Modern Day Grendel

Throughout the epic of Beowulf, the antagonist, Grendel, is depicted as a unrelenting and murderous savage. However, this description is derived from the perspectives of the people of Herot. To them, Grendel committed countless of murderers in order to satisfy his devilish desires. These are only assumptions, disregarding what Grendel's true motive. Maybe he thought his doings would compensate for their actions. Maybe he sought revenge for something that has occurred in the past. Maybe he doesn't have one at all. It seems apparent that this poem is one-sided, masking other ideas. When I think things being one-sided, the idea of terrorists come into mind. Americans have created this image of Muslims of the Middle East as being terrorists. However, they based this stereotype off terrorist attacks. Not all Muslims use violence; there has been benevolent protests. They don't conduct these actions just because they resent America. The prominent motive of this is to avoid being part of globalization and losing their distinct culture. Most Americans don't take account for the Muslims' viewpoint because of their arrogance. Perhaps, Muslims depict Americans as being the modern day "Grendel" for expanding this idea of globalization into the Middle East. Our modern day "Grendels" exist only because we imagine them as that.