tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785065039608350318.post5607129986274116719..comments2023-09-07T04:49:10.648-07:00Comments on Literature and the Contemporary: Prompt 2Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16302919444091859459noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785065039608350318.post-78697420706612697822011-02-12T11:54:59.602-08:002011-02-12T11:54:59.602-08:00Be careful, there is a lot of plot summary, which ...Be careful, there is a lot of plot summary, which is a bit unneccesary because we have all read this book. Also the quotes don't have page numbers, which I believe they should so we know what part you are talking about. Your conclusion draws interesting claims, but it is a quick one sentence connnection amongst a lot of reiteration. Most of this seems pretty obvious if not general discussion, you could have a very interesting piece had you connected it moreso to the history claim of minorities you made at the end. <br />Aside from such the actual structure and flow of the writing is smooth. And you seem to have a definate understanding of the different aspects of Grendel.Katiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14210637014674480487noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785065039608350318.post-54736139195243532302011-02-12T05:01:54.247-08:002011-02-12T05:01:54.247-08:00Initial question: do we need to understand the Gr...Initial question: do we need to understand the Grendel of the poem as "a mindless beast"? I think it would be hard to argue that he wants to destroy Hrothgar's kingdom - but is his jealously and rage really mindless? I'm not saying that you're wrong, but I think it's far from obvious, and even without knowing the Anglo-Saxon, I think this is more of a question to be asked than an answer to be assumed.<br /><br />Your second and third paragraphs show a fine understanding of the novel, but one which follows our class discussion pretty closely. What are you trying to *add* to that discussion? What, in other words, is your goal here? I'll also note that it is at least possible that Grendel-as-satan's-tool is not *necessarily* compatible with Grendel-as-mindless.<br /><br />The last paragraph is very interesting, but it's also a complete change in direction. If you wanted to make this argument, it would have been better made as your focus. How to do this? How about writing an essay which focuses on the difference between excluding outsiders and understanding them? (Which is not to say that the case is really so easy, given the poem's interest in, e.g., the thief).<br /><br />There's good material here, but your final topic is better than your first topic, and you don't seem to think too hard about your characterizations of Grendel.Adamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16302919444091859459noreply@blogger.com