I have chosen The Good Soldier by Ford Maddox.
It's an old English book made before the onset of World War I, previously called The Saddest Story its name was changed when the war started.
It is loosely based off of Ford's rather messy personal life and two cases of adultry, it is written in a from known as "Unreliable Narrator" being told in a series of flash backs that aren't in chronological order and there for leaves the story unclear till the end of the book.
This interested me and I decided I'd give it a try.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Beowulf questions 2nd half
These are the last of the questions, provided by Conor MacNamara, we split the work down the middle to lessen the load off of each other. I did the first half, he did the second.
7. Beowulf finds a great sword, one forged by the giants long ago, unsheathes it, and with one big swing lops of her head. He then searches for Grendel's body, determined to avenge all who dies because of his "raids". He finds the corpse, and decapitates it. By doing so, though, the sword melts due to Grendel's acidic blood, leaving him with only a hilt and Grendel's head. (Is Grendel an alien?)
8. Beowulf is able to swim back to the surface without any monsters attacking him. As he come out his men are rejoicing for his arrival, themselves not even believing he could best Grendel's mother.
[Further Celebration at Herot]
1. There is a huge feast in honor of Beowulf, with Grendel's head and the hilt of the sword given to Hrothgar as a sign of good faith.
2. Hrothgar has a speech prepared so as to praise Beowulf while at the same time warning him about what it takes to be a good and fair ruler. He gives an example of Heremod, a man who some considered the worst king ever to exist due to he betraying and killing his own people. Heremod was eventually banished and exiled to the Jutes, where he was subsequently betrayed and killed. He uses this example to show to Beowulf what happens when you aren't a fair ruler of your people.
3. Beowulf returns Unferth's sword, Hrunting, back to him.
[Beowulf Returns Home]
1. Hrothgar predicts a great future for Beowulf, one where he will come back and protect the Danes yet again.
2. Hygd is the Queen of the Geatlands. She is a young, yet wise woman, one who would not kill and torture many of her people just because they looked at her, unlike say, Modthryth.
3. Hrothgar hopes that by having his daughter marry Ingeld, he can create peace between the Danes and the Heathobards and end the bloody conflict. Beowulf is under the impression that Hrothgar only brought back up the feud from its dark recesses and that more conflict is inevitable, especially once the Danes and the Heathobards see each other's possessions of their own families. This is different than what we're used to from Beowulf, as he usually acts on impulse and doesn't think things through until they've already happened.
4. Beowulf exaggerates the story, emphasizing things like the viciousness and how terrifying Grendel and his mom were and how intense the fights were, so as to make himself seem even more superhuman than he already is.
5. Beowulf gives the treasure he received from Hrothgar to Hygelac. In return, Hygelac gives Beowulf a jeweled sword, land, his own personal hall with his own personal throne and 7,000 hides.
[The Dragon Wakes]
1. This part of the story takes place 50 years after the events of the last. Both King Hygelac and his successor Heardred have been killed, leaving Beowulf as the King. And then the dragon awakes.
2. The dragon is furious because someone stole a cup from under his nose! He had given himself one task, guard the treasure, and now a cup is missing, stolen by slave who hoped to give it to his master so as to obtain freedom. The treasure trove was originally guarded by an ancient civilization, until only one man was left. After that man died, the aforementioned dragon found the trove and guarded it for 300 years until a cup was stolen.
3. In a fit of rage, the dragon goes about destroying the Geatlands, hoping to avenge his failure.
4. By having his great hall destroyed, this leaves Beowulf believing he has offended God. He orders an iron shield, one that can protect him from the dragon's flames. However, he also has nagging suspicions that this will be his last battle, the one where he will finally be slain in battle (which turns out to be the case).
5. Hygelac was killed in battle, with Beowulf barely escaping with his life, swimming to safety while carrying thirty battle dresses. Hygd offers him the chance to become king, but he declines it, believing that it should got to Headred.
6. Headred accepts a group of exiled Swedes who also happen to be the brothers of Onela. Onela attacks Geatland in the hopes of killing off his brothers, which lead to Headred being killed in battle along with one of the brothers, Eanmund. The other brother, Eadgis, and Beowulf avenge the deaths of Headred and Eanmumd by killing King Onela.
7. Eleven warriors selected by Beowulf and the slave who stole the cup accompany him to meet and fight the dragon.
8. Haethcyn accidently killed his brother, Herebeald, with an arrow while they were hunting. King Hrethel, knowing this was an accident, but still mourning the death of his eldest son, died in a fit of grief, leaving his kingdom to Haethcyn and Hygelac. After Hrethel died, the Swedes and Geats continued fighting, eventually leading to the deaths of both Haethcyn and Hygelac. Angered over the death of Hygelac, Beowulf avenged his death by killing Dayraven, a great Frankish warrior.
[Beowulf Attacks the Dragon]
1. Beowulf tells his men to wait outside and not attack the dragon.
2. Beowulf's trusty sword doesn't pierce the dragon deep enough to do much damage. This leads to Beowulf retreating while the dragon is continually breathing fire on him. His men, seeing Beowulf retreating, flee back into the woods except for one, Wiglaf. He tells the fleeing soldiers that Beowulf put his trust in these men, and they must repay his trust by aiding him in battle. Beowulf also asks for help, but only Wiglaf aides him.
3. Beowulf's sword snaps as he tries to pierce the dragon's neck, leaving his own neck vulnerable for a bite. As he is bleeding, Wiglaf stabs the dragon in the stomach, giving Beowulf the distraction he needs to pull out his knife and fatally stab the dragon in the neck.
4. Beowulf asks Wiglaf to search the lair and bring back some of the treasure so that he can see what he won before he dies. He praises God for all the treasure he can now give to his people, and asks Wiglaf to build a barrow "Beowulf's tower" by the sea where he can be buried on a funeral pyre and where he can be recognized by anyone who spots it.
[Beowulf's Funeral]
1. When the companions return, they witnessed Wiglaf starting to bury Beowulf. He chastises them for abandoning Beowulf when he needed them most, and predicts that the Geatland will eventually be attacked and destroyed by their rivals.
2. The messenger tells the city that Beowulf is dead. He tells them of Ongentheow, the man who killed Haethcyn, and how he made fun of the Geats all night in Ravenwood. However, he did not account for Hygelac coming the next day and subsequently was overwhelmed and corned. Refusing to give up, his defiance had him killed by Hygelac. According to the messenger, the gold is cursed in that anyone who attempts to steal it will be cursed (much like Indiana Jones). The final image is that of... a dragon!
3. Wiglaf tells the crowd of the various heroics Beowulf did, and how Beowulf was a warrior among warriors and a king among kings who will never be forgotten, and always be honored.
4. The dragon was pushed off a cliff and into the ocean, never given a proper burial due to its evil nature.
5. People cried and sang over the death of Beowulf during and after the funeral.
6. According to the Geats, Beowulf was a kind and beloved hero who will be remembered for all time. If one were to describe a military hero, one who made fame by killing other creatures/people, I would think that the world "kind" would seem a little out-of-place.
7. Beowulf finds a great sword, one forged by the giants long ago, unsheathes it, and with one big swing lops of her head. He then searches for Grendel's body, determined to avenge all who dies because of his "raids". He finds the corpse, and decapitates it. By doing so, though, the sword melts due to Grendel's acidic blood, leaving him with only a hilt and Grendel's head. (Is Grendel an alien?)
8. Beowulf is able to swim back to the surface without any monsters attacking him. As he come out his men are rejoicing for his arrival, themselves not even believing he could best Grendel's mother.
[Further Celebration at Herot]
1. There is a huge feast in honor of Beowulf, with Grendel's head and the hilt of the sword given to Hrothgar as a sign of good faith.
2. Hrothgar has a speech prepared so as to praise Beowulf while at the same time warning him about what it takes to be a good and fair ruler. He gives an example of Heremod, a man who some considered the worst king ever to exist due to he betraying and killing his own people. Heremod was eventually banished and exiled to the Jutes, where he was subsequently betrayed and killed. He uses this example to show to Beowulf what happens when you aren't a fair ruler of your people.
3. Beowulf returns Unferth's sword, Hrunting, back to him.
[Beowulf Returns Home]
1. Hrothgar predicts a great future for Beowulf, one where he will come back and protect the Danes yet again.
2. Hygd is the Queen of the Geatlands. She is a young, yet wise woman, one who would not kill and torture many of her people just because they looked at her, unlike say, Modthryth.
3. Hrothgar hopes that by having his daughter marry Ingeld, he can create peace between the Danes and the Heathobards and end the bloody conflict. Beowulf is under the impression that Hrothgar only brought back up the feud from its dark recesses and that more conflict is inevitable, especially once the Danes and the Heathobards see each other's possessions of their own families. This is different than what we're used to from Beowulf, as he usually acts on impulse and doesn't think things through until they've already happened.
4. Beowulf exaggerates the story, emphasizing things like the viciousness and how terrifying Grendel and his mom were and how intense the fights were, so as to make himself seem even more superhuman than he already is.
5. Beowulf gives the treasure he received from Hrothgar to Hygelac. In return, Hygelac gives Beowulf a jeweled sword, land, his own personal hall with his own personal throne and 7,000 hides.
[The Dragon Wakes]
1. This part of the story takes place 50 years after the events of the last. Both King Hygelac and his successor Heardred have been killed, leaving Beowulf as the King. And then the dragon awakes.
2. The dragon is furious because someone stole a cup from under his nose! He had given himself one task, guard the treasure, and now a cup is missing, stolen by slave who hoped to give it to his master so as to obtain freedom. The treasure trove was originally guarded by an ancient civilization, until only one man was left. After that man died, the aforementioned dragon found the trove and guarded it for 300 years until a cup was stolen.
3. In a fit of rage, the dragon goes about destroying the Geatlands, hoping to avenge his failure.
4. By having his great hall destroyed, this leaves Beowulf believing he has offended God. He orders an iron shield, one that can protect him from the dragon's flames. However, he also has nagging suspicions that this will be his last battle, the one where he will finally be slain in battle (which turns out to be the case).
5. Hygelac was killed in battle, with Beowulf barely escaping with his life, swimming to safety while carrying thirty battle dresses. Hygd offers him the chance to become king, but he declines it, believing that it should got to Headred.
6. Headred accepts a group of exiled Swedes who also happen to be the brothers of Onela. Onela attacks Geatland in the hopes of killing off his brothers, which lead to Headred being killed in battle along with one of the brothers, Eanmund. The other brother, Eadgis, and Beowulf avenge the deaths of Headred and Eanmumd by killing King Onela.
7. Eleven warriors selected by Beowulf and the slave who stole the cup accompany him to meet and fight the dragon.
8. Haethcyn accidently killed his brother, Herebeald, with an arrow while they were hunting. King Hrethel, knowing this was an accident, but still mourning the death of his eldest son, died in a fit of grief, leaving his kingdom to Haethcyn and Hygelac. After Hrethel died, the Swedes and Geats continued fighting, eventually leading to the deaths of both Haethcyn and Hygelac. Angered over the death of Hygelac, Beowulf avenged his death by killing Dayraven, a great Frankish warrior.
[Beowulf Attacks the Dragon]
1. Beowulf tells his men to wait outside and not attack the dragon.
2. Beowulf's trusty sword doesn't pierce the dragon deep enough to do much damage. This leads to Beowulf retreating while the dragon is continually breathing fire on him. His men, seeing Beowulf retreating, flee back into the woods except for one, Wiglaf. He tells the fleeing soldiers that Beowulf put his trust in these men, and they must repay his trust by aiding him in battle. Beowulf also asks for help, but only Wiglaf aides him.
3. Beowulf's sword snaps as he tries to pierce the dragon's neck, leaving his own neck vulnerable for a bite. As he is bleeding, Wiglaf stabs the dragon in the stomach, giving Beowulf the distraction he needs to pull out his knife and fatally stab the dragon in the neck.
4. Beowulf asks Wiglaf to search the lair and bring back some of the treasure so that he can see what he won before he dies. He praises God for all the treasure he can now give to his people, and asks Wiglaf to build a barrow "Beowulf's tower" by the sea where he can be buried on a funeral pyre and where he can be recognized by anyone who spots it.
[Beowulf's Funeral]
1. When the companions return, they witnessed Wiglaf starting to bury Beowulf. He chastises them for abandoning Beowulf when he needed them most, and predicts that the Geatland will eventually be attacked and destroyed by their rivals.
2. The messenger tells the city that Beowulf is dead. He tells them of Ongentheow, the man who killed Haethcyn, and how he made fun of the Geats all night in Ravenwood. However, he did not account for Hygelac coming the next day and subsequently was overwhelmed and corned. Refusing to give up, his defiance had him killed by Hygelac. According to the messenger, the gold is cursed in that anyone who attempts to steal it will be cursed (much like Indiana Jones). The final image is that of... a dragon!
3. Wiglaf tells the crowd of the various heroics Beowulf did, and how Beowulf was a warrior among warriors and a king among kings who will never be forgotten, and always be honored.
4. The dragon was pushed off a cliff and into the ocean, never given a proper burial due to its evil nature.
5. People cried and sang over the death of Beowulf during and after the funeral.
6. According to the Geats, Beowulf was a kind and beloved hero who will be remembered for all time. If one were to describe a military hero, one who made fame by killing other creatures/people, I would think that the world "kind" would seem a little out-of-place.
Beowulf questions 11-25
Celebration at Herot
1)
2) Hrothgar offers to let Beowulf join his family as an adoptive son as thanks for his great deed, which Beowulf accepts.
3)
4)
5) The narrator says Beowulf's king Hygelac, will wear the necklace in his last battle, and the Franks will steal it from his corpse at a later time. The Queen presents the necklace to Beowulf and asks him to guide and protect her sons and wishes him good luck and fortune.
6) Though Grendel is dead the narrator says at least one of them is marked for death and Grendel’s mother still lives.
Another Attack
1) Grendel’s mother attacks to get revenge on the Geats and Danes for her son’s death, rather than an act of rage it is an act of revenge.
2) Grendel’s mother kills soldiers from both tribes, Danes and Geats, as well as kills and steals the body of Hrothgar’s Retainer, one of his dearest companions, a man named Aeschere. He asks Beowulf if he will track down and slay the demon.
3) The mere is a dark lake with seemingly no bottom, filled with sea creatures and monsters, that glows like fire at night, Grendel’s mother supposedly lives on the bottom.
Beowulf fights Grendel’s mother
1) Beowulf says that Hrothgar should come as well, for everyone dies and it is their duty to avenge their loved ones before they die.
2) The Geats and Danes kill a large Sea Monster before Beowulf enters the mere.
3) Beowulf prepares by wearing a golden helmet and chain mail shirt to not be cursed by the sea creatures on his way to Grendel’s mother. He wields a sword called Hrunting, a sword made and tempered in blood, it had never lost a battle and with it Beowulf would be unable to lose.
4) The poem is not very descriptive of it other than that the lair seems to be in a pocket of air under the lake, filled with treasures.
5) During the fight against Grendel’s mother the sword Beowulf borrowed is thrown aside when it cannot seem to harm Grendel’s mother.
6) Beowulf’s chain mail saves him from the knife Grendel’s mother tries to kill him with and is able to throw her off of his body, he heaves a large sword, from the era of giants the poet states, and uses it to cleave into the demon’s neck, killing her.
Beowulf Questions
Prologue
1)Shield came to be the ruler of the Danes by conquering each clan one by one till they all were forced to obey him and worship him as a King, this made him a ‘good king’.
Shield had been very specific on how he wished to be honored at burial. His body was placed onto a long boat, then all of his treasures of gold and silver, precious gems and chalices, were loaded on top of him, as offering and to pay homage, then came the weapons, many sets of armor and different weapons used by the Danes were loaded onto the boat, for he was a warrior king. After that the boat was set out to sea, to drift until it sunk, or was salvaged by someone else.
Hrothgar was the great grandson of Shield and a warrior who found great riches and fame in battle.
Heort is Attacked
1) Hrothgar wanted to build a mighty fort like no other, so he went to building the mighty fort of Heort, a massive fort like no other.
the Beast Grendel hears the sounds of music and celebration from the fort, and due to its sensitive hearing became enraged and attacked the fort continuously night after night killing every warrior and bard in the fort again and again, however it did not attack Hrothgar or the throne.
The Danes turned to old stone idols and prayed to Gods that hadn’t been worshiped for years in an attempt to be free of the beast Grendel’s ravaging.
Hero comes to Heort
1) When Beowulf hears of the Danes problems with Grendel he ordered a ship to be readied and gathered his mightiest warriors to sail with him to Heort to defeat the great beast and help the King of Danes Hrothgar.
2) When the Geats first arrive in Denmark they meet a Danish Watcher that had been patrolling the coast, he confronts the Geats asking their business in Denmark, and why they seem ready for a battle. Beowulf replies by stating their business, they are Geats, he tells the watcher of his lineage his father’s father and his father. He then tells the watcher they have come to slay the beast that haunts the halls of Heort.
3) Hrothgar’s Hearld is a man by the name of Wulfgar, when he hears of Beowulf and his men he asks Hrothgar to give them audience and hear their plans. Hrothgar responds by saying he remembers Beowulf from his youth, and that the Geats are hardy warriors welcome in the halls of Hrothgar.
4) Beowulf tells Hrothgar that he plans to defeat Grendel in single battle, no lives of any Danes will be risked, only his own and his men, that he would purge the evil from Heort so that the Danes no longer fear it.
Feast at Heort
1) Unferth accuses Beoewulf of losing in a swimming race to a lesser man and that Beowulf would surely turn and flee at the sight of Grendel. Beowulf replies saying that he only lost because he stopped to slay a monstrous fish along the way, and that he could best any man in swimming. This is an important chapter in the poem because it shows that he would give up a race and show that he can take a hit to his pride, if it means slaying an enemy of man, it also show that some doubt the hero and that he must prove himself.
2) The Queen spent the feasting time passing drink to the guests of Hrothgar, Beowulf and his men, and wished them luck with their coming battle against Grendel.
Fight with Grendel
1) Beowulf does little to prepare for the battle with Grendel other then enter Heort, he strips himself of his armor and weapons, wanting to fight Grendel with no armor or weapons, as it fights. This is the opposite of what would be expected, one would expect him to done more armor and weapons to fight the beast but that is not so.
2) Grendel breaks through the front gates of the fort and immediately set upon one of Beowulf’s men and ate him immediately, upon trying to attack Beowulf the man jumped upon them.
They fought, grappling with each other, trying to tear each other apart with only their arms and bodies. Grendel leaves behind an arm at Heort for Beowulf tore it off as the beast tried to run from the battle.
Though Grendel escaped he bleed to death in his mother’s arm.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
1987 results
- c
- a
- c
- e
- d
- d
- e
- b
- e
- c
- d
- b
- e
- c
- e
- b
- b
- e
- b
- a
- a
- d
- a
- b
- e
- e
- e
- e
- a
- b
- d
- b
- -46 unavailable
48. c
49. e
50. c
51. c
52. d
53. e
54. e
55. d
56. a
57. d.
58. d.
59. d
60. d
61. e
America's tunnel vision.
Alright, I was watching the 5 oclock news today and I hearh something that momentarily scared me.
They said.
"New update from Texas today, the death toll is rising to unbelieveable numbers." at this point I got worried then I heard.
"2 more people died today, making it 28." and though I was sad for their families I couldn't help but think, is that really unbelieveable numbers?
All around the world people die from sickness, natural disasters, and in some cases civil unrest. We hear all the time when other countries go through epidemics, the death numbers are almost in the triple digits in days.
Have we in America gained such ignorant tunnel vision that the 28 people dead here in America is a bigger problem, and causes a bigger panic to us, then hundreds dieing else where, women, children, defenseless people?
Now I understand, yes it may be because it is on our own soil and yes we have more develpoed medicine, but this is only one of the many examples I have seen, this one just brought the thought to the front of my mind.
Please share your thoughts with me on this.
They said.
"New update from Texas today, the death toll is rising to unbelieveable numbers." at this point I got worried then I heard.
"2 more people died today, making it 28." and though I was sad for their families I couldn't help but think, is that really unbelieveable numbers?
All around the world people die from sickness, natural disasters, and in some cases civil unrest. We hear all the time when other countries go through epidemics, the death numbers are almost in the triple digits in days.
Have we in America gained such ignorant tunnel vision that the 28 people dead here in America is a bigger problem, and causes a bigger panic to us, then hundreds dieing else where, women, children, defenseless people?
Now I understand, yes it may be because it is on our own soil and yes we have more develpoed medicine, but this is only one of the many examples I have seen, this one just brought the thought to the front of my mind.
Please share your thoughts with me on this.
I'm no artist but what was she thinking?
http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2012/08/22/13417610-i-can-paint-that-wait-no-i-cant-amateur-artist-messes-up-century-old-artwork?lite/
ok so I found this article and I would like for you all to read it, its short, and think on it. I will abstain from posting my opinion here for now and I would like to know the opinions of others in my class, and others who may be reading this blog.
ok so I found this article and I would like for you all to read it, its short, and think on it. I will abstain from posting my opinion here for now and I would like to know the opinions of others in my class, and others who may be reading this blog.
Monday, August 20, 2012
August 20 3 questions
1) My family is absolutely lost when it comes to using the internet or computers for anything outside facebook, having to use the blog alot will no doubt be my biggest challenge as it is not something I am use to nor is it a way of learning that I can absorb easily.
2) Dr. Preston's English Class in the 10th grade comes to mind simply because it was a new type of teaching that I hadn't experienced yet and I felt the class brought a unique and new way to run the classroom. It helped me when it came time to look for a job through the career unit, I had a resume ready for use.
3) I am dreading the upcoming year, this is not a class that I believe I will be able to pass easily, let alone absorb the information I'm supposed to be learning, I am going to try my best but rather then getting excited about one thing I am simply going to work on passng hte class.
2) Dr. Preston's English Class in the 10th grade comes to mind simply because it was a new type of teaching that I hadn't experienced yet and I felt the class brought a unique and new way to run the classroom. It helped me when it came time to look for a job through the career unit, I had a resume ready for use.
3) I am dreading the upcoming year, this is not a class that I believe I will be able to pass easily, let alone absorb the information I'm supposed to be learning, I am going to try my best but rather then getting excited about one thing I am simply going to work on passng hte class.
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