Grendel vs. Beowulf... The MMA Fight of a Lifetime

In the first round of their fight, Beowulf pulled out the sneak arm-grab that altered the course of the fight. Beowulf’s initial attack set the ball in motion, leading to a one round TKO and the ultimate defeat of Grendel.

Beowulf entered the bout as the underdog… Grendel was not only undefeated, but also impervious to all weapons, giving him a clear advantage from the start. Beowulf is fairly new to the fight circuit, but he’s already been recognized for his great punching power and superior standup fight tactics. Beowulf had to be on the attack from the beginning in order to have a chance with the veteran fighter… and boy did he deliver.

Grendel could not hit his takedown attempts smoothly. It was as if Beowulf easily anticipated each one. Then the surprise arm-grab was the real game changer. And with that, Beowulf was able to get Grendel to the ground numerous times.

“More than his talent, it was his luck,” Grendel said after the match. “My slipping on the blood and his initial surprise are what did me in. The whole thing was really an accident.” To be more specific, it was Beowulf’s arm grab that changed the complexion of the fight. Once Grendel got control, it was clear the fight was over and Beowulf had it on lock. From there he pinned Grendel against the wall and started beating him into oblivion. As a result, Grendel was put on defense. And by defense, I mean crying and screaming for his mommy as he slipped in and out of consciousness. To the spectators, the fight seemed to be just as much of a mental joust as it did an expose of physical superiority. Harsh words were exchanged between the opponents, verbal jabs which only escalated the tension.

Beowulf delivered the final blow when he ripped Grendel’s arm out of his socket. The mighty, undefeated Grendel was no more. Now that Beowulf has successfully taken down one of the greatest monsters of all time, he can turn his full attention toward his next big fight, the one against Grendel’s mom.

William Caxton's Influence on English

William Caxton was a merchant, diplomat, writer, and most notably the first English printer. Even though his place and date of birth are uncertain, historians have ample amounts of evidence to prove English literature was always a prominent part of his life. His literary career began with his apprenticeship to Robert Large, a rich mercer and later the mayor of London. Upon Large's death, Caxton was given a small sum of money and moved to Brugge where he became an influential member of the English trading community. It was during this span of 30 years where Caxton turned his focus to literature. It was during his travel to Cologne where he discovered the printing press. He abruptly moved back to Brugge, opened a printing press in France, and printed "Recuyell of the Historyes of Troye," the first book printed in English. With this newly acquired knowledge of printing, Caxton moved back to England and set up press in Westminster in 1476. This was the era when Caxton started to have a real affect on the English language. Four fifths of his works were translated and printed in English. In his life, he was known to print 108 works, 87 which were different titles. Because the English language was rapidly changing, Caxton was facing problems of language standardization and incorrect and confusing translations between English and French. Despite these hurdles, Caxton is now credited with starting to close the gap between spoken and written language. Through his printings, he regulated syntax and inflection, and expanded the English vocabulary. His successors, like Richard Pynson, furthered these advancements towards an even more stable English language. The books Caxton printed were intended for a variety of readers, he printed both commissioned books for kings and nobility and books of chivalric romance, conduct, morality, history, and philosophy intended for the public. He also printed nearly all the English literature available to him in his time: Canterbury Tales (1478) and other poems by Chaucer, John Gower’s Confessio amantis (1483), Sir Thomas Malory’s Morte Darthur (1485), and much of John Lydgate. Although there is no specific date of Caxton's death, it is clear he was an important influence on the English language. 

Bullet Points

• Mary did most of her writing when Shelley was out of the house… He spoke about how Frankenstein was the “fruits of my absence”
• The name Victor is represents Shelley in both his pseudonym and in his writing. He used victory as one of his reoccurring themes, especially in his poems.
• Frankenstein’s pursuits parallel those of Shelley. They were both highly focused on sciences and specifically the aspects of magic and the secrets of heaven and earth.
I think the similarities between Victor and Shelley are completely intentional and the reason she wrote the story primarily in his absence suggests her fear of his biases intruding on her work.

Complexly Crazy

Victor’s emotions are “complex” because he goes through three extreme emotions in a matter of two paragraphs. The transition from selfish to solitary to disgust happens so quickly, it makes it hard to decide which emotion is the hardest on him. The only emotions expressed in this passage have a negative affect on his mental stability. In fact, these three emotional states all provide a different sense of mental torture. The passage says he first felt the enthusiasm of success. But reading further, the lines, “a new species would bless me as its creator,” and “happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me” show that this alleged success spawns from the glory that comes with the success, rather than the satisfaction of creating new life. While this need for approval may have, “supported his spirits” it set him up for the disappointment when failure, and worse, arose. After the brief first paragraph about victor thinking he’s awesome, his solitude becomes apparent when words like “alone” and “solitary” are used nearly every other sentence.  I mean, this whole book is about wanting and needing someone else in your life. Pull it together, Victor. He again references the all and mighty nature, which seems to be a prominent theme throughout the novel, when he “pursued nature to her hiding place. “ C’mon Victor… nature goes from owing her being to you, to her hiding place in a matter of four sentences? Clearly there’s an issue with this sudden mood swing. For me, the single most important line in this passage is when Shelley writes, “I seemed to have lost all soul or sensation but for this one pursuit.” This seems to be the only line that shows the relation between his numerous mental states. It still shows his selfishness in the sense he still has this drive to finish to prove a point. It shows his solidarity in the fact he’s lost all souls (including his own.) And it introduces his disgust with both himself and his work, “Often did my human nature turn with loathing from my occupation.” He’s finally realized how, well, crazy he has become. But this extreme fixation on his project has consumed all other rational senses to the point where he can no longer comprehend the severity of his actions. These three harsh emotions create the perfect concoction of complexly crazy.

Frankenstein... The Anti-Christ

Stylistically, the novel Frankenstein is written in a sort of third person in third person in third person manner. This provides the reader the opportunity to "bond" or relate to one or all of the three of the narrators. The parts I enjoyed most are the opinions the creature had on morality. He criticizes human nature because he has been treated poorly by everyone... especially Victor Frankenstein. If you think about it, the person who is physically the least present his the creature's life is the most influential. Frankenstein's lack of presence is most distressing to the creature. Even though Frankenstein immediately abandons the creature, he is still the creator and still has control over some aspects of the creature. The creature is taller, stronger, and more powerful than Frankenstein yet calls him as his "natural lord and king." The book has so many underlying themes but what it boils down to is a creator vs. creation story. I kind of had this God and Adam idea in my head from the beginning and when the creature itself references that creation story, it solidified my thoughts that Frankenstein was indeed the opposite of God. Christians believe that despite man's many flaws and sins, God will love us no matter what. Jesus died for our sins and now we are perfect in the eyes of God. Frankenstein, on the other hand, despises his creation with every ounce of his being... even though the creature is "born" pure and without sin. He flat out says, "Cursed be the day, abhorred devil, in which you first saw light! Cursed (although I curse myself) be the hands that form you!" Harsh. And when the creature does sin, it immediately seeks forgiveness, "grant me thy compassion." And Frankenstein is still rude. Even though Humans are born sinners, God both forgives them and seeks a relationship.... and we can't exactly say the same for Frankenstein.

The Memorable Top 10

1. Because of Winn-Dixie - Kate DiCamillo - At age 10 all I wanted in life was a dog. I remember reading this book and just wanting to be Opal... It gave me a false hope that someday I would come across a stray dog to keep as my own. When my family FINALLY got a dog, I wanted to name her Dixie. Buuuut no one agreed. (age 10)
2. I Love You, Sun, I Love You, Moon - Tomie dePaola - When I was little, my mom read me this book every single night before bed; I made up hand motions and everything. One day I thought I would trick my mom into thinking I could read... I knew every word and when to turn the pages. My plan worked until she realized the book was upside-down. (I was little... thats all I know.)
3. Uncle Tom's Cabin - Harriet Beecher Stowe - This was my I.D. book. Finishing a book has never felt so rewarding. (age 16)
4. A Collection of Edgar Allen Poe short stories - I got this book for christmas last year. Poe is by far my favorite author so having a collection of all his work in one place is amazing. (age 17)
5. Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN - James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales - This was the other book I got for christmas last year. I started it on the plane ride to the Missouri - Kansas basketball game for both pleasure reading and for a school project. Then when I was at the basketball game my uncle introduced me to John Walsh, the Executive Vice President of ESPN and he let me interview him. It was amazing to talk to a man, one of the first employees of ESPN, I had just read about. (age 17)
6. Cars and Trucks and Things That Go - Richard Scarry - This was my brother's favorite book when he was really little. So once he learned to read, he would force me to sit down against my will and he would read it to me almost every night. (really little)
7.  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows - J.K. Rowling - This book came out while I was on train, traveling through Canada. Up until this book, my mom read the books out loud to my brother and me. But seeing as we were on a train we couldn't disturb everyone else. While at one of our stops, we made the mistake of purchasing ONE copy of the book. So the next few days we had to sit on the train reading a chapter, then passing the book on to another family member. My mom was so paranoid that someone would see we were reading it and spoil the end, she made us change the book cover. (age 12)
8. The Doll People - Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin - This was just my favorite book until I was 10... I loved the book so much I told my parents I was going to legally change my name to Tiffany (the main character) one I was old enough. (age 8)
9. Gregor the Overlander - Suzanne Collins - This was another series my mom read out loud on road trip to Tucson... It was so good, that we sat in the parking lot at our hotel trying to finish it before we checked in. (age 10)
10. Othello - William Shakespeare - This was both my first and my favorite Shakespeare play. I have read it 3 times since 8th grade. (age 13)