Jared Solis, Period 5, 3/12/2021, Day B

 Literacy & Learning:

• Write about your thoughts regarding any of the fiction or non-fiction covered in class

Recently, after moving on from Beowulf, we have started reading Grendel, the story about a monster with an existential crisis. In the last chapter we read, the Shaper used melodic storytelling to tell the tales of the Danes and the glory of Hrogthar. Throughout his singing, he wove in lies about the past of the king, using a narrative without the backstabbing and destruction that Grendel had seen with his very eyes. What interested me most about this chapter was the power of his words, as it wasn't a big, scary monster or giant sword that scared Grendel, it was the Shaper's poetry. Words that had such power that they not only changed history but they also left the monster with a split head. Grendel conflicted with what he believes to be true about the past, ended the chapter running back to his home. This chapter reminded me of the age-old saying, 'history is written by the victors'. Through various moments in history, those who were on the favorable side of wars and battles were able to scrub away the dark sides of all their battle. The dishonorable moments and betrayals become washed away due to the power these people have, and the Shaper is no different.

• Reflect on any new information you have learned in English class by considering how that learning influences your critical perception.

In the last chapter, we learned how authors give characters disabilities such as blindness in order to show how they become more in tune with all of their other senses. Within Grendel, the Shaper is a blind bard who turns out to be one of the most powerful characters just through the use of his words. After a classmate brought up a connection to Oedipus and the blind man knowing the future, it brought to light all the various characters that are similar throughout my fiction journey. From Galloran from the Beyonders Trilogy to Phineas in the Percy Jackson series, these characters exemplify a greater sense of wisdom and knowledge that make up for their lack of sight. Connecting to later texts I read I am sure to notice more of these connections and hopefully others that the author tries to use in order to showcase different views of people's lives.

• How is what you’re learning applied to any other classes/the world around you?

Through the various stories such as Beowulf (the movie) and Grendel revolving around monsters and life from their viewpoints, I am able to see the world in a different way. These worlds are no longer split into good and bad but instead become something in between. Tragic stories probably best showcase this point as they show that bad things happen to good people and that not everyone gets a happy ending. With everything going on around us, we have to realize that not everything is set in stone. Just because you may do bad things, that doesn't automatically make you a bad person. One of my favorite shows also walks this line, with a prominent theme being, "life isn't black or white, it's a bunch of greys", and stories that we learn in English show me how this grey is real life.