Nicole Varghese, 3/2/2021, PD8, Day C

Nicole Varghese
Period 8
March 2, 2021
Day C

Literacy and Learning

Write about your thoughts regarding any of the fiction or nonfiction covered in class.

In the last cycle, we concluded Beowulf with a tragic ending to the epic tale as his battle with the dragon leads to death. It certainly would have been a dismal moment for Beowulf since it was the first time that in his fight against fate, his glory was denied unlike before. Whenever I read epic tales from history, I imagine the heroic protagonist surviving all the obstacles in his/her path and still emerging victorious. I feel like this is a common feeling because although this protagonist may be flawed in various ways, we, as readers, want to see them succeed especially since they represent good in the battle between good and evil. Also, this connection to the protagonist could be because we relate to the flaws the hero possesses as they perhaps embody struggles and feelings we experience. Another aspect I was interested in was the symbolism especially in the last scenes of the epic. The dragon symbolically represents evil since it is synonymous with the serpent which caused the downfall of Adam and Eve and their banishment from the Garden of Evil in the Old Testament. The dragon is a mighty and powerful creature and seems like an appropriate counterpart for Beowulf as opposed to Grendel who was easily defeated. This explains why the dragon was the one who brought Beowulf’s downfall since it brought out his ego which blinded him to his own incapabilities. Another symbolic character is Wiglaf and his bravery and loyalty to Beowulf can be interpreted as hope for the future of the kingdom. Wiglaf is like the “next Beowulf” who exemplifies heroism and is representative of how good emerges victorious in the end.

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

During the class discussion, Ms. Fusaro mentioned how all the elements present in a literary work is usually symbolic of a certain concept or idea. Elements refer to fire, water, air, and earth and each also has duality. In Beowulf, the dragon fiercely exhales fire as its primary way of harming the Geats. Here, fire represents evil in that it’s derived from inside the dragon. It also is prevalent in Christianity as hell is described as being a fiery, hot place. However, fire is also representative of the Holy Spirit and God’s presence. Another element that is mentioned in the epic is water in that Grendel’s mother lived at the bottom of a swamp. This demonstrates how water serves as the abode for evil. However, Wiglaf sprinkles water onto Beowulf while he was dying which symbolizes the sacrament of baptism. Here, the water initiates a rebirth for Beowulf as his soul departs from the earthly world. Through these realizations, I was able to realize the duality of the representation of the elements as well as the heavy influence of Christianity in Beowulf. It’s important to not overlook these connections but rather analyze and understand the deeper meaning behind seemingly normal textual information.

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

One theme that has repeated time and time again is the concept of the relationship between humanity and pride. In class, we first explored this with the ancient Greeks and their idea of hubris being the greatest hamartia in humanity as well as the root of all other sins. This prompted a question that was posed in the lesson: How do people attempt to transcend time? Is Beowulf’s quest for fame arrogance, or is it a relatable human emotion? This was a question that really got me thinking because immortality is such a universal yet theoretically impossible idea. Then, I realized that it was the finity of humans that made us so attracted to the idea of fame. We all want to be remembered as great individuals who have left a lasting impression on as many people as we can. Fame is a type of immortality in which one can be immortalized even after they are long gone. This explains why Beowulf asks Wiglaf to erect a tower in his name as his dying wish so that his people will commemorate his achievements and passing sailors will remember his name. In psychology, I studied Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development which establishes that a person experiences a psychosocial crisis in each of eight stages of life. Beowulf would be in stage seven with the life crisis of generativity vs stagnation since he’s at the age where adults strive to create things that will outlast them such as contributing to society and taking action to benefit future generations. This addresses the question: How can I contribute to the world? Therefore, even though Beowulf’s quest for fame can be arrogance which ultimately leads him to death, it is also undeniably a relatable human emotion.