Zach+and+Charles

Charles Wallace AP Note Card
 * BEOWULF**

Author and Title- An unknown Anglo-Saxon poet.

Time and Place- Around 700 a.d. The story is set in Scandinavia, before the migration.

Main Characters-
 * Beowulf**- The protagonist of the epic, Beowulf is a Geatish hero who fights the monster Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a fire-breathing dragon.
 * King Hrothgar**- The king of the Danes.
 * Grende**l- A demon descended from Cain, Grendel preys on Hrothgar’s warriors in the king’s mead-hall, Heorot.
 * Grendel’s mother**- An unnamed swamp-hag, Grendel’s mother seems to possess fewer human qualities than Grendel, although her terrorization of Heorot is explained by her desire for vengeance—a human motivation.
 * The dragon**- An ancient, powerful serpent, the dragon guards a horde of treasure in a hidden mound. Beowulf’s fight with the dragon constitutes the third and final part of the epic.
 * Shield Sheafson**- Is the mythical founder who inaugurates a long line of Danish rulers and embodies the Danish tribe’s highest values of heroism and leadership.
 * Halfdane**- The father of Hrothgar, Heorogar, Halga, and an unnamed daughter who married a king of the Swedes, Halfdane succeeded Beow as ruler of the Danes.
 * Wealhtheow**- Hrothgar’s wife, the gracious queen of the Danes.
 * Unferth**- A Danish warrior who is jealous of Beowulf, Unferth is unable or unwilling to fight Grendel, thus proving himself inferior to Beowulf.

Plot Summary- The story opens up to the discussion of Shield Sheafson, a king of the ancient Danes. when he died his body was put into a boat, covered with treasures and armor, and cast off to sea. Sheafsons son Beow took place as king, and when he died his son Halfdane became king. After Halfdane, it was Hrothgar and under his rule the kingdom of Danes prospered and had a successful military. As a result, Hrothgar decided to construct a mead-hall. The hall was called Heorot, and there the men gathered with their king to drink mead and listen to the songs of the bards. One night, a demon monster named Grendel emerged from swampy lands due to all the noise the festivities were causing. Once the men in the mead-hall fell asleep, Grendel snuck inside and slaughtered thirty men. After that night Grendel continued to wreak havoc on the Danes for twelve years. Word about the trouble in Heorot spread and reached Beowulf, known as the greatest hero of his time. When Beowulf hears the tales of Grendel, he decides to travel to the land of the Danes and help Hrothgar defeat the demon. At the feast of Beowulf's arrival, a Dane named Unferth, begins to taunt the him. He claims that Beowulf once lost a swimming match against Breca and that Beowulf will be defeated by Grendel. Beowulf accuses Unferth of drunkenness and describes his own version of what happened in the swimming match. That same night Grendel returns and to his surprise beowulf is there to fight. Grendel loses the fight and Beowulf rips his arm off which eventually kills Grendel. As a result, Hrothgar rewards Beowulf and his men for their bravery and deed. They are given gold and treasures and much respect. one night, Grendels mother comes to Heorot and kidnaps one of Beowulf's men and takes Grendels arm back to her swamp. Hrothgar tells Beowulf that he must depend on him a second time to rid Heorot of another demon. Beowulf agrees to the fight, reassuring Hrothgar that Grendel’s mother won’t get away. Beowulf wields Hrunting, the sword lent to him by Unferth, and attacks Grendel’s mother but it is unable to pierce the skin. Beowulf tries to fight the sea-witch using only his bare hands, but it fails. At last, he notices a sword hanging on the wall forged for giants. Beowulf takes the sword and swings it. The blade slices cleanly through the Grendel’s mother’s neck. When Beowulf returns he presents the head of Grendel ant the base of the giant sword to Hrothgar. Another feast is thrown for Beowulf and he now plans to finally go home. In Geatland, a dragons treasure is stolen from a thief and the dragon wakes up furious. Instead of gathering a fleet of men, Beowulf fights the Dragon himself with a large shield and sword. Beowulf fights and ends up killing the dragon with a knife in its flank. Before this is achieved the Dragon has already bitten Beowulf in the neck which causes both the dragon and Beowulf to die.

Images- Hrunting- Seen as a life line, the extra strength needed to help Beowulf. The head and arm of Grendel- Seen as a trophy to Beowulf, but was a serious possession to Grendels mother. Honor- was as important then as respect is now.

Themes- An ordinary man with god like strength and bravery. The story is ironic that when Beowulf decides to fight the dragon at an old age he fights as though he is still young, knowing he is not as agile or strong. Beowulf has an unbeatable mind set which hurts and helps him in the long run.

Critical Passage- Beowulf stands up as protector of something much deeper than the mere surface expectations of the reader for bravery and honor; he passionately fights to protect the deep solidarity that Heorot represents for humanity. Viewing Grendel’s assault on this human solidarity, we must conclude that the value of the hall regarding international relations and the power of the human spirit is that for which Beowulf must so ardently fight.

Heorot Hall represents the togetherness and fellowship of all peoples; a true monument to the oneness of the human spirit. “Far and wide through the world, I have heard, / orders for work to adorn that wall stead / were sent to many peoples. And soon it stood there, / finished and ready, in full view, / the hall of halls…” (7). Hrothgar, the newly appointed ruler of the Danes, sent orders to the known world for the construction of a great hall. With great gusto, laborers from around the world came to “adorn the wallstead” and to place their mark as a remembrance of the fellowship that would be contained within the very walls of Heorot.

Bibliography-http:// [|__www.associatedcontent.com/article/38292/a_critical_analysis_of_beowulf.html__]

Zach Cooper English IV Corlies Hard Times

__Title and Author:__// Hard Times// by Charles Dickens

__Setting:__ Coketown, mid 1800s

__Characters: Thomas Gradgrind__: a man that bases his life off the facts. Father of Tom and Louisa __Louisa Gradgrind__: marries Bounderby just to please her father. She is always trying to make her family happy. __Tom Gradgrind__: robs Bounderby’s bank and frames Stephen. He takes money from his sister to cover his gambling debt. Has to flee Coketown with the circus. __Mr. Bounderby__: Louisa’s husband who is a “self made millionaire”. He is a boastful man, but it is eventually found out that he was raised by wealthy parents and has not gone through as much as he said he has. __Sissy__: lost her father and was raised in the circus. She becomes good friends with the Gradgrind children. She is the opposite of the Gradgrinds because she is very happy and caring. __Stephen Blackpool__: Takes care of his alcoholic wife, but is in love with Rachel. He works with Bounderby, who fires him. __James Harthouse__: Rich politician who moves to Coketown and causes a stir. Falls in love with Louisa who is already married. __Mr. Sleary__: Head of the circus. Has a lisp. Helps Tom Gradgrind escape Coketown when he was chased by police for robbing the bank.

__Plot Summary:__ Mr. Gradgrind starts out in the school founded instructing the schoolteacher to teach nothing but the facts. Mr. Gradgrind’s children Tom and Louisa however do not live by there father’s rules. Tom is a gambler and conceited man, and Louisa who is a confused child who is unsure what she wants in life, but is very caring and loyal to her family. Louisa ends up marrying Bounderby, a rich factory and bank owner, to financially support Tom and his addiction. Sissy, a young happy girl who’s father work at the circus, is living with the Gradgrinds and is watching over the younger children, which is why the young Gradgrinds are much happier than the older ones. Blackpool and young worker at the factory is falling in love with another worker, Rachel, but he is already married to an alcoholic wife who he is loyal to. Stephen asks Bounderby if he can have a divorce, but learns that only the rich can divorce their spouse. James Harthouse, a wealthy politician moves to Coketown and falls in love with Louisa who is already married. The workers at Bounderby’s factory form a union and Blackpool refuses to join because he feels that a strike is not the proper way to deal with their problems. The union workers shun Blackpool, and when Stephen refuses to spy on the union, Bounderby fires him. Louisa being the generous girl she is, gave Stephen some money to help him out. Tom also tells Stephen that if he wants some money to wait outside of the bank for a couple of nights and one night someone will give him some money. Stephen does this, but no one ever comes, so he leaves Coketown for work out in the country. Shortly after he leaves the bank is rob and Stephen is the only suspect because he was seen waiting outside of the bank several nights before the robbery. When Stephen returns to clear his good name he falls in an old mining shaft called the Old Hell Shaft, and eventually dies. Gradgrind and Louisa realize that it was Tom that robbed the bank and framed Stephen. Louisa and Gradgrind plan to have Tom smuggled out of the country with the help of Mr. Sleary and Sissy, but when they get to the dock Bitzer, Gradgrinds student is there to stop him because he still believes in the “facts”. Tom ends up escaping Coketown with the circus and is never seen again. Ms. Peglar, an associate of Blackpool is brought in as a witness to the robbery, but it turns out that she is Bounderby’s mother and that he was not a self made man without parents.

__Literary Devices:__ Facts- it is a word that Gradgrind uses to teach students, but learns later that facts aren’t everything Irony- in Bounderby’s past, Stephen landing in Old Hell Shaft, and Bitzer stopping Gradgrind. The naming of the characters- Sleary has a slurred speech and Sissy is a loving sister to the Gradgrinds. Lies and secrets- Tom lying to Stephen, Bounderby’s secret past.

__Themes:__ Industrialization of town and people The role of women Fact vs. Imagination

__Critical Passage:__

A person cannot live a meaningful life as long as he or she gives into any form of fancy or whim, or so says Mr. Gradgrind in Hard Times. Charles Dickens opens his novel drilling into his audience that fact is the only important aspect of a person’s life. “‘Now what I want is, Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon Facts: nothing else will ever be of any service to them’” (Dickens, 1). Mr. Gradgrind makes it known very clearly that his life is dictated by fact, his children are taught and raised by fact alone, and reasonable, rational human being should be ordered by fact as well. However, Gradgrind’s life is not nearly complete as Sissy Jupe’s life by the end of the novel. It is through Sissy Jupe that Dickens makes the very obvious point that a person cannot live his or her life by fact alone. To be a well adjusted, balanced person, there has to be a mix of fact and fancy in the education of the individual. Unfortunately, the system of education, representative of the Victorian era, symbolized in Hard Times does not lean very readily toward much fancy in the classroom. Regrettably, the education system in most schools across the United States in this modern era enforce the idea of facts and testing, without much emphasis on the creativity, or fancy, of the children. []