No New Tale To Tell

So far I am really enjoying The Canterbury Tales. I like how the reader receives background information on each character before they all come together. It is always really interesting to read about how people of all different backgrounds come together, both in stories and in real life. Each character is so unique and unlike that rest that it makes me eager to find out and see how they will all interact with each other. I believe that this is a theme that has been reiterated through the years- that you should be accepting of all people even if they are different. It is a theme that should never be forgotten. Even in today’s era not everybody realizes how important that is- but they should. The Wife of Bath was also very interesting to me and I enjoyed reading it. Not only was it easy to interpret, but also as I was reading it, I did not get bored. (This quality is extremely important to have in a story.) And although the writing itself is great, I do have to say that I truly appreciate the pictures. I believe that illustrations and portrayals of these characters really help me visualize that story as I read it. For me, being able to visualize a story makes it all the more enjoyable to read. In this story a man is forced to marry a woman who he finds hideous but turns out to be a beautiful woman on the inside. I think that this represents the age-old tale of not judging a book by its cover. You see it in Beauty and the Beast and even today on a singing show called The Voice where the judges do not see the singers while they are performing as to not judge them by their appearance. I believe that this is an extremely important message that will in fact always be pertinent. The mythical aspect of The Canterbury Tales also intrigues me because who doesn’t love a good fairy tale? Am I right?

Truth

            I believe that truth plays a large role in the book Grendel. Your perspective of almost everything can be changed when the truth is either revealed or hidden- especially when the information comes from someone who you have a lot of respect for. Hrothgar’s people all trust the Shaper. The Shaper provides these people with information and stories. Before the Shaper they never had a sole source of steady information. The Shaper was both very good and very bad for the kingdom. The Shaper was good because it united people in their thoughts and brought them all together in unity. The Shaper was bad because he was not truthful in all of his tales. In the matter of one song the Shaper could turn everyone against each other and possibly destroy a kingdom. In the case instead of a kingdom- he destroyed Grendel. He sang of a story portraying Grendel as the ultimate evil. It is because of this story that the humans went after Grendel and made Grendel go after the humans. IF it were not for the Shaper, Hrothgar’s people and Grendel could have lived together peacefully without constant war upon Hrothgar’s kingdom. The power of the truth can never be underestimated as it can change someone’s life forever. 

The Modern Grendel: Al Capone

            I think that the real life Grendel would be Al Capone. Al Capone is one of the most notorious American gangsters of all time, just as Grendel was the most notorious villain of his time. During Grendel’s childhood he was raised into being who he is today. I do not believe that Grendel was born evil, but that his childhood contributed to how he lived his life. Similar to Grendel, Al Capone did not have a luxurious or glamorous upbringing. He grew up in an extremely violent neighborhood and became involved in two different gangs meant for kids. In addition to this, he dropped out of school at the age of fourteen in the sixth grade. I believe that if Al Capone had been born into a different community and had a different upbringing that he would not have been involved in the world of violence or have committed the crimes that he did. Both ‘villains’ were strongly influenced and molded by their upbringing. Although they are both rightly judged for their actions, many people do not take the time to look behind the big picture and realize why people are who they are. People are quick to jump to accusations without knowing all of the facts.