Anglo-Saxon Boast

I am Alex’ Julia Soniat

Descendent of Alexander the Great, defender of mankind

I was made by the hands of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Brought into the world by William and Richelle Soniat

I am no ordinary human being, for I do not fear sleep of the sword or the weather of weapons

I feel inferior to no one, and no walk of life can diminish my thoughts and actions

I am standing still, superior to demons and demonic thoughts

At the end of my life, others will reminisce of my great deeds

Just as my forefathers, I will prosper in God’s name

I have not seen all of what the world has to offer, but I know my purpose in this lifetime

Just as Alexander the Great, I am the defender of mankind

I will preserve for the safety of others

Just as God has ordained me for greatness,

I will follow in his plan for me

Just as foes try to control me,

I will conquer their hatefulness with joy

Just as the bull keeps ramming at my waist,

I will charge even harder at his dimwittedness

For when you pass me, do not take my kindness for weakness

When you look upon me, do not judge me for my physical appearance

I am beautiful, inside and out

Sugary and sweet, just as the bee’s buzz in the honeycomb

And when the whale's way is rough , rapid, and rugged,

The road is long,

And your burdens are too heavy to bear,

I will be there…for I am the defender of mankind.

Kennings
Sleep of the sword- death
Whale's way- sea
Weather of weapons- war

Problem Solution Essay: Preventing Car Accidents

In the United States, there are around 3 million car related injuries in one year due to drinking, speeding, and cars going off-road. There are 2 millions fatalities and 40,000 thousand deaths. Forty percent of fatalities are related to irresponsible driving—such as not using seat belts or using electronic devices (Graham-Rowe), thirty percent for speeding, and thirty-three percent for defective cars. Even though the use of seat belts is the law in the United States, only sixty-eight percent of drivers and riders use them. In order for the United States to decrease the number of fatalities due to car accidents, drivers need to focus, seat belts must be worn, and no one should drive intoxicated. Also, the driver must be aware of the rules of the road, and take proper care of his/her vehicle.

Driving intoxicated is not only illegal, but completely preventable (Rolison and Scherman). Alcohol-impaired driving is a serious national problem that unfortunately affects many victims yearly. Often, people believe they feel well enough to drive after drinking only a small amount of alcohol. Although, one should be careful not to drive even if they slightly intoxicated. A slight intoxication can reduce one’s response time to maneuver a vehicle. For example, alcohol causes the body to relax and sometimes can blur one’s vision. While in a car, it takes longer for some intoxicated drivers to slow down or to see what cars and obstacles may be in front, behind, or on either side of them.

Seat belts are designed to reduce injuries by stopping the driver/rider from hitting hard elements inside of the vehicle (Car Safety for your Child). By not wearing a seat belt, one is also putting their self at harms risk. The leading cause of death for people less than 35 years of age is not wearing seat belts. In some cases, most people do not wear seat belts because of the distance being traveled from their home to a destination. If the destination is a few blocks down or ten minutes away, some drivers/riders feel that a seat belt is not needed. In contrary, more deaths due to car accidents occur within 25 miles of the home under 40 miles per hour. Plainly, if more people use seat belts, fewer accidents will be accounted for.

Knowing the rules of the road and the dependency of one’s own car are the basic foundations of driving. To avoid accidents, drivers must know how to drive and when to drive. A major cause of car accidents is a lack of understanding of signs and the dependency level of cars (David Larabee). For example, a car can turn right into traffic if the driver sees no oncoming cars. But if they don’t realize what the sign “no right turn on red” means, they probability of getting hit escalates. Also, cars need to be checked for examination every so often. The purpose for the inspections of brakes and oil changes are to keep cars running safely. As a result, if more people bring their cars in for inspections, the less number of accidents will occur.

By not driving intoxicated, paying attention to the road, and routine car inspections, many injuries, including deaths can be avoided. Also, driving is a privilege, it is not a right. Therefore, it should not be handled lightly—lives are at risk. Car accidents can be avoided if the proper precaution is taken.




Works Cited

"Car safety for your child." American Family Physician 1 Aug. 2005: 479. Gale Science In

Context. Web. 28 Apr. 2011.



"Elderly drivers, car accidents and license renewal policies." American Family Physician Mar.

1996: 1381+. Gale Science In Context. Web. 28 Apr. 2011.



Graham-Rowe, Duncan. "Driven to: as more gadgets compete for drivers' attention, how will we

keep roads safe? (smart assistant to determine driver safety)." New Scientist 180.2424

(2003): 25. Gale Science In Context. Web. 29 Apr. 2011.



Larabee, David. "Car collisions, physics, and the state highway patrol." The Physics Teacher

38.6 (2000): 334+. Gale Science In Context. Web. 29 Apr. 2011.



Rolison, Mary R., and Avraham Scherman. "Factors influencing adolescents' decisions to engage

in risk-taking behavior." Adolescence 37.147 (2002): 585+. Gale Science In Context.

Web. 29 Apr. 2011.

Boast Pt. 1

Boast Pt. 2

Parody of Beowulf

Grendel is a parody of Beowulf because Grendel is somewhat comedic, and has an interest in poetry. Grendel also tries to shake free of the typical idea of a monster, and embraces music and the arts. In chapters 7 and 8, Grendel tries to be poetic, but fails gloomily. Finally in Chapter 12, as Beowulf fights Grendel, Grendel succeeds at writing lines poetically. Even though the book covers similar themes such as heroes and villains, religion, morals, and art, the novel is very different from the original Beowulf. Beowulf was an original epic told in a serious manner. But in Grendel, Grendel often questions his existence and the meaning of life, and tries to fight against his purpose as a monster.

Gardner's Decision

John Gardner made the decision to use Grendel as a narrator because he wanted to point out to his readers that there are always two sides to a story. Also, Gardner wanted to create sympathy for the character of Grendel. Grendel remains outside of the society of humans, but constantly observes their actions. His ideas of life do not match those of the humans, allowing Grendel a separate point of view. His status as a monster affects the way he tells the story because his thoughts do not coincide with the humans, making his side of the story different from theirs.

Riddle

The wrinkled appearance it obtains

With huge aged bones of massive heaviness

A grubby, grungy, grayish tint of the rainy Ymir’s skull

Curved incisors continually growing within its word-hoard

Big and small, a range of sizes

Each with one’s own story to tell

Drinks the water of the swan-track

Can carry child for a fourth of a decade

A symbol of wisdom, wanting, and wishing

A longing for peace, patience, and its purpose in life

Has walked along the earth for many ages

And continues along the rugged terrain
Answer: Elephant

Characteristics of Grendel

            In the epic of Beowulf, Grendel is presented as a coward, a monster, and an insensitive character. According to the story, Grendel was referred to as "spawned in that slime,” a biblical allusion to the story of Cain and Abel. Grendel was born as a monster into exile; his life was cursed because he was a distant offspring of Cain. According to the Bible, all of Cain’s decedents were punished by God because of Cain’s sin. Despite Grendel’s evil motives, he is determined to be the best and overcome any obstacle that interferes in his way.

            Grendel was big in size, and had the strength of many. But he was not brave at all; he is described as a large figure with the strength to pick up the weight of a grown man and consume him whole.  But, Grendel is shown as somewhat of a coward because he only attacks at night when the guards of the mead hall are asleep. He attacks the mead hall under the cover of nightfall to avoid any type of physical abuse that would probably happen in the daytime. Grendel is afraid to fight, but becomes a problem that Beowulf needed to put an end to.

                Grendel can be proved as a monster for multiple reasons. First and foremost, he lived with his mother in an open cave at the bottom of a boiling lake. Second, he was raised to be wicked, and never had the chance to become good. All Grendel knew was iniquity, and lived by what he was taught at a young age. Also, whenever Grendel would hear music, or the sounds of pleasure and joy, he would be filled with anger and hatred. Grendel seeks vengeance on good rather than evil mainly because of his family history.  

In Beowulf, Grendel was portrayed as “insensible to pain and human sorrows, “or incompetent of any mental feeling. Grendel is unconscious and unaffected by the pain and suffering he causes others. Even though he is evil, he does not know how his actions affect other people. He was taught evil; therefore he does evil, making him evil. One can also sympathize for Grendel; if he feels no remorse, he has no opportunity for change.

            As a result, Grendel was “grim and greedy, brutally cruel,” the “gruesome prowler of the border land, ranger of the moors, the fens, and the fastness.” Grendel’s character is portrayed in many different ways in Beowulf. All traits coincide with Grendel being a beast, and the offspring of Cain. It is the opinion of the reader to whether to agree or disagree with the characteristics that the author used to describe the nature of Grendel.

Epic Poetry

Beowulf reveals the Anglo-Saxon’s culture of warfare, and describes various types of universal human behavior. In Beowulf, the people relied on an all powerful leader the defend them against the enemy. Eventually, Beowulf gained the respect and loyalty of his people, which established law and order. It was typical of the Anglo-Saxon hero to defend his homeland, as well as Beowulf fought against the Geats in the epic. Another value of the Anglo-Saxon society revealed in Beowulf is religion. The unknown author states that the enemy of Beowulf, Grendel, was the offspring of Cain, the child of Adam and Eve (biblical allusion). The universal themes were the behaviors among the characters in Beowulf, such as personal satisfaction, pride and greed, and jealousy.

Grendel's Attitude Toward Language

        In the beginning of the novel, Grendel embraces language; he enjoys arranging text in different forms and narrates the novel as if it were an epic. Although, as Grendel ages, he begins to see life as having no meaning at all, and his language skills weaken. He becomes irritated by human beings and the world as a whole, and sinks into a depression. His speech continually becomes more basic and making complete sentences seems to worthless to him.

Grendel's Philosophical Journey

            Aries represented the ram, where Grendel observes an old ram inert at the edge of a cliff. Taurus represents the bull; Grendel’s first exposure to the human world. Gemini symbolized the twins or the beauty of the Shaper’s art that completely derails Grendel. Cancer is for the crab, or the humans’ second significant encounter with Grendel. Leo the lion; the dragon claims to know everything about everything. Virgo, or The Harvest Virgin; Grendel, as he mulls over his meeting with the dragon, begins the dragon’s characteristics. Libra, meaning balance represented the nature of Wealthow. Scorpio, the scorpion represented the nature of Hrothulf. Sagittarius represents the hunter; Grendel observing bowman hunting a hart. Capricorn or the goat—Grendel sees the goat, which represents the efforts of the world around Grendel. Aquarius or the water-bearer; Beowulf and his men come from the sea. Lastly, Pisces, or the fish; beware of the fish, Beowulf. Grendel evolved by the end of the novel—the world and everything of it was pointless. Grendel believed that only he existed, and everything around him was meaningless.