Abstract This paper compares the epic poem, "Beowulf" and John Gardner's "Grendel." It specifically focuses on the plots and central actions of the two stories- the battle between Beowulf and Grendel in order to save the kingdom of the Danes from Grendel. The paper discusses how the main difference between the texts is the perspective in which they are written.
From the Paper "In regards to the story of Grendel, as a monster consumed by hatred of the Danes, Grendel has clear reasons for this hatred, but the fact that he must take his hatred out by antagonizing them with devastation also results in his own demise by violent hands. As a monster, he is blindly systematically crippling and destroying the Danes as a people, but the only thing that can stop him will inevitably be a force outside the Danes who is strong enough to destroy him. Of course, this force is Beowulf. Strength can only be met by greater strength in battle, and a life of violence ends in death by violence; the cycle continues."
Abstract This paper examines the classic literary saga Beowulf whose theme is the concept of ultimate good battling and vanquishing ultimate evil. The paper focuses on the retelling of the story through American author John Gardner's 1971 novel "Grendel" which presents the monster Grendel in a different light and not as the grim and unhappy spirit he is usually portrayed.
From the Paper "Perhaps for this reason, Grendel has become almost as much a subject for discourse as Beowulf himself has. Editorial commenting in the numerous translations and interpretations of the poem have often included comments on the manmonster. The many books and articles written on the poem usually include passages of chapters about him, his actions, motivations and personalities. Almost all of these works are usually written within the context of the poem, that is in direct relation to the hero Beowulf himself, "Grendel acts in such a manner because Beowulf does" is the usual rule followed."
Abstract This paper reviews the 8th century epic poem "Beowulf" and analyzes the qualities that make Beowulf a true Germanic hero. It examines how Beowulf's character exemplifies the Germanic and the Anglo-Saxon ideals of the hero-- strong, fearless, bold, loyal and stoic in the acceptance of fate. It shows how despite his lack of humility, Beowulf was the definition of a hero in his own time by his demonstration of chivalry and his important roles in society.
From the Paper "Beowulf's leadership skills were just as impressive as his heroic characteristics. He was just as valiant and courageous as a king as he was a warrior. Beowulf was not only the archetypal hero, but also the ideal Germanic king. In order for one to understand what a good king was, Halfdane related an example of a bad king to Beowulf. Halfdane's example of Heremond was that he was a horrible ruler because he was "bloodthirsty"(1719), "killed his own comrades"(1714) and at the end of his life, "gave no more rings"(1719). In contrast, Beowulf as a king was compassionate towards his warriors and was a "lavisher of rings"(3009). "
Abstract Examines the two different interpretations, found in "Beowulf" and "Grendel", of man killing a beast, looks at the causes of the conflict in each story, discusses whether the two main characters in each story receive what they want, and explains what it is each of the main characters is actually looking for.
From the Paper "Gardner's Grendel contradicts Beowulf's belief that killing Grendel is the right thing to do. Grendel "understood that the world was nothing: a mechanical chaos of casual, brute enmity on which we stupidly impose our hopes and fears. All the rest, I saw is merely what pushes me, or what I push against, blindly-as blindly all that is not myself pushes back" (Gardner 21). Grendel has logic as opposed to his brute counterpart in Beowulf. He logically explains that world has no point or meaning, as he states, "The mountains are what I define them as" (Gardner 28). Gardner portrays Grendel as logical and gives Beowulf as well as the rest of the people an identity and a philosophy. By killing the people of Denmark, Grendel demonstrates that life is short."
Abstract This paper discusses the nature of conflict and themes that form part of a summary of this ancient book of poetry. The writer shows why the Beowulf must fight his enemy Grendel, who is terrorizing another Dane family relative in a country far from his own, so that the reader can see how these ideas are meshed in a struggle that is not only religious, but has themes of conflict that produce a plot that is valiant and memorable.
Abstract The general idea of the paper is to compare Beowulf to Jesus. A fairly difficult topic, this paper does an excellent job at pointing out how Jesus and Beowulf have many parallels, evident because the narrator telling the story had recently converted from paganism to Christianity. Grendel, his mother, and other characters help form the body of this paper.
From the Paper "Existing as the oldest example of English literature in the form of an epic poem, Beowulf is an ancient pagan story involving two Scandinavian tribes, the Danes and the Geats. As the two tribes converted to Christianity, what was once an old pagan tale came to be greatly influenced by Christian morals, ideals, and traits. Since the Christian scop, or narrator of the story, tries to superimpose Christian beliefs onto a pagan story and as a result, the hero of Beowulf can be compared to Jesus Christ in a number of ways."
Abstract This paper explains the message about suffering put forth in George Elliot's novel "Silas Marner". The paper explains that Elliot 's novel is about the horrible toll that suffering can exact on the individual and his personality-as well as the power of the positive experiences of kindness and love to reverse those effects and ultimately lead to redemption.
From the Paper "When the reader first encounters the character Silas Marner, one notes the sad history of the man. We see that Silas is not much more than a hermit, working endlessly in a village not his own, exiled as a result of false accusations in his past, and wounded by the loss of his love to his false friend, William Dane (also his accuser). Thus, disheartened by life, as well as having lost faith in the justice of God and Man, he turns to the meager existence of work and wealth alone as the bedrock of his life. In fact, one sees from the tremendous lack of joy he experiences even from work as an indication of his profound disenchantment with all aspects of human existence. As Elliot writes, "Formerly his heart had been as a locked casket with its treasure inside; but now the casket was empty, and the lock was broken.""
Abstract This essay analyzes many of the biblical references made in the epic poem of "Beowulf". These biblical references are then compared to the context of the Old Testament. The paper seeks to determine whether or not "Beowulf" was originally told with Christian tone or if Christian elements were added during the influential time period that the Danes were going through at the time it was written down.
From the Paper The latest version of Beowulf was translated from Old English and written by Seamus Heaney. It is the oldest known epic poem and takes place around 500CE in Denmark and Geatland, which is now southern Sweden. Beowulf is believed to have been first composed orally around 700CE and then written around 1000CE by monks of Anglo-Saxon decent. The British Isles were in rough shape after the conquests of the Romans, Germanic tribes, and the Vikings. The Anglo-Saxon's needed a heroic man of faith that represented strength, decency, and bravery and could also protect the Danes from evil. This man was known as Beowulf. Beowulf seemed to be the good, called upon by god to protect the Danes. There were frequent biblical references made throughout the context of Beowulf. Did these biblical references prove that the Anglo-Saxon's believed in a monotheistic god and had faith in Christianity or were these religious aspects added later in time?
Abstract In this article, the writer provides an analysis of the character of Beowulf. The writer explains that Beowulf focuses on the character quality of hubris. Further the writer shows how this quality often undermines character and even leads to death when untempered by humility.
From the Paper "The purpose of the anonymous author of Beowulf appears to have been crafting an epic that demonstrates the values and ideals of the warrior society portrayed. Within the work, we see that Beowulf represents the virtues and ideals considered supreme by the king of the Danes Hrothgar. The savage nature of warrior society often causes its members however to exhibit hubris. This overbearing pride and arrogance often needs tempered with humility in order to keep from acting as a degrading force of character and at its worse ... "
Abstract The paper explores why Denmark and not other countries took the risk of contradicting Germany. The paper relates the history of Jews in Denmark and portrays how the Danes refused, despite German pressure, to take measures against the Jews. The paper discusses how in most of European history, anti-Semitism was ingrained in many of the cultures, but in Denmark there was always a strong sense of civic equality that extended to the Jews and created an atmosphere of tolerance and respect. The paper acknowledges the unanswered questions regarding this terrible time in history for the Jewish people.
From the Paper "In April 2004, Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen accepted the Lyndon B. Johnson Moral Courage Award from the Holocaust Museum Houston honoring his country's World War II rescue of thousands of Jews from occupying Nazi forces. The award was given to Denmark for ''the miraculous action by people of all levels to save the Jewish population during the Holocaust.'' In Jerusalem, a boat-like monument signifies the 25th anniversary of the rescue of Danish Jewry, a school is named in Denmark's honor and many Israeli cities and towns have a street or square commemorating the heroism of the Danes. In addition, the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem displays a small boat used to ferry Jews to safety in Sweden."
Abstract The paper discusses that the novel, "Grendel", is a retelling of the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf from the perspective of the antagonist i.e. Grendel. The paper says that the 1971 novel by John Gardner follows the life of Grendel but at the same time attempts to construct a deeper subtext by tackling issues such as the quest for meaning in the world, the purpose of man, and the fight between good and evil. The paper further states that the philosophical content of Grendel is undeniable; Grendel follows the changes that occur inside of him, and in doing so, formulates intelligent commentaries as to the two main perspectives on the world and the purpose of humanity, determinism and existentialism. The paper also states Grendel's war on mankind is waged as a result of his encounter with the dragon whose nihilistic view deeply influences Grendel. Grendel now feels enraged by the romantic view that the Danes have on the world, and their history of braveness and courage. The paper asserts the thesis that Grendel is an existentialist who tries to provide meaning to his life in an environment that is hostile to him.
From the Paper "Grendel is an existentialist who tries to derive meaning from the world around him. Gardner himself explained, "What Grendel does is take, one by one, the great heroic ideals of mankind since the beginning and make a case for these values by setting up alternatives in an ironic set of monster values. I hate Existentialism." (Morace; Van Spanckeren: 67). Grendel starts out as a nihilist for whom everything is meaningless and devoid of real value. However, he yearns for meaning. His revolt is interior because he does not see himself as important since he in only an animal. Moreover, he gets angry at the sky for "ignoring" him. This is a stage of deep confusion for Grendel who is torn between his feeling that nothing is truly of importance in the world, and the awareness that no matter how many men he kills, he cannot break their spirits as they continue to rebuilt their castle. His inability to destroy their faith and morale angers him."
Explores the thesis presented by James H. Morey in "The Fates of Men in Beowulf" regarding the "Beowulf" poet's description of the deaths of the ruling kings.
Abstract This paper examines how James H. Morey's thesis, in "The Fates of Men in Beowulf", centers on how the Beowulf'- poet describes, or just as importantly, doesn't describe the deaths of the ruling kings in each of the three dynastic houses. In particular, the paper looks at Morey's contention that the Swedish and Geatish houses have most of their king's deaths related in a clear and convincing way and that the Danish house is the only one with a significant number of kings whose demises are ambiguous. Contrary to Morey's belief, the paper concludes that a close look at the specific examples of explicitly detailed deaths in both the Swedish and Geatish royals, makes it obvious that these two houses are guilty of the same kin-slaying that to Morey makes the Danes special.
From the Paper "The Geatish house has an even more explicit depiction of kin-slaying in the example of Hrethel's eldest son Herebeald. The tale is related via Beowulf's speech before the dragon fight when he describes how the second eldest son of Hrethel, Haethcyn, hitting and killing his elder brother with an arrow. It is unclear whether or not this was a purposeful act, but the poet's description of it as "fyrenum gesyngad" paints it as deliberate, and malicious, act of violence."
Abstract Intercultural management in Scandinavia is often underestimated. The Scandinavians seem to be located so close to Germany, that similarities in culture, behavior and business are assumed. The paper examines the reasons behind the conflict-ridden end to cooperation between Danes and Germans at Scandlines and why the European discount supermarket chain Lidl, which is of German origin, made losses of about 40 million Euros in Sweden. After examining these events, the paper then discusses the most significant differences of doing business in Scandinavia as compared to doing business in the rest of the world. The paper includes a number of tables and graphs.
Table of Contents:
List of Used Abbreviations
List of Tables, Figures and Illustrations
Preface
Introduction
Economic and Political Background
Basic Indicators in Comparison
Economic and Political Structure
Socio-Cultural Background
The Importance of the Scandinavian Welfare System
The Scandinavian Way of Life
The Cultural Life in Scandinavia
Family Influence
"The Law of Jante"
Models of Culture Specific Issues
Basic Assumptions of the Scandinavian Culture
The 4-D-Model of Hofstede
Intercultural Communication
Verbal Communication
The Greeting
The Exchange of Business Cards
Topics of Conversation
The Value of Gifts
The Working Environment
Para-Verbal Communication
Non-Verbal Communication
The Smile
Body Distance
Gestures
The Scandinavian Dress Code
Punctuality
Leadership and Decision Behavior
The Hierarchical Structure
The Decision-Making Process
Dealing with Criticism
Questionnaire: Intercultural Management in Scandinavia
Executive Summary of the Questionnaire
Selected Results of the Questionnaire
Conclusion
Appendix
References
From the Paper "In Scandinavia the nuclear family is the centre of social structure. Most Families are small and nowadays marriage is not prerequisite to starting a family. There are many couples that live together without legalizing it with a marriage. In Sweden couples even get social or financial advantages when they live together as so called "sambo". Scandinavians raise their children to be independent and equally to the other sex. At the age of one they are mostly put into day care centers. Most of the Scandinavian parents work. On the one hand it is considered to be better for the children to learn how to socialize and to make friends instead of staying home, but on the other hand there are only few families in Scandinavia that could afford to maintain their lifestyles with only one salary. Later children mostly attend preschool classes and at the age of six or seven they are in full time compulsory schooling."
