Grendel Discussion; Work Day!

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Period 1:

 Grendel discussion:
  1. What did you find compelling or interesting about this book? (characters, plot, setting, theme, style, tone, length, irony, etc.); if nothing, why not?
  2. Discuss Grendel's childhood or youth/adolescence (mostly chapters 1-4) How is your life similar? Discuss the similarities of your family with Grendel's? With your education with Grendel's? Who has been your "shaper"? Have you been marginalized or outcast in some way that you can empathize with Grendel's situation? When did the "scales" of truth fall from your eyes about life or other people or yourself? (Acts 9:18). Discuss.
  3. "But deer, like rabbits and bears and even men, can make, concerning my race, no delicate distinctions. That is their happiness: they see all life without observing it. They're buried in it like crabs in mud. (p. 3). Discuss Grendel's relationship with the natural world. Where does he fit in (or not fit in)? Why does finding his place mean so much to him? Can you relate? How/in what way?
  4. In a very real sense, the Shaper shapes not only songs but reality. "The man had changed the world, had torn up the past by its thick, gnarled roots and had transmuted it, and they, who knew the truth, remembered it his way--and so did I." (p.36) Who or what is your shaper? What shape are you turning into? Is your shape a result of nature (your biological self) or nurture (your environmental self)? How do you expect life after high school to shape you?
  5. Who is the real monster in this book? Has Grendel persuaded you? Let's discuss the style of narration and Gardner's choice in writing this book. Would a different POV improve or detract from the power of the story or its characters? What other characters would be most interesting to follow in your opinion? Which character did you identify or like the most?
  6. What archetypes did you recognize while reading Grendel?
  7. Discuss the dragon. What advice and "gift" does he give Grendel? How does he change Grendel and what is the end result of this dynamic change?
  8. What's the point of Unferth (chp. 6) or Ork (chp. 9) or some of the other minor characters (Wealtheow, Hrothgar, The Stranger, etc.) in this novel? What literary purpose do they serve?
  9. "Balance is everything" (p.79) says Grendel. This is very much like the Greek ideal of the golden mean, where you deal with everything but deal with everything in moderation. How do you feel about Grendel's feeling of balance? Is Grendel in balance? If he isn't, why does he keep talking about it? Why does he go on and on about the need for balance? Is he unbalanced? Why?
  10. What is the meaning of the last line, "Poor Grendel's had an accident,...so may you all."? Discuss the "truth" Grendel learns from the Stranger (Beowulf)--ex. "observe the hardness, write it down in careful runes. Now sing of walls! Sing!"? How are the Stranger and Shaper similar/different? What lesson might we learn about life from the ending of this book?
  11. Other*
Overview of Beowulf
Thug Notes: Grendel
Thug Notes: Beowulf

Period 1 or 2: 

 Complete any of the following:
  • Work on your myth documentary. Aim to complete the documentary project by Tuesday, March 10.
  • Work on your draft of a myth story or poem.
  • Work on a draft of a fairy tale. See the following for instructions:
Fairy Tale Characters
• Often good, innocent, or sometimes foolish.
• Often instructed by an older person or character (sometimes a mystical creature)
• Often fairy tale characters have to face great odds
• Often fairy tale characters are given an item(s) that allows them to discover who they are

Fairy tale form:
• Usually written in 3rd person point of view with an omniscient narrator
• Usually begins with “Once upon a time…” and ends “happily ever after.”
• Usually include the rule of 3 (the first two times a character tries something, it usually doesn’t work)

Writing Task:
Read this short article: http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20130801-too-grimm-for-children
Then check out these websites: http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimmtales.html

German: The Brother's Grimm
Danish: Hans Christian Andersen
French: Charles Perrault 
  • Choose a fairy tale that you want to work with (consider your favorites--or strike out into the unknown with a story you are not familiar with and read it. Be unique and consider one that is not as well known)
  • Write a narrative or prose poem or a story or scene or an essay in which you explore gender and fairy tale themes. Use the archetypes and characteristics of a fairy tale to tell your own.
HOMEWORK: Please read the handout short story packet of contemporary fairy tales. These are models (and also pretty interesting). Work on completing your projects/drafts. This class will not meet Friday. Please bring packets and drafts and projects back with you to Tuesday's class (March 10). 

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