With a title of Death of a Salesman, it is no surprise that death and the departed play such a paramount role in the play; one example of such a departed is Ben. Ben, Willy's rich brother, is, to Willy, the epitome of success and the paradigm of prosperity. Early on, it becomes clear that Willy not only aspires to be like Ben, but also wants his children to be like him. Ben plays such a monumental role in Willy's life that even after his demise, he constantly appears in Willy's fantasies: “Why, boys, when I was seventeen I walked into the jungle, and when I was twenty-one I walked out.And by God I was rich” (Miller 48). A powerful quote by Ben, this is what Willy wants to happen to him and his kids. He wants to be rich, successful, and loved by all, like his brother Ben.

It is so significant of a quote that Miller employs repetition and has Ben say it again. The second time around, Willy explicitly states that that is the sprit he wants to imbue into his children. Willy's infatuation with wealth and triumph can be attributed to Ben and Dave Singleman, a salesman that left a deep impression on Willy.

Possibly more influential than Ben, Dave Singleman is the salesman Willy hopes to be. While alive, he is prosperous and revered by all. Willy even recounts to Howard: “Cause what could be more satisfying than to be able to go, at the age of eighty-four, into twenty or thrity different cities, and pick up a phone, and be remembered and loved and helped by so many different people?... When he died, hundreds of salesman and buyers were at his funeral” (81). It is obvious from Willy's speech that Singleman is the topmost seller and the single most important reason why Willy decides to become a salesman. When Willy gives his speech to Howard, he starts almost every sentence with “and”; this use of polysyndeton shows how excited Willy is in recounting the tale of Singleman and thus, how much respect Willy has for Singleman. It is from Singleman that Willy sees selling as a highly lucrative business.

It is from Singleman that Willy postulated that the only ingredient in success is amiability, for everyone adores Singleman. It is from Singleman that Willy wants a large funeral where everybody is present. In essence, it is from Singleman that Willy receives his dreams, his ideals, and his ambitions. Singleman has such a great importance in Willy's life that if Willy had never learned about him, then the story would be completely different. Most likely, Willy would not be been a salesman and would follow his sibling Ben to Alaska. Additionally, Willy's definition of success and the American dream would be completely different. When Singleman arrived into Willy's life, he imbued his traits into Willy's malleable mind.

Willy's own death has as much of an effect on his family as Ben's and Singleman's deaths have on Willy; his death has different effects on his two son's own personal dreams. To Happy, Willy's death reinforces the notion that the Lomans are meant to be great and successful. To Biff, who has an epiphany, Willy's death strengthens the fallacy of Willy's dream. Biff, the foil of Happy because of his pragmatic nature, realizes that Willy's personal dream would never come true. Willy's dream is too idealistic and would never work in the harsh business world, where everyone only seeks personal gain. Willy's death ultimately changes Biff's perception of the world, his views, and his own personal dreams. On the other hand, it reinforces Happy's ideas and dreams, which are already heavily instilled in him. Whether or not Willy's death has a positive or negative effect on the other characters is debatable. What is well established is its tremendous effect on the characters, and along with Ben and Singleman, Willy is a clear demonstration of death's compelling capabilities.

Similar to those in Death of a Salesman, the dead in A Raisin in the Sun also have a tremendous influence on those who are alive. Although there are fewer dead characters in Hansberry's play, the few that are dead are pivotal in the formation of the living's aspirations and ideas. The first pivotal deceased character is Big Walter, the perished husband of Lena Younger. Even though Big Walter never appears in the play, he still has an importance that drives the play's plot. What is perhaps most important about Walter Younger is the life insurance money that comes with his death. It is with this money that the characters' dreams are founded on, because they themselves have little money. To Beneatha, the money represents the prospect of becoming a doctor, because with this money, she can afford her way to medical. To Mama, the money represents a home for the family to finally settle in and leave the apartment. To Ruth, the money also represents a house; with a house, she can have the child she initially wishes to abort. Finally, to Walter Lee, the money represents the opportunity to invest in a liquor store that would make him rich enough to make a name for himself and provide for his child. All these dreams depend on a single check that would not come if Walter Younger is not dead.

Despite that many characters would still have these dreams if there is no check, they would certainly not cherish it as much. Without the insurance money, their dreams could not be realized and so, they would not give it much of a thought. With the check, they can finally realize their dreams. These competing dreams also create a drift within the family and enforce the ideas of certain characters. Beneatha, for example, is more disdainful towards Walter, who she believes to be absolutely profligate. Walter Lee, on the other hand, also holds on firmly to his own beliefs: he finds Beneatha to be selfish and women's education to be unnecessary. Again, although there is most likely a certain degree of discord within the family prior to the news of the insurance money, that discord would not be as great if not for Big Walter's money and death. This all comes to show Big Walter's enormous influence on the family, even from his grave.

Other than Walter Younger, the unnamed ancestors of the Younger family also have much control on the living characters. To Mama and later on to Walter Lee, their ancestors are their sense of pride. These two characters proudly allude to the fact that they can trace their ancestors to five generations. When Walter finally confronts Mr. Lindner and tells Lindner how he is not interested in the money, he says: “What I am telling you is that we called you over here to tell you that we are very proud and that this is - this is my son, who makes the sixth generation of our family in this country, that we have all thought about you offer and we have decided to move into our house because my father - my father - he earned it” (Hansberry 127-128). Although it is ironic that Walter gives the most noble and passionate speech in the play, the fact that he says it is not only testimony to the static nature of his character, but also how much he values his heritage. If not for the Younger family's many ancestors, Walter Lee and Mama would not have their familial pride. This pride, along with many other factors, tells Lindner to leave. Influential in the characters' thoughts and ideas, the ancestors help shape the characters.

It may be scary to some people how much power the dead has on their lives. After all, American author Margaret Landon once said, “Can that man be dead, whose spiritual influence is upon his kind?” (Landon). The reposing influences the actions and thoughts of some people so much that it is as if they are alive. These actions eventually shape their lives and personality. The deceased influences the characters in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman and Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun as normal people today. Miller clarifies that the lives of Singleman and Ben highly alter Willy's malleable ideas and dreams. After Willy's death, he affects his family just as much. In A Raisin in the Sun, Big Walter's death and the money that comes with his death is what the characters establish their hopes and aspirations on. Has it not been for the dead in both of these plays, the characters' dreams would not be as strong nor as established. All this makes people think, are their dreams a result of their deceased ancestors?

One of the foremost techniques used in the novel to create anxiety and suspense amongst the readers was alternating between scenes. These short “chapters” that Capote employs switches off between events at the Clutters with events surrounding Dick and Perry. Later, after the murder, these chapters would switch off between Dick and Perry's adventures with Dewey and Nye's relentless pursuit of the culprits. This somewhat resembles a film, alternating between scenes to show what is happening at a specific moment in time. By using this technique, Capote takes advantage of the fact that this is a non-fiction novel. Because his readers know what is going to happen to the Clutters, the book is filled with dramatic irony. This is best shown in these two scenes: “It was then that she went through her beauty routine, a cleansing, creaming ritual, which on Saturday nights included washing her hair… Before saying her prayers, she always recorded in a diary a few occurrences… and occasional outbursts…” (Capote 56).

However, this scene is quickly followed by: “Dick doused the headlights, slowed down, and stopped until his eyes were adjusted to the moon-illuminated night. Presently the car crept forward” (57). As Nancy innocently pampers herself and writes in her diary about mundane occurrences, she is completely unaware of the fact that two men outside of her house and planning to kill her and the residents of her home. This fact, which the reader is aware of, creates dramatic irony and suspense as scenes shift back and forth, keeping the readers craving for more. Even after the murder itself, suspense is furthermore created in the shifting scenes when the police discover the identity of the murderers while Dick and Perry enjoy themselves, thinking they pulled it off flawlessly. This is certainly one way Capote constructs the novel to be suspenseful enough so that even an event most readers know a lot about can create anxiousness and anticipation.

In addition to the short chapters which shift from scene to scene, Capote fills the chapters with vivid details that keep the readers interested with a heightened state of suspense. With the imagery presented in this novel, Capote takes full advantage of the fact that although it is a nonfiction novel, it is still, in fact, a novel. Even though readers can just as easily learns the facts surrounding the murder from a newspaper article, newspaper articles lack a fundamental element which are typically found in novels: vivid details and imagery. After reading this novel, it is clear that Capote has filled his book with it:

But, then, in the earliest hours of that morning in November, a Sunday morning, certain foreign sounds impinged on the normal nightly scrape of scuttling tumbleweed, the racing, receding wail of locomotive whistle. At the time, not a soul in sleeping Holcomb heard them - four shotgun blasts that, all told, ended six human lives.

The above describes vividly the morning of November when the murder took place, appealing mostly to the sense of sound, but also to sight and some touch as well. From this passage, the description and style allows the reader to feel as if he is at Holcomb in the morning of the murder, creating much suspense. Following this, the author goes on to describe the distrust in people's hearts and the surprise felt by the community of Holcomb. As a matter of fact, the first few chapters of the novel are entirely devoted to describing the town of Holcomb and later to the Clutter family. Capote's use of details and local color, such as describing the accent in Holcomb, almost puts the reader right into the scene. The readers get the sensation that they themselves are experiencing the action and are present wherever the novel takes them. Because of this sensation, the readers enjoy much more suspense as they follow Dick and Perry along in their journey.

Furthermore, Capote makes the readers aware of little details which they might not have known before and which would probably not appear in a newspaper seeing as they would be deemed unimportant. All the details in the novel add to the already overwhelming suspense, allowing Capote to craft a masterful novel that makes sure the reader is always engaged.

A last major reason why the novel still manages to keep many knowledgeable readers “hooked in” is because Capote keeps the specific details of the murder a secret until towards the end of the novel, when both killers confess. After Dick and Perry arrive at the Clutters' home, the story skips right away to Nancy Ewalt discovering the murder. This keeps the readers hooked to the novel and keeps the anticipation high. When Capote published the book, many people already knew of the murders. However, not many of them knew the specific details and the ulterior motives for the murder, let alone the confessions of the murderers themselves. When the events of the murder are described, how the Clutters were first bound and then murdered, this somewhat comes as a surprise to the reader who isn't too familiar with the little details. By taking advantage of the fact that most readers are probably ignorant of the specific details of the murder, Capote manages to present a gripping novel in a mood of suspense which keeps the reader going, dieing to find more about the murder.

In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote, is a truly pivotal book in both American literature and journalism. It is this book that established Capote as a great writer and after reading it, it is no wonder. With the facts concerning the book already known, Capote still cleverly manages to bring much suspense and surprise into the novel. Using shifting scenes which take advantage of the reader's knowledge, Capote creates dramatic irony which adds to the suspense. With his vivid details, Capote manages to draw the readers into the action, adding elements of surprise and suspense. Finally, by keeping the specifics of the murder a mystery, Capote manages to keep the readers clinging to the book all the way until the surprising confession by both Dick and Perry. With all this added together, his book is both captivating and influential, and certainly makes all those years of research he put into writing the book worth it.

Filled with both funny and serious moments, Catch-22 presents an insane society governed by an all powerful bureaucracy. Throughout his novel, his heavy criticism of the bureaucracy serves as a major driving force. Initially not popular with the post-war audience, baby boomers who identified with its criticism of war and government later resurrected the novel.

Catch-22 follows Yossarian, a WWII pilot, and his adventures in an insane world governed by insane people with insane ideas. Throughout the entire story, Yossarian is bent on survival by escaping aerial missions, though he's constantly unsuccessful. Sick and frightened by war, Yossarian irrationally believes that the entire world wants to kill him. He wants to leave the war, but before he can do so, he has to complete a set number of missions. However, this is impossible because the number of completed missions required to leave constantly increases.

The entire novel is filled with irrationality, from a black-market trader who buys eggs for seven cents and sells them for five cents (and still makes a profit) to a man who bores himself out to increase his life span. Even the book itself is structured illogically: the chronology is disorganized, with numerous flashbacks and randomly events presented.

Amongst all the irrationality comes the most irrational aspect of the entire novel: Catch-22. The government officials create the law Catch-22 to justify all their actions. When Yossarian first encounters it, it is initially a law that prevented pilots from ever being grounded for insanity. To be grounded for insanity, a pilot must ask for it and admit his insanity. However, if he asks for it, he must be sane.

As the novel progresses, Catch-22 becomes more and more extensive, with its further clauses being as irrational and paradoxical as the one above. An Italian woman in the book best summarizes the law: “They [bureaucrats] have the right to do anything we can't stop them from doing” and Catch-22 enforces this right.

Catch-22 eventually comes as a harsh criticism of bureaucracy. It reminds us of the bureaucracy's powers, how our lives are under its control and how it can enforce anything it wants. The bureaucrats' power is further shown when they act illogically and refuse to listen to any reasoning. Heller portrays them as selfish pigs bent on achieving their personal interests, particularly Colonel Cathcart, who constantly increases the number of missions to gain promotion.

It becomes eventually clear that Heller has achieved what he set out to achieve: To elicit negative response towards the bureaucracy. From Catch-22 to the constant addition of missions to the government administrators' irrational behavior, the readers learn to sympathize with Yossarian and the victims of bureaucracy. Even though his primary enemies are the Germans, Yossarian seems to fear his military superiors more than the Germans.

The concept of Catch-22 has become so powerful that it has taken on a life of its own. Nowadays, the term Catch-22 is synonymous with a situation where one is victim regardless of the choice one makes, popularized in modern culture with the phrase, “Heads, I win. Tails, you lose.”

Yossarian's friends in the novel are shown as victims of bureaucracy, garnering even more negativity towards the military bureaucrats. At the novel's end, most of Yossarian's friends are either physically dead or mentally dead, mostly tied in one way or another with bureaucracy. Even Yossarian eventually remarks how almost all his friends are gone.

The characters add to the novel's humor, as one can't help but laugh at all their craziness. Their actions, spontaneous and bizarre, comprise the bulk of the humor. One notable example of a ridiculous character is Orr, who stuffs crabapples in his cheeks without ever mentioning a reason. Whenever he is asked about it, he never gives a straightforward answer.

One very confusing aspect of Catch-22 is the organization of the events. The events presented in the novel do not follow one another chronologically and at certain times, the narrator will assume the reader knows certain information when in reality, he doesn't. Although this adds to the theme of insanity and irrationality, the prose amounts to a confusingly told story that may vex some readers.

However, the confusing narration does not stop Catch-22 from being one of modern literature's finest books. Funny, interesting, and insightful, Catch-22 is a perfect book for anyone who's willing to laugh at war. It provides a dark commentary on the forces that govern us and Heller presents it masterfully.

Fitzgerald first begins using weather as a motif when Nick arrives at the Buchanans' mansion, underscoring the situation's mood. When he arrives, the weather outside is warm, sunny, and windy. This description gives the readers the idea that Nick's visit will be happy and friendly with happy and friendly people. However, the readers soon learn that this is not the case. As the chapter progresses, Tom says the following: “It's up to us [Nordics] who are the dominant race to watch out or these other races will have the control of things” (Fitzgerald 14). From this quote, the readers clearly realize that Tom is an absolute racist and an irrational bigot full of hauteur. Believing in the Nordics' superiority over all other races, Tom advocates Nordic domination over others. This is simply one example of the fact that things don't go warmly inside the home.

Fitzgerald further presents Tom as a supercilious libertine when the readers learn that he commits himself to an affair and, because of the affair, is not present at the birth of his child. Because he didn't appear when his own child is born, he makes evident his uncaring and selfish nature. The readers later learn that he easily gets irritated and Tom and Daisy's relationship is certainly not reciprocal. Daisy is not so perfect herself, since she talks and acts lazily and cynically. As seen, the weather outside the house juxtaposes sharply with the “weather”, or mood, within the house: When is warm and sunny outside, it's stormy inside. Fitzgerald's juxtaposition shows the readers how superficial the Buchanans and wealthy people in general are.

The average American believes that they have a perfectly happy life. In reality, the situation cannot be further from the truth. The upper-class try to cover up their ugliness with all their money and power, as Daisy and Tom do. The weather serves as an important aspect in this scene and will be even more important later on.

Although Fitzgerald uses the weather for juxtaposition, he uses it for more than just that, as it also coincides with a present mood. Following a few chapters, when Gatsby decides to meet Daisy, he meets her amidst a rainy weather, foreshadowing an awkward or unpleasant situation. Sure enough, when Gatsby finally gets together Daisy, the incredibly awkward situation keeps all the characters almost dead silent: “For half a minute there wasn't a sound. Then from the living room I heard a sort of chocking murmur and part of a laugh followed by Daisy's voice on a clear artificial note” (91). This clearly demonstrates the situation's awkwardness: none of the characters make a sound until Daisy laughs. Her laugh, which would go unnoticed in any other situation, rings clearly here. Furthermore, the author describes her laugh as being “artificial”, indicating that Daisy fakes it to relieve the present tension. This silence and unpleasantness between the characters corresponds with the rain. Like rain, their shyness ruins what could have been a pleasant reunion.

Later, Nick goes outside and leaves the two alone. The rain starts clearing and the sun starts shining by now. When Nick returns, he finds that the tension is dramatically relieved. No longer reticent, Gatsby and Daisy joyfully laugh, cry, and joke around with each, as old friends do. Here, the rain's end symbolizes that the initially awkward and quiet moment between Daisy and Gatsby has “cleared up” and the situation has “brightened up”, like the sun's arrival. The chapter finally ends with Nick “walking out of the rain” (102). When he walks out, he is met with rainy weather again showing that Daisy and Gatsby's relationship may deteriorate in the future. This foreshadowing proves itself correct when readers later discover Daisy eventually deserting Gatsby and not appearing at his funeral - the funeral of a man who has dedicated his whole life to her. As seen, the weather's significance becomes larger and larger as the story progresses, with weather becoming a major indicator of the situation's mood.

Similar to the weather representing awkwardness and rejoicing, it can also represent anger and passion amongst the characters. As time passes a little more, Gatsby, Tom, Daisy, Nick, and Jordan go to New York on a day which is the year's hottest day. Throughout this chapter, Fitzgerald constantly describes the weather as being excruciatingly hot. When readers look back at the story, they realize the weather gets hotter and hotter as the book progresses. The reason for the increasing is more than just marking spring's transition to summer; the heat coincides with Gatsby and Daisy's growing love and Gatsby and Tom's growing tension. The gang's excursion to New York occurring on the year's hottest day means this is the day when Tom and Gatsby's tension and Gatsby's Daisy's love come to a crisis. Daisy's quote foreshadows this future crisis: “'But it's so hot,' insisted Daisy, on the verge of tears.

"And everything"s so confused'” (125). Her association of confusion with the weather implies a coming confusion, passion, emotion, and conflict. As expected, although this chapter is not the book's climax, it is the most intense part of the book. It is in this very chapter that Tom openly scorns Gatsby about Gatsby's reputation and his love for Daisy. It is also in this chapter that Daisy ultimately has to choose between leaving with Gatsby or staying with Tom, and she chooses the latter. Thus, it is very fitting that all this passion and conflict occur on that year's hottest day, as the hot weather correlates perfectly with the conflict.

The last portions of the book, Gatsby's death and the aftermath, are worth noting for its complex weather, since Fitzgerald adds both a more positive and darker meaning to it. On the day of his death, it is the first day of autumn, when the temperature starts getting chilly. This chilly weather is a perfect setting for the cold-blooded murder that's about to occur. Thus, in this chapter, the most hateful action occurs. After Gatsby's death, Nock holds Gatsby's funeral on a rainy day. In the arts and literature typically portray funerals on a rainy day, and they occur on a rainy day for a reason. Even though the rain in this case does not represent awkwardness, it underscores the dejection within the funeral attendant's hearts and the situation's unpleasantness.

But, at the funeral, the rain represents more than just sadness. What is most significant about this rain is a quote one of the attendants or the minister at the funeral says: “Blessed are the dead that the rain falls on” (183). This is clearly an allusion to either the English poet Edward Thomas or the famous 17th Century English proverb, “Blessed are the dead that the rain rains on,” or possibly both. In Edward Thomas's case, the line “Blessed are the dead that the rain rains upon” (line 7) appears in his poem “Rain”. Despite the poem's melancholy mood, Thomas does include these lines: “And neither hear the rain nor give it thanks/ For washing me cleaner than I have been” (lines 4-5), which precedes the line first mentioned. These lines make the rain a symbol of spiritual cleansing and therefore, the dead, cleansed by the rain, are truly blessed.

The English proverb, however, means that if the rain falls on a coffin, it indicates that the deceased's soul has arrived safely to the afterlife. In both the proverb and the poem, rain takes a positive connotation and embodies a blessing. This spiritual cleansing corresponds well with Gatsby's numerous religious associations and Nick's idea that Gatsby is the only moral person he meets in the East. Thus, it is perfect that someone moral and surrounded by religious imagery be spiritually cleansed before ascending to heaven. In Gatsby's funeral, the rain serves as both a symbol of sadness and cleansing, and Fitzgerald's ability to skillfully incorporate the weather sheds much meaning into the book.

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, tells a story of love, ambition, and tragedy. His characters in the novel are as diverse as the weather employed. One minute it is raining, and the next minute, it is completely sunny. All this weather serves a purpose, whether to emphasize the tension or to show spiritual cleansing. The weather's ultimate purpose is to underscore the situation's mood and relationships between the characters. This is clearly present in numerous situations where the weather plays a significant role. It sheds light on the wealthy people's corruption and Gatsby's spirituality. In the end, Fitzgerald crafts a book that not only interests the readers, but is also full of vivid weather imagery that adds much significance to the book's meaning.

In the Epic poem Beowulf, the author presents a glorifying image of Anglo-Saxon culture and values, specifically heroism, fate, gift-giving, loyalty, vengeance, and manliness. Just as much as the author of Beowulf tries to eulogize these values, John Gardner, the author of Grendel, attempts to ridicule them as much as possible. This is just one of the many differences between Beowulf and Grendel. Written in the first person point of view of Grendel, Grendel retells the story of Beowulf's famous fight that propelled him to recognition with a new and fresh perspective.

Along with this new perspective come different and conflicting opinions regarding certain characters and ideals. Undoubtedly, Grendel shows a much more negative view of the characters Hrothgar, Unferth, and Beowulf.

One of the first humans characters introduced in both Beowulf and Grendel is Hrothgar. In the famous epic poem, Horthgar is first described as a king who brings much glory and power to his people, so much that he resolves to build a great mead hall to display his power and he follows through his boast. Additionally, he is shown as respected, kind to those he defeated, his people loves him, and having the protection of God: “Then Hrothgar, taking the throne, led the Danes to such glory that comrades and kinsmen swore by his sword … leaving the common pastures untouched and taking no lives.” (Beowulf ).

As shown, he leads the Danes to glory and people swear to join him, but he also leaves the land untouched and takes no innocent lives. Despite acknowledging his tactical genius, Grendel presents a much more antagonistic view of Hrothgar, mostly due to Grendel's personal prejudice against the Danish king, therefore presenting the king with a more hateful image. For example, according to Grendel, people obey Hrothgar more out of fear than respect. After fashioning himself as a bretwalda, he has his neighboring kingdoms swear allegiance to him, pay tributes, and attack other tribes if necessary. These tribal rulers obey him not out of respect or his glory, but because they fear what happens if they do not obey him.

Furthermore, the Hrothgar as portrayed in Grendel is not as eco-friendly or caring as he seems to be in Beowulf. Instead of “leaving the common pastures untouched”, Hrothgar and his men destroy the environment as shown: “They hacked down trees in widening rings around their central halls… till the forest looked like an old dog dying of mange. They thinned out game, killed birds for sport, set accidental fires that would burn for days. Their sheep killed hedges, snapped valleys bare, and their pigs nosed up the very roots of what might have grown”. Clearly not the protector of pastures, Hrothgar and his men kill all the animals in their area, over log the forests, and leave valleys bare, which Grendel shows in his narrative.

This darker and negative portrayal makes Hrothgar more flawed and despicable; clearly he is not like the Hrothgar in Beowulf. This adds to the overall more negative tone in the novel of all the elements that Beowulf honors.

Unferth also falls victim to this negative portrayal of characters in Grendel. Originally shown as a jealous and hateful warrior in Beowulf, he is not, however, entirely evil and the readers come to respect him more after he apologizes to Beowulf and gives him his prized and famous sword. Despite having at least a little respect from the audience, the Unferth that Grendel depicts is foolish, weak, cowardly, and jealous, deserving practically no respect.

In Gardner's novel, when Unferth first meets Grendel, he challenges him as everyone else does. Like everyone else, he easily loses and Grendel adds to his embarrassment when he throws apples at him. He then challenges Grendel again, but instead of actually fighting him, he falls asleep: “I waited for him to find an answer. Minutes passed. It came to me that he had quit… He was asleep”.

This is possibly Unferth's most embarrassing moment in the entire novel. Far from being the hero that he so wishes to be, he is weak and cowardly, because he falls asleep as he about to fight. Moreover, Grendel makes him to be a simpleton for he defeats Unferth verbally and even makes Unferth realize that he contradicts himself. To add to Unferth's already growing ridicule, when Unferth berates Beowulf, Beowulf fights back with harsh words. Although the Unferth in Beowulf simply becomes embarrassed when he meets Beowulf's harsh words, the Unferth in Gardner's novel actually cries and it makes him look more foolish and weaker than the readers would actually think he is. Being an unlikable character already in Beowulf, he is also pathetic in Grendel. This all adds to the Gardner's more negative portrayal of all the major human characters of Beowulf.

The last character that falls victim to Gardner's unfavorable portrayal of characters is Beowulf himself. Intelligent, strong, talented, and respected, Beowulf is the perfect epic hero. The seemingly perfect hero is not so perfect in the novel Grendel. Although Grendel acknowledges his wisdom and power, as he is the only one capable of defeating Grendel, Gardner shows him as insane and cruel: “Feel the wall: is it not hard? He smashes me against it, breaks open my forehead. Hard, yes! Observe the hardness, write it down in careful runes. Now sing of walls! Sing!”.

The above excerpt is what Beowulf whispers in Grendel's ear as he smashes him into a wall while fighting him. Just reading it makes it quite obvious that Beowulf is rather eccentric in this novel. What he says is rather disturbing as he tells Grendel to feel how hard the wall is and to sing about the hardness of the walls while they fight. A rather peculiar thing to say, it makes it seem as if Beowulf is even insane in the novel, as he tells Grendel to sing about walls. This is just one instance of Beowulf's change between the two novels. Additionally, he is also quite rude and unfriendly.

When he first lands on Denmark and the guard stops him, he calls the guard an “old man” and practically tells him to simply let Beowulf in whereas in the epic poem, Beowulf slowly and patiently explains the situation, gaining the guard's respect and admiration. In this case he seems to have neither respect nor admiration from the guard. He is even less respectful when he meets Unferth. After Unferth taunts Beowulf, Beowulf replies saying that he actually won the race against Brecca and adds that Unferth is to burn in hell for eternity because of what he has done, which drives Unferth to tears. Although Beowulf does scold Unferth in the original epic poem, he does not do so in such a harsh manner nor does he say that Unferth shall burn in hell.

To add to all of that, his relationship with Hrothgar seems to be a little tainted. Hrothgar is happy to see Beowulf, but there is really nothing more. In the original poem, Hrothgar shows much love for him and practically treats him as a son whereas in this one, he is just happy that someone's there to get rid of Grendel for him. The only display of fatherly affection that Hrothgar ever shows in Grendel is when he proclaims, while being drunk, that Beowulf is like a son to him. However, the display of affection is meaningless as Hrothgar is drunk he says this.

As seen, the novel obviously portrays Beowulf as a darker and scarier character, far from being the perfect epic hero. This goes along with the tone of the novel, the portrayal of all things that Anglo-Saxons value in a negative light.

Retelling the famous story of Beowulf, John Gardner's novel, Grendel, portrays every human character and everything that Anglo-Saxons respect in a rather negative light. Instead of being the grand and kind king that Hrothgar is in Beowulf, he is more flawed in Grendel than people would expect him to be. Following the example that Hrothgar sets, Unferth is a foolish coward and Beowulf is a cruel eccentric. Grendel, who tells the story, is one of the major antagonists in epic and the reader would likely expect all this negative portrayal.

But Gardner not only bashes all the main characters in his novel, he ridicules the values of the Anglo-Saxons as well. When Grendel gets into an argument with Unferth, he mocks the idea of heroism, driving Unferth mad with rage. In addition, Gardner portrays the Anglo-Saxons as people who would boast about their ancestors from meters away, shaking their spears, yet not dealing a single blow, which makes them look ridiculous. Also, he ridicules the idea of war and honor as the Anglo-Saxons would destroy everything in their path while at war, leaving nothing standing, be it buildings, fellow humans, or animals.

The author shows the idea of storytelling and scops as singers who would fabricate lies around history. Ultimately, the insulting tone of the novel adds up to make Grendel the antithesis of the Anglo-Saxon.

The novel begins in early 19th Century France with the protagonist, Edmond Dantes, a sailor returning to Marseilles and having the good fortune to be promoted. However, misfortune soon overtakes him and the hapless sailor gets arrested for a crime he is innocent of. After spending 14 years in prison, he learns the reason of his arrest - the betrayal of three people that he never suspected. After finally escaping from prison, he comes upon an enormous treasure and begins to carry out his vengeance against the three guilty men while he disguises as the Count of Monte Cristo.

This marks the beginning of Dantes's revenge and his noticeable change in character, illustrated in this quote: “Then his eyes lighted up with hatred as he thought of the three men who had caused him so long and wretched captivity. He renewed against Danglars, Fernand, and Villefort the oath of implacable vengeance he had made in his dungeon” (249). The theme of vengeance drives the plot of most of the novel and later on, he carries out his plot of vengeance against the three.

One of the reasons why the quote in the introduction is so significant is because it ties in greatly with the theme of vengeance. When Dantes carries out his vengeance, he believes he has been favored by God to carry out the punishments on those who have wronged him. Later on, when he sees that he has harmed people who are innocent, he realizes that he could no longer be acting as God on earth and his desire for vengeance goes away. This is shown in the quote when Dantes says "... believes himself for an instant equal to God, but who realized in all humility that supreme power and wisdom are in the hands of God alone" (440-441).

This is one of the reasons why the introductory excerpt is so significant, it ties in greatly with the theme of vengeance and Dantes's later realization that he is not right in carrying out his vengeance. In this quote, Dantes states his realization that his vengeance is not just and that only God himself has the right to avenge. Though this excerpt ties in well with the theme of vengeance, it ties in with other themes as well that are important to the novel.

Another theme that the excerpt connects with is forgiveness. When Dantes takes out his vengeance, he realizes that he has hurt many innocent people, especially when he takes it out on Villefort. He then realizes that he is know longer in God's favor and wishes for forgiveness. He helps Morrel out of his misery hoping that he may be forgiven. The excerpt relates to forgiveness in that he realizes all the wrong he has done and hopes he has been forgiven. He also compares himself with Satan and possibly believes that he has done as much wrong as Satan himself. A part of forgiveness is admitting all the wrongs that one has done.

Also, when he says “that supreme power and are in the hands of God alone” (440-441), he realizes that only God can forgive and avenge. Just like it is with the theme of vengeance, the excerpt is also significant with the theme of forgiveness. However, there is still one last the theme that the quote relates well to.

In addition to the themes already mentioned, the excerpt taken also relates to the theme of power. Throughout Dantes's plot for revenge, he believes himself as powerful as God and justifies all of his actions by saying that God is carrying them out through him. This is shown specifically when he tells Mercedes, Fernand's wife, “It is not I who strike M. de Morcef; it is Providence which punishes him” (1183); M. de Morcef being Fernand's title. However, when he realizes that he has gone too far and hurt the innocent, he realizes that supreme power is only in God's hands and not his. This is what the excerpt is trying to convey the most, that man is powerless compared to the almighty God.

In the excerpt, Dantes compares himself to Satan saying that like Satan, he believes himself equal to God, but later realizes that no one is except God himself. What the excerpt is mainly trying to say regarding power is that only God has true power and all human beings do not have nearly as much power as God. Though the excerpt relates well with the themes of vengeance and forgiveness, it is the theme of power that makes this excerpt so significant.

The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexander Dumas, is definitely one of the greatest novels in classical literature. One of the possible reasons why it is so great is because of its many themes. The excerpt, which has already been stated in the introduction, ties in to many of the themes, specifically the themes of vengeance, forgiveness, and power. The fact that it ties in so well with those themes is the main reason that makes the quote so significant.

Having great insight on topics such as the righteousness of vengeance, forgiveness, and the power of God and man, this excerpt is definitely one of the most important in the book and ultimately, makes one want to question his powers as well.