Christian Fletcher, Period 1, 3/15/2024

Christian Fletcher 

Period 1, Blog #3

3 / 15 / 24


Research Paper

Consider any topic we have covered in class to write an informational research paper related to some modern discoveries around it.


Something I have been stuck on ever since reading Grendel is the hints of post colonialism. So I am taking this opportunity to write about Grendel from a post - colonial perspective as well as analyzing it and comparing it to the Civil Rights Era specifically mentioning segregation and things of that nature. Now from a post colonial perspective we will be viewing Grendel as the oppressed or the segregated. While we view Hrothgar and Beowolf almost as the white oppressors for a lack of a better term. Grendal can almost be viewed as an African American during the Civil Rights Era. As we see in the book Grendel is constantly Dehumanized, despite being a “ creature “ he spoke the same language as the humans but it's almost as if they refused to understand or accept him. Similar to how African Americans were treated back in the civil rights era when segregated. Author Toni Morrison has an article on this concept of viewing Grendal as an African American Man. She says “She decenters the white male hero, focusing instead on the racialized, politicized, and gendered figures of Grendel and his mother, who in Tolkien’s read would have been black”. Throught the book we see Grendels constant battle of self, where he takes on a very nihlistic attitude as he is trying to find his identity and who he really is what purpose he plays in the world etc. This is very similar to a colonized group of individuals, a prime example of this is the U.S while they were still under British rule. The colonies during the revolution directly before and after had this journey of trying to reclaim or create their own new identity separate from the British. Grendel was desperately trying to evolve from the monstrous nature that he was almost cast into, as he was constantly dehumanized by the humans ( colonizeers ) Almost similar to the Civil Rights Era in which African Americans were labeled with disgusting terms such as hoodlums or labeled as violent individuals. Which has led to the ultimate downfall of some of our people as they feel the need to fit into this stereotype. Personally I have seen some of the brightest kids, lose themselves trying to become something they really arent supposed to be. Though on the surface it seems that it was something we started ourselves. They are actually stereotypes casted upon us as a people that some portions of us have unfortunately been lost too. Very similar to Grendal as he became more like a monster the more he was called one and the further he was affected by the said stereotype. Further more the constant superiority in which the Humans or in our case White Supremisists. The constant labeling as dangerous and being called inferior is mistreatment that both Grendel as well as the African American Community had to go through. In conclusion, there are tons of similarities between Grendel and persay an Black man or someone within an opressed or colonized community.