Two individuals can have the seem belief on one topic, but one can have a much stronger belief than the other.  As I was saying before, our society has some ideals that are at liberty to be questioned and discussed and some that are “off limits.”  The difference between today’s society and their society many years ago is that people were exiled for not agreeing with certain ideals. 

     Honoring one’s beliefs and ideals is very important, it gives the indvidual something to develope a passion for, but at times the ways in which a person expresses their beliefs can become out of control.  It is second nature to put one’s life before a cultural belief.  In the code of chivalry, loyalty is a huge ideal.  In The Day of Destiny King Arthur commands Sir Bedivere to throw the King’s sword into the lake.  Sir Bedivere has a difficult time doing this, because the sword is so meaningful.  King Arthur says to Sir Bedivere, “Sir Bedivere, twice you have betrayed me!  And for the sake only of my sword: it is unworthy of you.  Now I pray you, do as I command, for I have not long to live.” (pg. 199)  At this point Sir Bedivere was loyal to his king, putting aside his own wants and opinions in order to honor his code. 

Morality is different among each person in the world.  The way your parents conduct themselves, religion, location, and school are only a few things that can have an impact on the cosntruction of someone’s morality.  Chaucer, being that he is the author of The Canterbury Tales, uses his own morality when describing everyone attending the pilgrimage.  “There was a knight…and ever honored for his noble graces.” (lines 43-50)  Geoffrey Chaucer must use his own sense of morality when describing his characters; although, he must do it in a way that reflects our society’s ideas of moral vs. immoral.  Religion plays a significant role in cultures.  In some cultures everyone is forced to have the same religous beliefs, but in others there are many to choose from. 

Word Count: 494

His life just seemed so hopeless
He had nowhere to turn
His bottle was his only savior
If only he could learn

She loved him since their childhood
He seemed to care for her
This never stopped his strong desire
With every shot, a blur

One night she stood her ground
She finally let him go
He clenched his hand to his bottle
This wasn’t enough to show

Hour by hour he slowly fell apart
Tonight was not the same
His Crown and Whiskey wasn’t enough
They wouldn’t end his pain

Pill after pill he began to drown
In his hopelessness
He felt himself fall deeper and deeper
In this dark abyss

He made his final attempt
To finally say goodbye
One final breath
Before suffocating in his high

He was found completely breathless
Bottle still in hand
She knew this day was soon to come
She lacked the strength to stand

The memorial held no more than four
At midnight this wouldn’t be
The blame pressed on her soul
She turned to his 243

Both lives taken by a monstrous things
Alcohol and blame
Now they rest together
Two bodies one in the same

     For some people, literature can be an escape.  Literature can help people to relax, sit back, and take a breather.  Not only is literature used for relaxing, but it is a proven fact that people who read a lot tend to be more knowledgable and also seem to have a more developed vocabulary.  Literature can take us into a totally new world .  It can introduce new ideas and technology or it can help clarify a battle or fight that took place 100 years ago. 

     Beowulf  is a phenominal example of how literature reveals the values of a culture.  Paganism was the belief of the Anglo-Saxons during the times that the scop told the story; although, when the monk translated it Christianity was their newly found religion.  In Beowulf, Beowulf says, “Fate goes ever as fate must.”  This statement demonstrates the strong Paganistic belief of Beowulf, reflecting the religion of his culture.  It is quite simple to distinguish a piece of literature written 500 years ago and something written last year.  Advances in technology, developement of our language, and our cultural changes all help the reader in deciding when the book was written. 

     As a writer you must convey your message without offending the reader.  This can often times be very difficult to do; therefore, the author can present a topic and allow the reader to develope his or her own opinion of this topic.  Racism, homosexuality, and war are only three of the many ideas that our society struggles with.  This creates an opportunity for a novel to present the reader with more information about this topic, making it easier for them to “pick a side.”  This is how the author catches the reader’s attention, by making them take a side early in the novel. 

     It is possible that a book can endure due to special characteristics of that piece of literature.  For exmple, Wuthering Heights had horrible reviews; although, it has endured for quite a long time.  How could a book with such horrible reviews stick around?  Wuthering Heights was unique, this is all it needed to endure.  A book that carries a sense of uniqueness seems to strike the interest of its reader, whether the plot is amazing or enuii.  Beowulf  is known for its creativity such as kennings and alliteration.  “Their great days were gone.  Warriors scattered to homes and forts all over Friesland, fewer now, feeling loss of friends.”  This is only one of the thousands of alliterations in Beowulf , but the uniqueness of the writing captures the reader leaving them questioning the importance of every alliteration.

Word Count: 634

     In the poem Beowulf, Beowulf discusses his battle with Grendel and says what he would have preferred to do to Grendel, “My plan was to punce, pin him down in a tight grip and grapple him to death- have him panting for life, powerless and clasped in my bare hands, his body in thrall.” (p. 65)  This very statement illustrates how powerful language can be.  When the reader reads this, they can almost feel the intensity and strength in Beowulf’s voice.  It is easy to say that tone and diction can introduce a completely new emotion to the reader or listener.  When you hear or read a motivational speech you can almost feel yourself becoming energized by the words and tone the speaker is using.  For example when Martin Luther King Jr. was giving his “I Have a Dream” speech the people there could hear his tone and suddenly become “moved” by his power of language. 

     Language is how we communicate ourselves to others.  Without language, we would obviously have no means of communication.  There have been many people in our society that become wealthy because of an invention.  Without language, these people would have no clear way of communicating and expressing their ideas with one another, creating an immense barrier among the people all around us.  Without language, we would be lost. 

     There are certain occupations which base their success upon being able to manipulate people with language.  Lawyers are a very good example of someone who has made a future out of manipulating people with language.  As a lawyer is presenting or defending their case, they are sure to use certain words that lead the judge and jury to believe what they are saying.  This is not necessarily a bad thing, it can actually be considered a skill.  Being able to manipulate language can help people get what they want in life.

     A culture without language is legitimate.  Culture does not have a specific guideline to follow, but it is more of a display of that societies values and beliefs.  A culture without language would simply mean that this culture has made their own form of communication.  Before there was a language people used other ways to communicate such as sign language.  Does this mean that they weren’t part of a culture?  I think it simply means that this is the way their culture chose to communicate.  

Word Count: 533

          A person can do so much good that it can become detremental to themselves.  There are people in our society that try so hard to please everyone else that they literally make themselves miserable; although, this trait does not make them heroes it simply makes them naiive.  When a hero feels like they are omniscient this can create many problems for those around this person.  This individual has a tendancy to make others feel small compared to them then,  leading others to believe they are the exact opposite of a hero, even closely related to a coward. 

          I believe the role of a hero or “sheroe” can fluctuate according to society, beliefs, and culture.  For example, Hitler would not be a hero according to our society; although, the Germans viewed him as their hero.  Sadam Hussein is viewed as evil by our nation, but his people see him as a god, in which to worship.  Martin Luther King was hated by many, but also loved by just as many.  Through these examples it is easy to see that a hero is not based on the opinion of just one uniform group, but chosen by their people as a man with a certain amount of courage and skill.

          The reward to a hero should be the feeling of accomplishment after meeting a certain goal.  This reward used to be adequit for the heroes of our society; although, today no one individual can perform a positive action without expecting some sort of reinforcement.  Some cutltures host extraordinary parties and gatherings for their soctiety’s heroes, whereas, some cultures pray or bow down to what they recognize as a hero.  Religion is a key factor in recognizing heroes for example, people who worship God depict him as a hero, but people who worship Buddha recognize this as a hero.  Each culture has their own way of recognizing heroes, but one thing is the same, the fact that they are appreciated is common among all different types of people.

          Without stories such as David and Goliath for Christians or Batman and Superman for children, how would our society know what to relate the word hero to.  We, as a nation, have been formed and shaped to believe that a hero is someone who has the ability to “save the world” or “feed the hungry”, but now, a hero is someone who has enough money to “feed the hungry” rather than just the will power to do so.  Narratives have given us a common ground for the heroes of different cultures.  Fictional and Non-fictional narratives play a bigger role in your thinking process than you think.  Stories your parents used to tell you growing up is what helped you understand the definition and attributes of what you now have come to believe is a  hero.

Word Count: 601

When you really think about this, are lucky charms and fruit loops really part of a nutricous breakfast, or are you better off with your eight wholesome layers?