Daniel Stratton
January 14th, 2015
Ms. Martin
6th Period
Grendel and the Zodiac
Chapter One - Aries: the Ram
Part One: Quotation
“The old ram stands looking down over rockslides, stupidly triumphant” (5)
Part Two: Deeper Connection
The sign of Aries marks the beginning of a new cycle of the zodiac; however, there is nothing unique or special about this new cycle, because it is just like the cycle that has just ended. According to Grendel, the ram (Aries) acts the same way he did “last year at this time, and the year before, and the year before that.” All has happened before, all will happen again.
Part Three: Ruling Planet
Ruling planet is Mars, the god of war and this is the chapter where Grendel introduces the readers to his 12-year …show more content…
This relates to the Shaper’s stories about humans. He portrays humans as great beings, even though both he and the others know this is false. Still, it inspires the humans to do great things, which is the intention of sophism. Sophists themselves were teachers and speakers who argued compellingly, just as the Shaper does. The Shaper does such a good job that Grendel becomes conflicted between his truth and the truth told by the Shaper.
Chapter Four - Cancer: the Crab
Part One: Quotation
“I backed away, crablike, further into darkness- like a crab retreating in pain when you strike two stones at the mouth of his underwater den” (48).
Part Two: Deeper Connection
The crab is often said to be someone who is creative, but emotional and close to their family. Cancer also shows how religion influences our world. In chapter four, the Shaper discusses the earlier history of the world, and how God created the different species. The story says that humans are good, and that Grendel was determined to be an evil being by God. This causes Grendel to become sad and emotional
Part Three: Ruling …show more content…
In chapter ten, Grendel continues to experience a lot about human life, such as the Shaper’s death and the reactions of other humans to his death. The death also helps Grendel realize that his time left is dissipating.
Part Four: Philosophy
Nietzsche: Nietzsche was a German philosopher who strongly criticized religion. He questioned if there was actual meaning in our world, in the same way Grendel did. Throughout the book, Grendel found life to be meaningless, until he heard the Shaper’s stories. These stories conflicted his views of truth, and made it harder for Grendel to determine if life had substance. When the Shaper died, his stories did too and Grendel was no longer able to find any meaning in life, similar to the idea proposed by Nietzsche.
Chapter Eleven - Aquarius: the Water Bearer
Part One: Quotation
“I was unnaturally conscious, for some reason, of the sounds of the cave: the roar of the underground river hundreds of feet below our rooms, reaming out walls, driving deeper and deeper; the centuries-old drip-drip of seepage building stalagmites, an inch in a hundred years; the spatter of the spring three rooms away - the room of the pictures half buried in stone - where the spring breaks through the roof”
January 14th, 2015
Ms. Martin
6th Period
Grendel and the Zodiac
Chapter One - Aries: the Ram
Part One: Quotation
“The old ram stands looking down over rockslides, stupidly triumphant” (5)
Part Two: Deeper Connection
The sign of Aries marks the beginning of a new cycle of the zodiac; however, there is nothing unique or special about this new cycle, because it is just like the cycle that has just ended. According to Grendel, the ram (Aries) acts the same way he did “last year at this time, and the year before, and the year before that.” All has happened before, all will happen again.
Part Three: Ruling Planet
Ruling planet is Mars, the god of war and this is the chapter where Grendel introduces the readers to his 12-year …show more content…
This relates to the Shaper’s stories about humans. He portrays humans as great beings, even though both he and the others know this is false. Still, it inspires the humans to do great things, which is the intention of sophism. Sophists themselves were teachers and speakers who argued compellingly, just as the Shaper does. The Shaper does such a good job that Grendel becomes conflicted between his truth and the truth told by the Shaper.
Chapter Four - Cancer: the Crab
Part One: Quotation
“I backed away, crablike, further into darkness- like a crab retreating in pain when you strike two stones at the mouth of his underwater den” (48).
Part Two: Deeper Connection
The crab is often said to be someone who is creative, but emotional and close to their family. Cancer also shows how religion influences our world. In chapter four, the Shaper discusses the earlier history of the world, and how God created the different species. The story says that humans are good, and that Grendel was determined to be an evil being by God. This causes Grendel to become sad and emotional
Part Three: Ruling …show more content…
In chapter ten, Grendel continues to experience a lot about human life, such as the Shaper’s death and the reactions of other humans to his death. The death also helps Grendel realize that his time left is dissipating.
Part Four: Philosophy
Nietzsche: Nietzsche was a German philosopher who strongly criticized religion. He questioned if there was actual meaning in our world, in the same way Grendel did. Throughout the book, Grendel found life to be meaningless, until he heard the Shaper’s stories. These stories conflicted his views of truth, and made it harder for Grendel to determine if life had substance. When the Shaper died, his stories did too and Grendel was no longer able to find any meaning in life, similar to the idea proposed by Nietzsche.
Chapter Eleven - Aquarius: the Water Bearer
Part One: Quotation
“I was unnaturally conscious, for some reason, of the sounds of the cave: the roar of the underground river hundreds of feet below our rooms, reaming out walls, driving deeper and deeper; the centuries-old drip-drip of seepage building stalagmites, an inch in a hundred years; the spatter of the spring three rooms away - the room of the pictures half buried in stone - where the spring breaks through the roof”