he survived. The marlin is also a sign of the author’s quest to write one good book. Like the fisherman wants to catch a great fish before he dies, Hemingway wants to write a good story.

Explore the memories of childhood Essay

Explore the memories of childhood presented in â€Å"In Mrs Tilscher’s class† by Carol Ann Duffy and â€Å"Childhood† by John Clare The memories of childhood presented in the two poems â€Å"In Mrs Tilscher’s class† by Carol Ann Duffy and â€Å"Childhood† by John Clare are explored in many different ways. One of the ways Duffy explores the memories of childhood is by remembering the happiness of being a child and creating a happy tone. â€Å"Sugar paper. Coloured shapes. Brady and Hindley faded, like the faint, uneasy smudge of a mistake. † This quotation shows that Duffy explores her memories of childhood to be happy by describing a horrendous crime to have disappeared in Mrs Tilscher’s classroom. â€Å"Uneasy smudge of a mistake† suggests the horrific incidents to have been rubbed away because it is so happy and peaceful when you are in Mrs Tilscher’s class room. Brady and Hindley’s horrifying antics also suggest the dangers of the adult world. It also gives the impression that the classroom is like a different world, a fantasy world where only happiness exists. The way Duffy mentions the sugar paper and the coloured shapes also give a sense of happiness because it makes the reader think of bright colours and activities which are associated with the pleasure of being a child. Likewise, in â€Å"Childhood† Clare also describes the contentment of childhood. â€Å"On the heaths, in the meadows beside the deep lake, and return’d with torn clothes all covered wi’ burrs. † This quotation shows how happy childhood was for Clare. The idea of nature presented in this quotation gives the impression of blissful children exploring the outside world. It gives this impression by mention â€Å"the meadow by the deep lake,† these words are in connotation to nature and outdoor life. A sense of freedom is also created as Clare uses a care free tone to describe where the children would play. â€Å"and return’d with torn clothes all covered wi’ burrs,† this section of the quotation creates a feeling of freedom and cheerfulness as Clare exclaims his clothes were ripped and torn but the care free tone he uses suggests he didn’t care and that he shed no guilt because of this, he was just having fun, which explores the idea of childhood innocence. Even though a happy sense of youth is produced in â€Å"In Mrs Tilscher’s class,† Duffy makes the happiness seem to diminish throughout the poem. â€Å"You asked how you were born, and Mrs Tilscher smiled, and then turned away. † This shows that the innocence of the children is starting to pass away. The fact that Mrs Tilscher smiles and turns away, when â€Å"asked how you were born,† conveys a sense that she does not want to encourage the children to loose their childhood innocence by telling them such mature things. This is a sign of sexual awareness created by Duffy because the topic of sexual nature is starting to be explored at this stage in a child’s life. Duffy also creates a feeling that the children look towards Mrs Tilscher for comfort but they both feel that it is time to move on in the direction of growing up. Duffy does this by making the child try on last attempt to stay in the safeness and secure, safe womb of the primary school. As Mrs Tilscher turns away is signifies the fact that her time is over teaching this particular class. This conveys a sense that joyfulness is slipping away. â€Å"A rough boy told you how you were born. † This quotation shows the â€Å"rough boy† who reveals how you were conceived is another sign of maturity. For children it is like finding out there is no Father Christmas. It gives the impression that life won’t be the same again. The structure of the two poems, is different. In â€Å"Childhood,† Clare has created a regular rhyme scheme to the poem. â€Å"O dear to us ever the scenes of our childhood The green spots we played in the school where we met The heavy old desk where we thought of the wild-wood Where we poured o’er the sums which the master had set. † This is a fraction of the first stanza of the poem which shows the rhyming pattern. It has a sort of â€Å"sing-song† rhythm to it, which is reminiscent of the nursery rhymes sang when a young child. In contrast to this, in â€Å"In Mrs Tilscher’s classroom,† there is no regular rhyme scheme. â€Å"You could travel up the Blue Nile, With your finger, tracing the route While Mrs Tilscher chanted the scenery†¦ † This quotation is also from the first stanza of the poem, and there is no regular rhyme scheme. But as there are four stanzas in this poem, each stanza can be said to represent a different area of development. For example, the first stanza represents escapism. â€Å"You could travel up the Blue Nile with your finger,† this gives the impression that you can physically escape from your troubles and actually travel up the Blue Nile with your imagination. This conveys a sense that Mrs Tilscher’s classroom is a safe and comforting place to be. The final stanza represents moving on and growing up. â€Å"A rough boy told you how you were born. You kicked him, but stared at your parents, appalled when you got home. † This quotation gives the impression that the safety that Mrs Tilscher provided for you, is now slipping away as you are being introduced to bullies, and people who know more about the world than you do. It conveys a sense that the innocence and virtue of being a child has gone because you are growing older and maturing into adolescence. In â€Å"Childhood,† the final stanza creates a sense of closure. â€Å"There’s nought to compare to the days of our childhood. † This quotation suggests that nothing is as good as childhood and it was obviously an exciting part of life for Clare. It also makes the reader feel as if that is the end, there was no moving on to a different stage of life or growing older into a teenager. Clare creates this feeling by saying nothing compares to his childhood giving the impression that his teenage and younger life was not as exciting and stimulating as his childhood days. It is as if Clare wanted childhood to be everlasting. Likewise in â€Å"In Mrs Tilscher’s class,† there is also a sense of closure. â€Å"Reports were handed out. You ran through the gates, impatient to be grown,† This quotation also gives the impression of the ending of being in Mrs Tilscher’s class, as Duffy mentions reports were handed out, this usually happens at the end of an academic year, which makes the reader think of a new teacher and a new class. It also creates a sense of moving on to another year of school. It suggests that there is more to come of life but not as in childhood, in more of an adult nature. A feeling of finishing is also created. In conclusion, the two poems â€Å"In Mrs Tilscher’s class† and â€Å"Childhood† have many similar and different references.

Challenges of Small and Medium Enterprises in Kenya

SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES SME stands for small and medium-sized enterprises – as defined in EU law: The main factors determining whether a company is an SME are: 1. Number of employees, and 2. Either turnover or balance sheet total | |Employees |Turnover |or |Balance sheet total | |Company category | | | | | |Medium-sized | 250 |≠¤ â‚ ¬ 50 m |≠¤ â‚ ¬ 43 m | |Small | 50 |≠¤ â‚ ¬ 10 m |≠¤ â‚ ¬ 10 m | |Micro | 10 |≠¤ â‚ ¬ 2 m |≠¤ â‚ ¬ 2 m†¦show more content†¦Credit constraints operate in variety of ways in Kenya where undeveloped capital market forces entrepreneurs to rely on self-financing or borrowing from friends or relatives. Lack of access to long-term credit for small enterprises forces them to rely on high cost short term finance. There are various other financial challenges that face small enterprises. They include the high cost of credit, high bank charges and fees. The scenario witnessed in Kenya particularly during the climaxing period of the year 2008 testifies the need for credit among the common and low earning entrepreneurs. Numerous money lenders in the name of Pyramid schemes came up, promising hope among the ‘little investors,’ that they can make it to the financial freedom through soft borrowing. The rationale behind turning to these schemes among a good number of entrepreneurs is mainly to seek alternatives and soft credit with low interest rates while making profits. Financial constraint remains a major challenge facing SMEs in Kenya (Wanjohi and Mugure, 2008). National Policy and Regulatory Environment The national policy and regulatory environment has an important impact on technology decisions at the enterprise level. The structural adjustment programs (SAPs) implemented in many African countries are aimed at removing heavy policy distortions, which have been viewed as detrimental to the growth of the private sector. 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