Shadow Hero?

In psychology, we discussed the different archetypes that Carl Jung created. While I was reading the different passages I noticed some key points that really helped put Grendel into perspective, and put it in a way that seemed to capture Grendel specifically.

The first aspect that stood out was “the shadow” character that Jung argued is found in every single work. The Shadow can also be called a villain. What stood out the most though was that, the shadow is neither good nor bad, but is similar to an animal. It stated that an animal is capable of tender care for its young and vicious killing for food, but it doesn’t choose, it does what it has to do. But in the perspective of a human, the animal looks harsh and inhuman, so we as human beings push it aside. This brings back the question of whether Grendel is good or bad. Although in Beowulf, it characterizes him as a ruthless killer for just sport; his personal narrative shows his true proposes. It is hard to characterize whether Grendel is good or bad, and it is difficult to determine if what he is doing is moral or not. He needs to attack to eat, but he also doesn’t need to attack the specific people of Herot (Hart). Grendel was born into the monster that he is, and although he tried desperately in the beginning to gain the trust and love of the humans, they saw him as a threat and treated him as such. This makes the humans look like the monsters. It makes me wonder who is right and who is shaping our ideas to make their own ideas sound better.

The other character that Jung created was called “The Persona”. This character represents the public image of a character and it also comes from the Latin for mask. It can be a good impression or a false one, depending on the individual. Both of these sides show Grendel. He wants to be accepted by the people, but he knows the consequences that will follow. The mask that he puts on could be his “monstrous face” or his gentle side. Both have been seen. Sometimes Grendel kills ruthlessly without a care. Other times he gently treats people; him lifting Unferth up and carrying him home. The characters in the mead hall only see his public face, which shows that he is violent and filled with rage, while he stomps around the castle killing people. The private side shows that he is still scared of weapons, even though he knows they cannot harm him. The different masks that Grendel puts on, helps increase the complexity that arises in determining whether he is good or bad.

We read this passage today in psychology class, and it just jumped out at me how similar it was to Grendel, and how it shows that this difficulty in determining whether the “villain” is good or bad is found in all different kinds of works. It also helped to word the mixed feelings that I was trying to express about Grendel.

Their True Side

I thought the character shifts from Beowulf to Grendel were very interesting to observe, and that is why I chose to write my blog on it this week.

In Beowulf, Hrothgar is characterized as a man of great worth and respect. The mood when he was around was pitiful because of all the hardships that he had gone through. He was losing beloved friends and men, and his large mead hall that was compared to heaven was being torn to shreds by one monster. This is the tone that followed Hrothgar around throughout Beowulf. But when Grendel speaks of him, the reader sees how Hrothgar came into power. He overpowered all the other tribes of individuals living in the woods and made them pay tribute to him. The tribute was so large, that many had a difficult time paying for it, and had barely enough goods to manage themselves. Although Hrothgar offered comfort and safety for them, his character was not the same one that was seen in Beowulf.

Another character that changed quite a bit was Grendel. Even by the first few pages of the book, the reader understood more aspects of Grendel than an entire section of Beowulf. Grendel is described in such great depth, while in Beowulf, it is almost like a game to try and uncover small facts about Grendel. Yes he is the main character in this book and needs to be characterized, but the fact that so much of him was explained in less than half the time he had in Beowulf, shows that the character that he was personified to be in Beowulf, was not even close to the individual that he is.

Grendel’s mother was also different from Grendel to Beowulf. In Beowulf, the mood was fierce and full of revenge. But, as Grendel pointed out earlier, only individuals with thought and knowledge could process the act of revenge. In Beowulf, Grendel’s mother seems to have a plan of attack and knows what she must do in order to properly avenge her son. She seems almost human in this respect, because the Anglo- Saxons believed in avenging their dead and fallen kinsmen. But in the book Grendel, she is portrayed as a monster who has no understanding of language or reasoning. She sits in the corner of the cavern and does little to nothing during the day. Grendel, her own son, does not understand her and has a difficult time approaching her.

The characters started to show their true colors in the beginning stages of this novel. The discovery that Hrothgar was not as honorable of a king as he appeared to be in his later years, helped show how he came into complete power over all of the towns. The characterization of Grendel and his mother also seems switched. This adds more depth to character, in contrast to Beowulf where none of the characters were heavily described.

Feed the Weak to the Strong

I wanted to discuss the topic of Nora and Torvald. In class we have already discussed how their relationship was false and based on the fantasy of a perfect doll house. But when Nora leaves the doll house, is she ready to take on the challenges of reality, or will she end up alone and helpless? Can she handle the struggles that are certain to come against her? The answer is that, no, Nora cannot handle the struggles that will come her way, and she will end up miserable and helpless, and because of her choice, her children will end up just like her.

Nora has had no personal experience with taking care of herself. She has been handed almost everything in her life. Nora was “simply transferred from papa’s hands into [Torvald’s], who arranged everything for his own taste” (260), not allowing Nora for anytime for herself and her own needs. Nora has proven herself to be manipulative and able to persuade Torvald and those around her with her sexuality. Although she has this indirect power over Torvald, she still cannot use it to sway his opinion on larger scale events. She cannot use this manipulative sexuality in the real world, because, as Krogstad proved, it does not appeal to everyone. Nora has no means of attaining money, because she has never had to work or directly care for herself and her family. Although she did a little sewing on the side, this will not support her financially or for a long span of time. Nora believes that when she walks out of Torvald’s perfect doll house, she will be able to manage like Kristine, but with limited experience in any workforce or any knowledge of what she is capable of, she will not be able to support herself.

                Nora is also leaving her children in an impossible situation, because she thoroughly did not plan out her departure. In this timeframe, it was very rare that a woman left her household and her children. Nora lost her mother when she was very young, and grew up with her father. She does not want to influence her children, and does not want them to end up unhappy like she did. But Nora did not take into account that she was leaving all of her children in the same situation that she had been left in. They will grow up with Torvald, and not get the nurturing that a mother would give them, which is also what Nora lacked. Because Nora wanted what was best for the children, she left them so they would not grow up in the perfect doll house. But in doing so, she has left them in the same situation that she was placed in as a child, and it will be more likely for them to develop into the same individual that Nora was in. Nora is not ready to depart into the real world because she could not even imagine the outcomes and consequences that will occur to the children. She is still in her own childhood state thinking about herself, and with this frame of mind, she will not be able to support herself in the harsh reality of the world outside the doll house.

Past in the Present

This is late, but I think that the entire purpose of Chapter 4 was to relate back to Jack and his life in the present. Cass and all the individuals that surrounded that story can be found translated back to the people in Jack’s own life. In a way, it seems like this is how Jack is trying to learn more about the story. Jack had all the facts, but not the truths, and through this selection of people, he can understand those truths that he left decades before.

                Cass reminded me the most of Willie, in his attitude and the way he went from an uneducated sap to a man that could run his own business.  Like Willie, Cass grew up uneducated and not ready to enter into any political or business management position. But over the course of a few years both “were not hobbledehoy” (245) and had learned how to manage certain aspects of the realm they had not understood earlier. They both had the use of mentors (for Cass it was Gilbert and for Willie it was Jack), that helped them develop into these educated men though. Both grew into men that could organize and successfully run a plantation and an entire government. Both were also interested in politics, although not at first (252). Willie became a good politician because Jack encouraged him and told him what to do at all time. Willie developed into this strong natured individual after this and made his own decisions about the policies that he was enforcing. Cass was forced into politics by Gilbert. Although Cass did not want to enter into this work field, he learned that he could be quite successful at it, yet he did not stay in the political field long.

                Gilbert also reminded me of Jack, in how he developed the Cass/Willie character and also how they continuously would take control of a situation. Jack and Gilbert encouraged and mentored their respected individual and brought them into the political and management positions that they had throughout their lives. Without Gilbert/ Jack, Cass/ Willie would not have been the success that they were. Cass wrote that “Gilbert treats me like a wayward and silly child” (274), just like Jack treats Willie in the beginning. Because both of the characters were so lost in the beginning of their political careers, Jack and Gilbert had to guide them and treat them like young children because they were so ignorant to the important business surrounding them. Jack considered Willie a sap in the beginning of his career and had to direct him in everything that Willie did. Both Gilbert and Jack are also not the forefront of the story. Willie is the Governor, and Cass was the focal point of the history paper, and the two other men were not primary characters. Although they were not the leading roles, they still had such a great influence that they might as well have been the lead character.

                Although chapter 4 seems really random, it does tie back into the life that Jack and Willie are leading during the main course of the story. It was interesting to try and find the links between the characters because there were so many of them throughout the chapter.

Just the Beginning to the start of great papers

I believed that I did very well on this essay. I put a lot of detail and thought into it and furthered the analysis more than I have ever done on any other essay written in this class. That showed in the grade and I am very happy with the grade that I received.

Every single essay though I struggle with organization. Although sometimes it is because of the small amount of time and I rush through the essay, this paper I had more time. I need to focus on gathering my thoughts and putting them coherently on the paper. Sometimes I put events in the wrong order as well when it should be in chronological order. Making sure that this organization is present in all of my essays will definitely help increase the average score because it will make it easier for the reader to move through the essay and also make comprehension easier.

I thought that I did a fairly good job at analyzing the characters. Every quotation that was inserted within the paper always had a detailed description of how it fit within the topic that I was discussing and also explained how I saw the character develop. Finding arguments for June was very difficult for me though. I knew what I wanted to say about her because of the things that I had picked up on throughout the course of the short story, but it was difficult for me to put the right quotations down without them being too long or too wordy. The mom I thought I did a better job with, but I still needed to think through the quotations to make sure that the reader understood what I was trying to portray the mother as. This also goes back to the organizational aspect of the paper. As soon as I start organizing my paper better and ensuring that all of my quotations and analysis flow together, this will help everything overall.

I did not talk about Arnold Friend a lot. And he is the one that references the old lady down the block. He was the first to kind of show the ageing process within the story. Although it was present with the first introductions of June and the mother, the old lady showed me the final pieces that helped me put everything together. I should have included Arnold Friend in more detail to discuss how he greatly impacted the short story and helped place all the pieces of the puzzle together.

I really liked my paragraph about the old lady though. I did that one first and im happy with all the quotations that I picked out. I thought I supported them well with analysis and then how it ended the paper with the thoughts that I wanted to put in the readers head.

I know that I still have a lot to work on, but I am very happy with the grade that I received on this paper and will focus on the things that Ms. Clinch pointed out to better my papers and ensure that I get an even higher grade on the next one.

Black, White, Gray

                Willie Stark is a character that is difficult to categorize. It is difficult to tell whether his intentions are for the best, or if they are only a means of gaining a higher political standing. The other characters and Willie himself seem to have a difficult time categorizing him as well.

            People including Hugh and Jack, who have gone with Willie through his change see the difference, but they still have a hard time characterizing him. Jack has been an associate/ therapist/ friend to Willie since the beginning and has seen him change into the governor. There is no question that a change has occurred, but the question is, is it for the better or worse for the society? Jack reminisces about the past, “back when the Boss had been Willie Stark (208). Jack believes that the change has been for the worst. He remembers the babbling man that stood in front of the crowd and read them statistics. The man that Willie is now goes around blackmailing people, and then using them when he finds the time that he needs them for. Jack sees all of this and knows that Willie is changing for the worst. Jack encourages this from the start though. He wanted Willie to go out there and make the people mad. Certain aspects of the way that Willie does business seems to have no effect on Jack. Even though he has been working with Willie the longest, he cannot characterize the man he has become. Hugh, the Attorney General, on the other hand, sees Willies change as becoming soft. Hugh claims that Willie treated Byram White “like he was human, and that [Willie] was saving Byram’s hide” (203). Willie is blackmailing Byram and making him sign his own resignation letter for when Willie needs it for his to discharge Byram. Although Willie threatens Byram, he never actually takes away his job, but gives him the impression that he could take it away any day that he wants to. Hugh is exaserapted at how Willie could be so soft to Byram, and treat him like an individual human being. This is the exact opposite of what is expected. Hugh sees Willie as becoming soft with power, whereas Jack see’s him becoming a monster that Willie was trying to avoid from the start. Both men have been working with Willie for a long period of time, and neither can determine the man that Willie is becoming.

            Willie also seems confused about the route he is taking. Willie used to be considered a sap that had no idea about the running of politics, and was completely naïve to the concept of blackmailing people. He claimed that he did not want to turn out like Dr. Pillsbury and the sheriff, whom he used to oppose greatly. Now he is running the town the same way that they did; through fear tactics and other types of black mail. As soon as Willie was done blackmailing Byram, he claimed that he was going to build “a big, chromium-plated, formaldehyde-stinking free hospital” (209). Willie subconsciously understands that the way that he is running the government and the people is wrong, and tries to make up for it in many different ways, but it does not account for the fact that he is still black mailing people. Willie is his own self and he still appears to not understand his own motives and ways of business. Willie is also always described as wearing all different sorts of gray’s in all of his clothing. This gray characterizes how nothing is in black and white. Willie does not truly understand what is going on and who he is becoming and that is why he is constantly in the gray and why others always see him there. His material things such as a car (which is black) and house (white) appear to be things that he truly understands.

            Throughout the novel, it is not clearly understood what side of politics that Willie presents. Warren could be trying to depict how this is true of real life politics. Everyone is trying to achieve greatness through honesty, but that is not possible and they must resort to the dishonest side of politics.  

Underlying Power

Willie Stark is a man that is portrayed in the beginning of the novel as having the most power. He dominates the town, and every citizen and follower of his listens intently to the speeches that he gives and every word that he speaks. Although Willie seems to be this dominating force that makes his own ideas and theories, he seems easily influenced by the important people surrounding him, and also in certain situations, he seems to have no control. Although these individuals are portrayed as being followers of Willie and beneath him; they are the ones influencing him and the ones showing more dominance.

            The first indicator of the underlying characters influencing Willie is his wife Lucy. Although Lucy is a woman, who in this timeframe has limited rights and powers, she encourages Willie to follow her own ideals. She “don’t much favor drinking” (26), and although she doesn’t push Willie to follow this, Willie does. Willie is meeting with Tiny and Jack in Slade’s bar, and even though they are all drinking beers, Willie will not because Lucy does not like it. Although Lucy is not there at that moment, he still follows her lead, even though she is a woman. Willie is also described as a “teacher’s pet” (21), while Lucy is the “school-teacher” (21). A teacher’s pet follows every rule and procedure that the teacher tells them. The boys were all giving Willie a tough time during this section of the novel because Lucy is the woman that is bossing Willie, when it should be the other way around. Even though Lucy is portrayed as a docile individual who is a doting wife, who follows her husband’s lead; she is secretly the woman who is running the show.

            Jack is another individual that influences Willie Stark. Jack Burden is Willie’s right hand man; a man that is supposed to help him make decisions, but not the one that actually makes the final decision. Jack tells Willie to follow the strategy of “making them mad. Even if they were made at [him].” (108). Willie had been going through the political process with the mind frame that the people wanted statistics and facts. He had been sprouting these around during his speeches and didn’t understand why the people did not enjoy his speeches. Jack was the first to tell Willie to change his strategy, and become more human and less mechanical during these. Willie listened and started doing as Jack said, and as soon as he started listening to Jack, he started becoming, little by little more popular in the votes. Willie is supposed to be the leader and make the final decisions once he’s heard others point of views; but instead he just listens to them and does not make a decision of his own.

            Willie is portrayed as a character with the most political power, and as being a “big man”. But without his main group of followers, including his wife and Jack, he would not be as powerful as he is in the town. Willie cannot make decisions for himself, and as soon as he was assisted, he became a more dominant leader. Willie went from “a sap” (112), to a political dominator who the entire town followed, and merely because of his underlying friends and influencers, who helped him achieve his success.