Grendel, John Gardner's revision of Beowulf, seems like it is about everything, from war and revolution to ecology and psychology (not to mention literature, philosophy, politics). But I'd like to start off the blog with a very tiny (seemingly) question: did you like Grendel (the character, not the book)? If so, why (or why not)? Did you feelings change as you read -- and, if so, at what point and why? How relevant is it to the objectives of Gardner's story that we feel one way or another? In other words, does it matter? Do we need to like hin? Can you identify with a character and not like him?
I would also like to open up the blog to a larger question, about which we began to talk at the end of seminar. The passage on pp. 118-19 which begins "What does a kingdom pretend to do?" is, in some senses, at the heart of the John Jay- Vera Fellowship project: "Save the values of the community ... improve the quality of the commonwealth!" But then what do you do with the folks "who don't fit at all." Neither man nor animal, not quite monster nor hero, Grendel defies some of the most basic categories of life and literature. While it is hard to figure out what his individual story is, we know that he serves to challenge some of our most sacred stories. What is the sacred story of your agency? What are the assumptions that shape your agency's mission (if it is easier to think about your chosen topic for the seminar paper, that's fine, too)? Who or what would "Grendel" (a.k.a. provide a challenge to) that sacred story? What is important to learn from that other perspective?
Thursday, January 31, 2013
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