Grendel. That's all I have to say.

Grendel is a timeless character. Grendel is a Willie Stark and a Jack Burden, he is a Harry Potter and a Voldemort, he is an Odysseus and a Cyclops. But what does that mean? I think it means we need to step back and find the real evil in our society. When I think of evil, I think of people who do things that are morally wrong, such as killing, molesting and emotionally disabling people. PEOPLE specifically. I do not think of monsters because monsters are not real. They just simply do not come to mind. People say that what makes a scary movie truly scary is if the situation could actually become a reality. So, monster movies are not what scare us most. So, why in the book, Beowulf, is a monster the most frightening thing they could think of? I know earlier I discussed how I loved those Anglo-saxons but now I am starting to think that they were quite ignorant. I do not think they were intelligent enough to grasp that the real horrors of our race have to do with our interactions with eachother. And that is what Grendel's story is all about. For about a week I loved Hrothgar and Beowulf but now I find them immature and power hungry. The funny thing is, Grendel is just like us. We kill innocent things everyday for the purpose of nutrition. There is no difference between us going out and buying a steak and him chomping down on some good Anglo-saxon flesh! But we like to make it all out like he's some big bad horrible guy, when actually he's just lonely and has a bit of an eating disorder. Going along with a theme of human ignorance, we are too close-minded to accept things that are different from ourselves. Even in our own race. As a kid I was picked on a lot for being really small. It has affected my entire life. I am not as confident as I could be but I have picked up a very valuable trait from it: I accept everyone. I have never said something negative about someones physical features in my whole life. I know what hurts the most, the things you cannot change. Grendel cannot change the way he looks, or his short comings as a monster. Because we are such an ignorant species we shut out things that do not always look or act like we do. EXAMPLE: aliens. There is a enormous amount of movies based on aliens coming to earth and killing us. Now I'm pretty sure if something green with a large head came striding up to me, I'd punch it and run away. Is that a correct response? NO! You have no idea if that alien is bad at all. Overall, I do not think Grendel is a book for the shallow minded, it is definetely one for the deep thinkers. Ones who questions their own feelings, actions and beliefs. If you are not thinking of these things when you read it, it could be totally worthless for you. I story about how a funny monster lost his life while doing the best he could. I see myself in Grendel. A little lost, but trying to figure it all out. I hope no one slays me :)