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.

Sachi Robinson, Period 6, 3/6 Modern Myth 2024

 

Black History Month is celebrated through February, and its intended purpose is to focus on the contributions of African Americans to the United States. A commonly preconceived notion is that it unfairly elevates Black people, and this fallacy fails to acknowledge the plight of Black people and how we continue to feel the legacy of formal systems of racism. The month never seems to fulfill its intended purpose and oftentimes comes across as a lazy attempt at making amends for hundreds of years of oppression and prejudice, and for many corporations, it simply serves as a cheap money grab. As a biracial, American-born, and bred oldest daughter, it is easy to get victimized by the stereotypical identity crisis. I fall into the acceptable category of black, presenting little semblance of a culture and bearing my mother's slim nose and loose curls. I fall into the acceptable category of black, where people feel comfortable touching my hair and telling me that if my skin weren’t black, I wouldn’t be black and that my natural combination of features is innately European. It's as if I should be proud of lacking the ethnic features that would remind Americans of how my family got here and why they had no choice but to stay. And so I sit, the non-threatening and docile kind of black, year after year, unaware that I was allowed to disapprove of the school's “Black History Month” performance, just grateful enough to see someone like me on stage.

Young, impressionable children with preconceived notions of race and stereotypes watch these men with wide eyes as they contort and juggle, laugh at their sudden outbursts, and hold their breath as they perform precarious tricks. In doing so, they reduce the entirety of black culture to a spectacle. Media as a whole strongly contributes to the articulation of identity and values surrounding culture and communities, but it also allows for the challenging and dissection of these infrastructures. My perception of this entire affair may very well be an opinion that is not entirely my own, but rather a sensitivity that I was force-fed and that has been cultivated through hours spent scrolling. Was this hypersensitivity, or “hypergratitude”? Hypersensitivity would imply caring too much, picking apart the performance, and examining how every action is directly harmful to the future of the black community. Hypersensitivity would imply writing an entire essay on it. Excessive gratitude is indicative of a deeper underlying issue: a culture that raises children to take what they can get. To appreciate all efforts and attempts, even if they are viewed as unsatisfactory. We are raised in a participation-award society where trying your best gets you the same as those barely coasting by. In expressing excessive gratitude for everything, you sacrifice your sense of self. By putting up with the bare minimum in the process, we minimize our own qualms. This harmful practice can also prevent individuals from taking a step back and examining society as a whole, making us hesitant in our questioning. In essence, it forces people to be apologetic for simply being themselves and enhances a toxic cycle of comparative suffering. I find myself reconsidering the villainization of these black men using their talents to make an honest living and turning to the system that has allowed for this event to take place at all. They are contracted to come back yearly and whether they understand the context of their performance is unclear. I remind myself that real life is not the Internet. All of my actions have consequences, and it is my responsibility as a human being to exist in my best form without intentionally squandering the potential of others. We must celebrate the past while simultaneously acknowledging the present. 

For millions of African Americans across the country, Black History Month serves as a beacon of hope, a reminder that you can persevere against all odds. The stories that we are taught are catered to the masses: peaceful and stoic leaders such as Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks, with little mention of Malcolm X and the Black Panthers. Black History Month is treated as if this allocated time should be enough to keep us satisfied about the frustrating lack of education and acknowledgement throughout the entire year. The Ancient Greeks. The Roman Empire. The Middle Ages. The Crusades. The Inquisition. The Black Death. The Renaissance. The Industrial Revolution. Colonization. French Revolution. American Revolution. The Civil War. World Wars I and II. The Holocaust. All topics exhaustively researched in World History classes. We’re spoonfed lessons about Abraham Lincoln that praise his progressive policies and the Emancipation Proclamation but fail to scrutinize the malicious intent behind his actions and how he made the conscious decision to not free those enslaved in the allied states in order to keep the states complacent. Recently, a handwritten letter from kindergarten turned up in which I thanked Abraham Lincoln and commended him for his actions. I even went as far as to call him my hero because if he hadn’t freed the slaves, I would “be segregated from my father and sold to a white master and work work work all day and afternoon." The reality is that it took Lincoln two years to properly enforce his proclamation and that there were people being forced to endure several more harvests in Texas before Union troops were sent to inform them of their freedom.

It’s easy to forget how recent slavery was when the reality is that my great- grandmother was the daughter of a slave. In the earlier years of her life, she still served as a slave and went on to instill the slave mentality in her children. She taught them that they should not own land or purchase certain items because these actions were reserved for white men. The fact of the matter is that Black people are still barred from prestigious institutions, including many of the specialized high schools. It seems impossible to me that out of a pool of applicants across New York City, only approximately six can enter in a given year. Instead of a minstrel show, delving deeper into a curriculum of information might prove to be more beneficial and result in fewer incidents of racial-based harassment. Black history is more than African flags hanging in the halls, caricatures of Black women with Afros and their distant gaze plastered on the walls. I call for the proper education of Black history and celebration of our contribution to society. America was built on the backs of slaves, and the fact that they built the entire American economy, the majority of American institutions, and still went on to innovate baffles. The potato chip, the gas mask, the mop, the door handle, the pencil sharpener, and much more were created by Black inventors. Recognizing this doesn't place Black people above any other race but rather serves as positive exposure, which long-term would prevent subconscious racial bias from forming. Any student in the crowd couldn’t have answered what region of Africa the performers claimed to be from, let alone what this had to do with Black culture. I would’ve loved some clarification about how this celebrated any person of color when half of the black students in my entire grade, which comes out to about 3, chose not to attend. There is no one end-all-be-all cure to racism, but the best way to treat it is by starting a discussion in order to really own it and to use that momentum and knowledge to rebuild the rotting infrastructure within our country and grow as people from there. Black History Month should be a time to foster thought and encourage these discussions as we remember that racism was never defeated, only hidden. 

Selina Jiang, Period 1, 3/12/24

Selina Jiang 

Period 1

3/12/24

Modern Mythology 2024

Blog #3

Literacy & Learning

As we entered the Vampire Unit in our Modern Mythology class with Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice, my knowledge of vampires was extremely limited prior to entering the vampire unit. I have never been intrigued by the whole idea of vampires and never indulged in it while most people would think about Twilight or Vampire Diaries when hearing the word vampire. I had the most basic understanding that vampires couldn’t be in the sun, sucked blood out of humans, slept in coffins, scared of garlic, and can’t be seen in mirrors. 

The book was nice to read after reading Beowulf as I could actually understand what Louis was trying to express while for Beowulf, I would read over each line multiple times trying to understand it only to find out I didn’t understand the reading properly from the class discussions.When we started reading the book, I was shocked by how the book was written as it was similar to how the fanfiction genre is written especially with the vampire-romance trope. My favorite parts of the book are where Louis is struggling between whether he wants to keep his morals or succumb to his vampire side. Anne Rice did a good job portraying Louis’ vampirism in an untraditional way by having Louis constantly switch between being a servant of God and being a child of Satan. I loved how Louis still kept his human emotions and didn’t become like Lestat who only cared about himself. For example, Louis struggled to understand how every vampire he met reveled in killing humans as he was mainly doing it to survive.

And of course with good comes bad, even though I loved the internal struggle with Louis there were parts of the book that I was just repulsed by. The way and reason Claudia became a vampire, the way the relationship between Claudia and Louis changed from a father-daughter relationship to Claudia wanting to be his lover were all really concerning to me. The lesson where we talked about the characterization of Claudia was definitely not my favorite as the whole class listed descriptions Louis made of Claudia, many of which included the combination of descriptions of a child’s body and a grown woman. We learned the word “dichotomy” which means two opposing forces of the same idea. The dichotomy between Claudia’s physical appearance and mental state is causing a rift in the relationship between Claudia and Louis as her child body is saying that they should only be strictly a father-daughter relationship while Claudia’s mature desires are asking to be lovers.

Ultimately, I think Anne Rice is a splendid writer for writing Interview with the Vampire. As mentioned before, there are some parts of the book that were notable while others were unpleasant. I love how the book can stand by itself as there is no additional information needed at the beginning and end of the book.

 

Raymond Chen, Period 1, 3/19/24

Raymond Chen PD 2 Modern Mythology Blog #2

Literacy & Learning
Write about your thoughts/feelings regarding any of the fiction or nonfiction covered in class.
Reflect on any new information you have learned in English class by considering how that learning influences your critical perception.
How is what you’re learning applied to any other classes/the world around you?

As we just finished Grendel, it showed how Mythology and so closely related to reality as well. Grendel, in my opinion, was just a lost being who was misunderstood. He who wanted to become a part of society was cast away due to his appearance.
Grendel resents mankind which is the reason why he became a monster. Before he even became a monster, he would view humans’ activities from a safe distance but at some point, he would visit the dragon which would change his perspective on everything. Grendel thought just because of his appearance and because God blessed the human race with their joys they chose to show disgust towards Grendel even though they were the cruel ones. During chapter 4, Grendel would see a couple quarreling, and right next to them was a man whose throat was slit and clothes robbed. He was baffled to see the contrast between innocent love and violent murder. This can be shown as how humans were violent towards each other but just because of Grendel’s appearance, he is automatically labeled as a violent monster. Soon after, Grendel approaches the dragon and receives advice which the dragon tells Grendel, “Seek out gold and sit on it”, the dragon wanted Grendel to find a path and stick to it rather than try to fit in somewhere where he wasn't welcomed.
Many people in our society face the same trouble whether it be race, gender, social status, or even wealth. For example, a veteran who may have served our country may become homeless due to trauma but others who pass by him don't know that. If a homeless veteran begins approaching someone, many would get in a flight or fight mode even if they were harmless and just wanted to ask a question. This was just one of the many examples of a “monster” in our society. Many around the world just like Grendel want to fit in with society's norms but are unfortunately blocked out because of different beliefs or even looks even though at root, they are just the same.

Chloe Chen, Period 6, 3/21

 Chloe chen 

Modern mythology

Blog #3 

Social-political consciousness 

3/21/2024

I’ve always been a big fan of true crime. My favorite show as a middle schooler was Criminal Minds and my favorite YouTuber growing up was Stephanie Soo, who told true crime stories as she did mukbangs ( eat food ). She would capture your attention with the details in her stories and I always appreciated the efforts she put into researching the events behind a case. She told many cases, from mysterious cold cases to the infamous crimes committed by celebrities. Stephanie’s videos were constant reminders of the cruelness of the world. However, the cases that stuck with me the most were often cases about violence against women, specifically the Burning Sun Case in 2019. To summarize, it was a scandal involving many A-list celebrities in South Korea who were in group chats, sending illegal and non-consensual photos of women. These people would drug girls, rape them, and post the events in the group chats that made inappropriate jokes objectifying the girls in the videos. This case got a lot of exposure because these celebrities were idols to a large number of female audiences, who were around the same age as their victims. It was questionable that the maximum sentence among all the men was 2.5 years. But it was bizarre to me that in comparison, possession of drugs in SK would lead to 5 years in jail. Perhaps it was surreal to me because drugs are more widely used here and the average sentence for rape in the US is 16 years. After watching this video, I went down a rabbit hole of many other videos on South Korean crime. It didn’t take long to realize how the police forces didn’t care for violence towards women. This case was something I thought of constantly because the end was so unsatisfying. So much evidence of them ruining these girls' lives and all they get is a year or two in jail?

After hearing about the lack of protection from the SK police department, I became more grateful for the systems enacted in the US to reinforce protection against violence. However, I knew that wherever we go, as a woman, people will always have something to say. I am a strong advocate for women’s voices not just being heard, but also being listened to. It started in middle school when my best friend and I joined clubs after school. We decided to play handball and unfortunately for us, we were the only two girls on the team. We loved handball, but not the part where we could only utilize the brick wall instead of using the actual courts because the boys were using them. For middle school me, it felt off, but I didn’t care to say anything. When high school began, I was exposed to more outward discrimination against women. My jaw dropped when I first heard a boy tell a girl to “go back to the kitchen,” or when a guy outwardly called my friend a dishwasher as their guy friends giggled at the comment. I was even more shocked that every girl had managed to brush it off as if it didn’t mean anything. It was degrading to our identity as girls and I hated it. As I played handball throughout high school, it wasn’t any different. Boys would come over to me and my friends, and take over our courts. 

I am the oldest of four siblings, having two sisters and the youngest being my one brother. Growing up with my sisters, we’ve learned the hardships of being girls and tried to teach our brother to be someone respectful to everyone. I can see that my experiences growing up with mostly women in my family may not be the circumstances of other families, which causes our views of womanhood to vary. I constantly see the work that needs to be done to face discrimination against being a woman. But others can see how greatly the world has changed, so there is no way there can still be discrimination. I understand that for some people, this issue doesn’t matter to them at all because they have way greater things to worry about. But personally, this issue matters to me. So I hope that girls start calling out immature boys and their unfunny jokes. I feel so much better every time I say something rather than just keep it in. 

Jimmy Chen, Period 1, 3/18/24

Jimmy Chen, PD 1, 3/17/24

The social discrimination of the homeless is present in most major urban cities and has been on the rise in the past years. In the US, homelessness has increased by 12% due to increasing rents and increasing living costs. These people also have a hard time finding jobs because jobs often have policies in place that discriminate against these people. Some cities have gone as far as to make homelessness a crime or restrict what actions can be done on the homeless. Benefits that normal people can get are often extremely limited to the homeless population, like healthcare and social services. Also, homeless people are often viewed in a negative light as stereotypes about homeless people being crime perpetrators or drug-addicts. Homeless people are ignored in society due to this stigma, which separates them further from society. Although not all homeless people are crime perpetrators, there are some who resort to a life of crime in order to survive. This shows how society has treated the homeless and forced them to commit things they wouldn’t have normally done. People find it hard to understand homeless people, as some people might say to “stop being lazy and get a job”, but this is often more complicated than just getting a job. The treatment of the homeless population can be compared to Grendel as they were both treated poorly and shunned by society. This shows how folklore can allude to real life events and there is relevance in fiction.

Bibliography:

News, A. B. C. “Why Experts Say Some Unhoused People Are Unfairly Assumed to Be Dangerous.” ABC News, 17 Oct. 2023, abcnews.go.com/Health/unhoused-people-perceived-dangerous/story?id=103751928

Freking, Kevin. “U.S. Homelessness up 12 Percent to Highest Reported Level as Rents Soar and Pandemic Aid Lapses.” PBS NewsHour, 15 Dec. 2023, www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/u-s-homelessness-up-12-percent-to-highest-reported-level-as-rents-soar-and-pandemic-aid-lapses‌ 

 

Nycja.org, 2017, www.nycja.org/justice-in-practice/homelessness-rates-for-nyc-summary-arrests-from-2019-2021

Songen Tang Period 6 2/29/2024

 Songen Tang

Period 6

2/29/2024

Modern Mythology 2024

Socio-political Consciousness

In a recent lesson, we were discussing government systems that serve to repress its population and it reminded me of the conversations that were especially loud during quarantine and the black lives matter movement. I know that the lesson was talking about state organizations, but private prisons were something that seemed almost unanimously hated during that time. They are still somewhat state organizations because they are funded by the government and part of the prison system but it seems like what makes them seem particularly immoral is the “private” part, while most people still agree that prisons in general are necessary. 

The main argument against private prisons is the idea that they operate as a business and benefit from having full capacity at all times. This obviously goes against the general societal idea that we should have less criminals and therefore less people in prison. In order to have as many people as possible in prison, private prisons employed a wide array of practices. As a business, they have the ability to lobby for stricter laws that would ensure more people are arrested, even if the crimes aren’t deemed serious by the majority of people. Private prisons also have higher rates of recidivism which is likely not a coincidence considering if they focused on rehabilitation, there would be less people incarcerated, and they would receive less funding. I think this is one of the worst things private prisons, and prisons in general, do because by not focusing on rehabilitating criminals, they are causing more crime and raising the cost of prisons because they have to fund another sentence. Another argument against private prisons is that they tend to treat prisoners worse because by spending less money on them, they can increase profit, something public prisons don’t have to worry about.

Part of the argument for keeping private prisons is that they cost less than public prisons and therefore are saving government money. However, there are also arguments against this fact. Because prisoners in private prisons tend to stay longer and recommit more often, it might balance out the lower cost per sentence. Private prisons also don't tend to take prisoners who require higher security which also helps them lower the cost. A better argument for private prisons, in my opinion, is that they might help innovate the prison system, if they were to be rewarded for lower rates of recidivism instead of higher, they might outdo the public prisons which have hardly changed. This might also cause the opposite problem, however, where prisons are trying to get rid of prisoners who are not ready in order to increase profit, so maybe it's best to just try and limit the exchanging of money in our justice system. 

Charles Gian, Period 1, 3/14/24

Charles Gian

Period 1
3/13/2024
Modern Mythology 2024

Research Paper: Nihilism

We’re a blip in the history of the universe. One tiny speck of more-than-average intelligence out of 70 quintillion planets. Planets get old, kaput, form a new planet, and the cycle continues. Like the famous quote goes, time stops for nobody. Everything goes to an end with enough time, just like how we will eventually, so what’s the point? Why do homework, why battle taxes, why challenge yourself and, inevitably fail, if you could just do nothing? Why do anything at all?

I’ve heard this constant buzz throughout my life, and I’m sure you’ve heard it too. This constant denial of any reasoning in life, the sly little devil on your shoulder, that you should just give up and let time take its course on you. It’s always intrigued me, but I’ve never paid much attention to it, as I’ve always been steered on a set course for my whole life. Now, with more freedom comes more choice, and I hear the buzz picking back up. What is Nihilism and where does it come from?

Summarizing one of Friedrich Nietzsche’s definitions of Nihilism, a renowned German philosopher, Nihilism is “... the negation of life through its subordination to a ‘higher realm’”. Nietzsche’s definition of Nihilism is more based on religion, where this “higher realm”, or higher being, is actually just fiction, lies that give people purpose in life. Without this “made-up” religion and higher beings, they would also see from the same perspective as him. However, people are so caught up in religion, and the “lies” as he puts it, that almost any other viewpoint seems alien. Everyone else falls victim to this, in a religion or not. We completely put our faith in science, believe it’s completely rock-solid in the discoveries we have today, and are extremely confident in explaining almost everything about this planet and our universe. However, within these fundamental bases come tiny little “lies”, gaps, or inconsistencies in science. For example, it’s well known that the Big Bang was the event which started the universe off, eventually leading to the creation of space, our stars, and our planets, over time. Keep in mind though, that it’s all just a theory. Once you start looking into ideas like this further, small fundamental questions like “How did we come about?” still haven’t been answered yet. The Big Bang theory does explain a lot, and connects with the findings we have today, but what caused it? What caused this massive explosion out of nowhere, from nothing, to kickstart our universe? Does science really explain what the world and universe is governed by and describe it, or is it all just fancy terms made up to sell that we know what we’re doing, and that more people should further this research of lies?

As in Gardner’s Grendel, the humans in the story, notably the shaper, just sing lies and make up stories about wars between their various groups, encounters with monsters, and the Gods which look after the humans. Grendel even imitates being The Great Destroyer to Ork, one of the priests. Humans in the story completely believe in their religion. All of Grendel’s nihilistic thinking was kickstarted by the Dragon. This further emphasizes that sometimes we need to listen to the other side, no matter how crazy or against what you believe it is, as they could be speaking the truth. Maybe there really is no meaning behind life, but it’s just up to us to create meaning for ourselves.

Works Cited:

Nietzsche’s Shadow: On The Origin and Development of the Term ..., journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0191453720975454. Accessed 13 Mar. 2024. 

Puiu, Tibi. “There Are over 700 Quintillion Planets in the Universe -- but There’s No Place like Home.” ZME Science, 15 May 2023, www.zmescience.com/feature-post/space-astronomy/astronomy-articles/how-many-planets-universe/. 

Rin Tung, Period 6, 02/27/24

Looking at Grendel’s mother, the first depiction of her in Grendel by Gardner is that from Grendel’s perspective, his pale slightly glowing fat mother. The life-bloated, baffled, long-suffering hag. And later that she loved him but seemingly in a distant, strange way. It still describes her as “one thing” with Grendel — “like the wall and the rock growing out from it”, mentioning her physical attributes and behavior with “she would reach out her claws and seize me” or “smash me to her fat, limp breast as if to make me a part of her flesh again”, “she hurls herself across the void and buries me in her bristly fur and fat”, even.

And maybe how Grendel sees his mother is how Gardner interprets the character from the original Beowulf, or maybe even a projection. She is motherly but beast-like. Instinctual. She does not speak nor understand speech nor understand Grendel’s mind, only really knowing that he is her child, loving him in the most primitive of ways.

In the original Beowulf, Grendel’s mother’s identity and standing in the story remains unsolved. The ides aglæcwif has been painted mostly as a monster woman since Klaeber’s version. Ides is widely accepted and agreed to be the lady, so is the term dis. The Dísir, the fate goddesses of Norse mythology, are really simply “the ladies”. Dís has also been argued to be the original form of valkyrie. Both Wealtheow and Grendel’s mother are ides, possibly representing the different aspects of the valkyrie.

But yet, the aglæca is used to describe both Grendel, his mother, and Beowulf himself. In the case of the former two, the monster, the demon, the fiend. To Beowulf, the warrior, the hero. Arguably, aglæca is simply a warrior, a fierce fighter; making Grendel’s mother, the ides aglæcwif, a lady woman-warrior. If there were no differentiations between the depiction of the hero and the antagonists other than the sexes, then at no point is her monstrosity ever mentioned or described. And frankly, that may be all that she was in the original Beowulf — a fierce, female warrior.

Then where does the monstrosity, the beast-like aspects first emerge? Maybe it's simply the way that aglæca’s original meaning isn’t agreed on, forcing later renditions to build her entire image on what we know of her, a descendant of Cain. Maybe it's the same way Medusa has been slowly painted as a villain, a monster. Maybe it’s the way an unnamed strong and fierce woman, only fighting and killing for the sake of her child dying to her victims’ hands — maybe such characterization makes her monstrous. She is simple minded, unbothered and uncaring, except when it comes to her child, and at that point she would stop at nothing to protect him, to avenge him. Maybe it is that motherly instinct that paints her as a fearful figure to the patriarchal eye; maybe it is the way that she displays every aspect of a hero, but the fact that she is female takes away all of her benevolence.

But one thing is certain, she is always described as a motherly figure. Fierce, ruthless, but loving in her primitive and simple minded way. She simply runs on instinct, to protect her child and uncaring of everything else. If such is her character, then does it matter if she is a monstrous being? If being fiercely motherly, or even a strong woman automatically paints a character as a monster, then how many other female figures in our literature and mythology from a more patriarchal time are wrongly categorized as villainous or evil?

Morgan Lee, Period 1, 3/11/2024

Morgan Lee, Period 1, 3/10/2024, Modern Mythology 2024

Literature Circle - The Song of Achilles By Madeline Miller - Critical Theory Analysis

SPOILER ALERT

    Looking at a text through a feminist criticism lens requires acknowledging that it was written in a male dominated society and examining how gender stereotypes and patriarchal tendencies can skew our perspectives. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller is a modern retelling of The Iliad, focusing on the tales of the hero Achilles, told from the point of view of his companion, Patroclus. This novel leads us through their whole lives, from their childhoods to the end of the Trojan War. While the queer aspect is undeniable, as Achilles and Patroclus’s relationship and eventual tragic romance is the main focus of the story, there are many female characters who also play large roles. Because this takes place in Ancient Greece, all of these women were victims in some form or another, due to their role in society.

The first character we will explore is Thetis, a sea-nymph and mother of Achilles. Thetis never wanted to be Achilles’s mother, but it was prophesied that her son would be stronger than his father. To prevent this, the gods wanted to ensure that the child was half mortal, despite Thetis only being a minor god. They awarded Peleus, King of Phthia, the “honor” of being Thetis’s husband. The gods instructed Peleus on how to sneak up on Thetis, and despite her efforts to shapeshift and escape, he was able to successfully assault and impregnate her. After giving birth to Achilles, she was made to stay on land for a year to raise him. Thetis’s character is powerless in most of the book. She never wanted to be a mother, yet was raped and forced to conceive a child. Achilles was prophesied to die at a young age, and again, she was unable to prevent this, only able to watch as her son’s hubris led to his demise. Thetis is a god, yet was unable to do anything to prevent her molestation and her son’s death just because the gods had decreed it so. Thetis turned bitter, rightfully so, and disapproved of Achilles becoming romantically involved with Patroclus. For most of the book, Patroclus depicts her as this controlling and unreasonable mother, who is full of hatred. However, when thinking about it, she has a right to be this bitter. She never wanted a child yet was forced to, she would at least want her pain and suffering to pay off in some way, thus, she would intervene and try to do what she thinks would be best for her son. 

    Deidameia is the princess of Scyros and King Lycomedes’s daughter. When Thetis was trying to prevent Achilles from going to war (which leads to his prophesied death) she stowed him away on Scyros, disguised as a girl. She then forces Achilles to have sex, and consequently marry, Deidameia, who is aware of Achilles’s actual identity. However, once Patroclus locates and reunites with him on Scyros, she is sworn to secrecy by Thetis and forced to give birth in exile. Thetis then takes the child from her and raises him away from the influence of humans. Deidameia’s story, in particular, focuses on the struggle for power in a matriarchal society and how women could have their whole life ripped from them. When Patroclus first meets her, she is effectively at the peak of her power. Despite being princess, she essentially runs Scyros due to her fathers old age. When she harbors Achilles, she is the only one who knows the truth about his identity. However, this all changes when Patroclus finds Achilles. In order to keep Achilles as her husband, she threatens to reveal his secret. On a whim, she loses all of her power. Thetis forces her to keep her mouth shut and makes her give birth to her child secretly. She could no longer run the kingdom, as it would be increasingly obvious that she was pregnant, and she couldn’t even keep her own child. As a last ditch resort, she even tries to ruin Achilles and Patroclus’s relationship. She describes having sex with Achilles in order to turn Patroclus jealous. When that doesn’t work, she has sex with Patroclus, trying to see what Achilles sees in him, but not her. Patroclus allows this, out of pity because he is partially to blame for her dreadful situation, but also because he knows she is jealous of what he has and that his relationship with Achilles is strong enough that this won't be an issue. Deidameia is desperate to cling on to her power but ultimately fails. She was a rare case of a woman holding power, and yet she still lost it all due to factors outside of her control.

    Briseis was a peasant living on the outskirts of Troy. She was captured early on in the war during the raids. She was offered as a prize, a mistress for the generals of the army. Achilles, at Patroclus’s insistence, claimed her in order to save her from being used by the other men. She eventually was able to build a close friendship with Patroclus, helping around camp and accompanying when Achilles went off to fight. Eventually, when Achilles defies Agamemnon, he takes her forcefully and plans to rape her. Achilles, with his pride wounded and against Patroclus’s wishes, allowed this as it would give him a valid reason to attack Agamemnon and prove that the army is useless without him. Briseis lost her whole family and previous life due to the war, a war raged by men trying to get vengeance on other men. She had to live through a senseless tragedy just due to the greed of men and the need for honor and glory. Even in camp, though she was treated well by both Patroclus and Achilles, never once being used for her “intended purpose” (sexual release), she was still expected and relegated to do tasks that would be seen as traditionally done by women. She would help cook and help Patroclus gather items such as herbs that could be used for healing. Furthermore, she would eventually take on a motherly role towards other captives that Achilles claimed and Patroclus took in, helping them get settled in and teaching them Greek. Briseis’s whole life was turned upside down because of the war, and despite eventually finding a sense of normalcy and safety during the war, it becomes obviously how easily this illusion could be shattered just due to her gender.

    Besides the fact that this book takes place in a time and place where society was obviously male-dominated, this book doesn’t have a fully reliable narrator. Telling the story from Patroclus’s point of view leaves out a lot of the nuance and detail in regards to the women in the novel. His perspective is skewed because despite being weaker than normal, he is still a man. He isn’t able to fully or accurately comprehend and convey the women’s emotions and circumstances, which downplays their struggles in the book. 

 

Evan Lu, Period 1, 2/29/24

Evan Lu Period 1 2/29/24

Modern Mythology 2024

One current event that revolves around oppression is in Origin High School in Sheepshead Bay where some kids were hating and being anti semitic. Students told a jewish teacher they wished she was killed and there was a video of a student with a hitler mustache doing the nazi salute. The school is 40% middle eastern and muslim and they probably were taught at a young age to be antisemitic. The principal is not taking action and the Administration at Origin highschool continuously downplayed the antisemitism. THe new York Post reviewed four school incident reports — including one on the teen who posed as Hitler, and two describing harassment of Jewish teachers; with kids telling one “they don’t like Jewish people” and another that “they love Hitler.” All the incidents were initially classified as harassment based on “race, color, creed, religion,” etc. but the reports state  “No” as to whether they were “Bias Related.” If it was bias-motivated, the superintendent and NYPD would be called, and the students could have received an out-of-school suspension. But, they received only a phone call to their parents. An 18-year-old senior attending Professional Pathways, an alternative school co-located in the building, said Origins students’ antisemitic terror stems from being exposed to the “Free Palestine” movement and protests against Israel. “It’s like another way of protesting,” the student said about the hateful actions. “That’s what people who protest do — they start rioting, they start writing stuff, throwing stuff.” “They just love their country and they take it to the extreme — which isn’t that bad until it’s taken to places where it shouldn’t be brought, like all that Nazi stuff,” he added.

I think the last part, free Palestine is shown a lot throughout social media and recently Aaron Bushnell killed himself outside the Israeli embassy in Washington shouting "Free Palestine" and it was all over social media. I also believe that although protesting is ok, it shouldn’t be anti semitic or racist. I believe it could have been a peaceful protest, for example a school walk out instead of death threats and antisemitism. I feel like what they did was wrong and hating is not a good way to protest or voice your opinion.
I believe that we should “Free Palestine," as over 30,000 Palestinians have lost their lives to Israel. Seeing Aaron Bushnell's immolation in protest, it reminds of just how many have. Although, death threats and antisemitism might not be the correct way to protest as these people have nothing to do with Israel killing Palestinians over the Gaza strip, it is evident to me as to why they would make connections between the "perpetrators" and semitic groups. Seeing "Free Palestine" on social media, I believe social media being partially correct because Israel has basically committed genocide and these students in highschool decided that they would "protest" by being anti-Semitic.

Works Cited:

https://www.nydailynews.com/2024/02/26/aaron-bushnell-air-force-video-fire-protest/
https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/29/middleeast/gaza-death-toll-30000-israel-war-hnk-intl/index.html

https://nypost.com/2024/03/09/us-news/students-at-nyc-high-school-terrorized-antisemitic-teens-blame-social-media/

John Lee, Period 1, 3/8/2024

For this blog, I decided to take what we are learning in class and relate it to the socio-political state of the world as I think it is very fitting for our times. During a time such as 2024 where the future seems as uncertain as ever and governments seem to become more and more oppressive with unchecked power and corruption running rampant it almost perfectly mirrors the kingdom of Hrothgar. And with the election cycle soon coming to fruition it seems the “Shapers” of our world are manipulating our minds just as he did to Grendel. For a story told in class such as this, it seems like a perfect candidate to talk about the state of modern america.

When looking at the story Grendel, there can be many parallels drawn when looking at the corruption and hypocrisy of the government today. For example, when we look at the peasant Red Horse, when we hear some of the words he says, he perfectly encompasses the kingdom of Hrothgar and by proxy, the governments of today. He states, “Public force is the life and soul of every state: not merely army and police but prisons, judges, tax collectors, every conceivable trick of coercive repression. The state is an organization of violence, a monopoly in what it is pleased to call legitimate violence" (Gardner). When you analyze his statement and break it down, you start to get what he is saying. To him and Hrothulf, they are both disillusioned as they see the whole system in which they are a part of draws its powers through use of institutions such as the military and police to enforce compliance. To them, the wealth of the kingdom relies on the peasants yet they tax them to hell and treat them terribly. They want the peasants to live a certain way confined to the bounds of the law and society, all the while they live lavishly and fail to follow the rules themselves. They lament over the attacks of Grendel yet are willing to subject others to extreme acts of violence in the name of Hrothgar’s kingdom. Just as in the book, the same thing happens in real life. Politicians insider trade and pass unethical laws for economic gain, legislators and lawmakers tax normal people, yet fail to pay taxes themself. The US champions human rights while supporting countries who commit human rights violations themselves. The justice system, built for keeping the peace and trying criminals has obvious disparities when comparing the treatment of certain racial groups to high profile figures such as CEOs and company owners. This is just a small fraction of the examples that illustrate the hypocrisy of the state. Just like Grendel, one feels as if they see through the illusion of these power structures and sees them for what they are yet at the end of the day nothing can be done. All that is left is disdain, whether it be towards humans for Grendel or towards the government for average Americans. Reflecting onto my own life experiences, the amount of times I read the news and see yet another politician or public figure get caught for yet another corruption scheme makes one furious. Not only this, the fact that many people in high society, whether it be political figures or celebrities that visited an island known for child human trafficking is alarming and instills in one a sense of dread as one begins to see not just subtle evil but blatant evil from the people that are in power.

Not only is there gross amounts of hypocrisy in both worlds, Gardner’s Grendel also brings up the idea of coercive oppression. Coercive oppression can be defined by the less violent option to blatant violence but the idea remains almost the same. Use force to oppress those who are being ruled via societal institutions. This can be seen all throughout the kingdom of Hrothgar as seen through its use of the police to instill fear and thus exercise power over the people. Multiple times throughout Grendel the use of police force comes up as for example, the bread thief is immediately sent to be executed. This use of force implies the message that “Despite the fact that you are starving, the rules of the state come first.” This can be seen again when we see Red Horse talk about how if there is a strike for a workforce the policies typical reaction would be to “arrest a few and execute a few.” Clearly the law of the land is not through respect or duty but through fear and might, something that can be said for the governments of today, although a lot more milder and more befitting of “coercive oppression” than that of the kingdom of Hrothgar. Truly, reading Gardner’s interpretation has made me realize how the aspects of coercive oppression affect my everyday life. In fact it made me realize that I wasn't even aware I was being coercively oppressed to begin with. For example, as a New Yorker, nothing pisses me off more than having to pay for transportation. However, understandably, the government must collect money to keep the city running. What is unjust and an example of coercive oppression is the use of the congestion toll. The congestion toll is just a tax for the sake of taking money. But more importantly, it is a tool used to control the behavior of the people. To me, it screams “You will not drive a car! You will be discouraged from owning a car. You will pay the government (to do nothing) and you will be happy while doing it.” Another example that I have seen in my daily life as a form of passive coercive oppression is the use of hostile architecture. Whether it be bland buildings that look like massive prisons or park benches with annoying ergonomics meant to stop you from laying down, it seems that everywhere you go, someone is trying to modify your behavior. It is clear that through Red Horse's semi correct philosophy I have noticed that more and more aspects of my life make me seem smaller and smaller with less and less control over what actions I am permitted to do.

Finally, one of the most important characters seen throughout Gardner's Grendel, the shaper, illustrates the extent to which society and its governments hold power over not only the body but also the mind. Through the use of the Shaper, the kingdom has the ultimate power: The power to change the way people feel. Numerous times throughout the text have shown the power of the Shaper as he is able to rewrite Danish history through his crafty songs and poetry. He is able to manipulate the very fabric of what people know about their past. Through his influence he can even make a monster such as Grendel, feel a whirlwind of emotions and even bring him to try to understand and make amends with humanity. Not only does the Shaper hold power over the mind but also characters such as Red Horse. Through his conversations with Hrothulf, so too can Red Horse change the views of the impressionable humans. Acting as somewhat of a mentor, Red Horse is able to indoctrinate and shape the actions of Hrothulf through their various conversations as they walk. These 2 examples of both the Shaper and of Red Horse offer insight about the power mainstream media holds over the mind and oppressee. As seen in my own life, many times I have read the news or seen an article and the course of my mood changes. I can be uplifted, let down, enraged, and disgusted, all through the medium of the news. Even as the 2024 elections come around the corner, it seems like more and more people are going mad. Both worlds prove one truth that has become more apparent to me as I reflect on my place in society: We become what we behold. In more blunt terms, what we are surrounded by can drastically alter our actions and our thoughts. Through Gardner’s work, I feel as if there is more special attention paid to who I surround myself with and the information I consume on a daily basis.

Despite all of this new insight, sadly there is no real application you can use this information or insights to change your life. There is no “transfer.” No matter how hard you try, for the most part, you are but one person who cannot really change the systems that run the world, no matter how corrupt or terrible they are. Instead all you gain is knowledge of being an involuntary puppet on a grand stage with no way to really change the outcome. One realizes that your role on the grand stage of the world is yet another unoriginal experience in a maelstrom of other souls that reside in the institutions that keep the world afloat. Although this is true, insignificance is not always a bad thing. Just like the dragon in Grendel, one realizes that they just have to accept the nature of things and only maybe then one can use these insights. One can choose not to worry about the state of the world as there is nothing the average person can do. Maybe one can choose to try to change their small sphere of influence and live in a small world. Perhaps the best thing you can do is to not play the game at all.

Andrew Neria, Period 1, 2/27/2024

Robert moses

redlining in the bronx

non bus to prevent low class

oppressive infrastructure/government since old


Our lesson on March 5th included the analysis something as simple as traffic. Using context from prior knowledge and other pieces of literature we’ve read in other English courses, we were able to recognize oppressive sentiment built into systems such as car-based infrastructure. It was astonishing to think about; even something as straight-cut and mathematical as urban planning could underscore maliciousness towards minorities living in our city.

We learned about redlining, a practice that flagged certain areas of New York as “high-risk” and others as “desirable.” This practice led to the severe under-funding of minority communities, leading to a steep divide in family income, education, and general life expectancy. I drew back on my prior knowledge of the Cross Bronx Expressway. Built between 1948 and 1972, the Cross Bronx Expressway was a structure that contributed immensely to the disparity between minorities in New York today. The widespread poverty was one of the worst instances if urban decay in NY history. The highway ran through entire city blocks of residential areas and businesses alike. This displaced over 60,000 people across the Bronx, leading to more intense redlining, densely populated areas, and a plethora of other long-lasting and negative effects.

Once bustling city sidewalks became ghost towns. Phrases like “The Bronx is burning” referenced the rampant cases of mass arson due tot he total economic collapse of the Bronx. Today, the Bronx, specifically South Bronx, is cited as one of the most dangerous places in NYC. The dense culture of the Bronx was smothered by roadway pollution and congestion, with statistically significant evidence that children who grow up in the Bronx are predisposed to respiratory ailments such as asthma.

The circumstances that Grendel was born into created the monster that he becomes later in the story. Although they were out of his control, his situation led him to become a deeply flawed individual. Grendel sought to replace his intense alienation with acts of evil and self-satisfaction. This cycle of violence and angst has been perpetuated time and time again in minority communities across New York. It’s easy to look down on the minorities who live in these areas, to avoid investing or just travelling through these neighborhoods. It’s hard to recognize the years of oppression built into every day life, the harmful lingering effects it left on the livelihoods of New Yorkers across the boroughs. And it’s even harder to begin rectifying these wrongdoings. Understanding the human condition through literature helps to develop compassion for those that live in our own communities: the same compassion that was missing in the development of our cities and systems years before us.


Informal cites sourced (for personal use, don’t include in the blog)

Bronx then and now: https://youtu.be/D3dyHrXo0Cc?si=XKGlbfQ9fUNuDk9_

Why CBE is always congested: https://youtu.be/7geuAFVjNOE?si=ZyLG3hhxcgauRnLv

History of the bronx: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWFYeKKpBp4&list=TLPQMDcwMzIwMjRlkEoAfbkv0A&index=1

Milana Kravets Period 6 3/7/2024

 Milana Kravets PD6

Blog #3

Modern Mythology 2024

On March 4th, when I stepped into my Mythology class, I arrived with a surface-level interpretation of our assigned homework chapter on the novel Grendel. However, after class finished, I had gained great insight into the story’s intricacies and left with a deeper breakdown of the whole plot. 

Our classwork assignment that day specifically struck me, compared to our other previous class discussions and activities. That day, we were instructed to pick out our favorite quote from Chapter 7 and then annotate and analyze a classmate’s quote. What seemed at first to be a simple, straightforward “Do Now” task, proved to advance and help me better comprehend Grendel’s overall inner conflict. The quote that I selected was, “I have not committed the ultimate act of nihilism: I have not killed the queen”. Throughout the chapters, Grendel battles with his ideas on nihilism and existentialism by listening to the Shaper's and the Dragon’s contrasting views on the meaning of life. By choosing not to kill the queen, he defies his alleged role in society as a monstrous creature, whose only purpose in the universe is marked by violence and destruction. His decision highlights the idea that he still recognizes moral boundaries and has some restraint left in him, which opposes the nihilistic philosophy. I believe this quote advances the plot to a significant extent and genuinely changed my understanding of Grendel. 

As I presumed, I was not the only reader affected by Grendel’s personal decision in this chapter. Upon exchanging quotes, I noticed my classmate’s quote was quite similar to mine; it read: “I changed my mind. It would be meaningless, killing her. As meaningless as letting her live. It would be, for me, mere pointless pleasure, an illusion of order for this one frail, foolish flicker-flash in the long dull fall of eternity”. As a high school senior who has been annotating texts since middle school, the act of annotating has once again proven to be of remarkable benefit. Annotating this quote helped me grasp the reasoning behind Grendel’s development and shift in views. This quote portrays his existential realization with the idea that killing Wealtheow would not fulfill or satisfy his life, advancing his complex character.

Grendel continues to confront his supposed inherent nature in subsequent chapters. Particularly, in Chapter 9, Grendel assumes the role of the King of all Gods when conversing with Ork. This chapter depicts the first time Grendel was viewed beyond his status as a monster and instead, as an individual treated with recognition and respect. His temporary power and authority from acting as a divine figure illustrates to the readers that he is not merely a mindless character and is capable of intelligence and wit. Furthermore, it shows that prejudice against him is often established due to his physical appearance. Due to Ork’s blindness, visual bias is eliminated and allows for purposeful dialogue and interaction between the two characters. Even though their conversation was brief, the interaction with Ork elevates Grendel’s character and even prompts Grendel to challenge his perception of himself, truly prevailing his humanity amidst his surface-level image. 

Analyzing these chapters helped me recognize similar patterns in our society today. Prejudice and snap judgements occur daily, which leads to people not truly understanding each other. First impressions are quickly made based on various factors, such as appearance, culture, race, economic status, and established reputation. Princeton researchers have even concluded that individuals can make valid judgments of others within 1/10 of a second. Often, people will not take the time to acknowledge and learn about a person’s background, complexities, and personal experiences when initially meeting them. In Grendel, Ork's blindness urges readers to see past looks and consider the humanity of others. This implies that genuine understanding and compassion require a readiness to interact with others at a deeper level. In essence, the chapter highlights the value of empathy and causes readers to reevaluate themselves and others. Similarly, my perception of Grendel was transformed. At first, I believed he was an evil monster, but after studying more about him and seeing how he interacted with Ork, I consider him as more complex and reasonable than previously assumed. Outside of the novel, I began to consider how others might perceive me upon first encounters and how my judgment of others, even close friends, has substantially changed after getting to know them better. 

Just as Grendel experienced discrimination and intolerance, leading to his isolation from the world around him and ever-changing existential and nihilistic beliefs, our society is filled with a sense of division, conflict, and violence fueled by prejudice. Gardner’s work essentially serves as a reflection of the complexities of the world we inhabit and causes us, the readers, to reassess our life choices. Furthermore, Grendel's determination to find meaning in his life is similar to our efforts to create change and challenge the roles in society for the betterment and unity of civilization and the development of our purpose on this planet. Ultimately, Gardner’s Grendel not only represents a classic tale of a so-called monster but also provides a lens through which readers can comprehend and address social issues prevalent in the world today.

Source:

The Trustees of Princeton University. (n.d.). Snap judgments decide a face’s character, psychologist finds. Princeton University. https://www.princeton.edu/news/2006/08/22/snap-judgments-decide-faces-character-psychologist-finds