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.