Self-Pride: Revised

Self-Pride

            In the epic poem "Beowulf," written by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet, a narrator recounts the tales of a man named Beowulf who is incontrovertibly the greatest hero of their time. Beowulf travels miles over an ocean to slay the demonic monster Grendel, who is wreaking havoc on the Danes, and soon after kills Grendel's bellicose mother. After returning home, he becomes King and, fifty years later, slaughters a dragon who is destroying his kingdom. Though he may appear to be noble and courageous, Beowulf, through his "selfless" acts, in reality is a man who is guilty of hubris and is solely concerned with himself. This is apparent throughout Beowulf's trials against Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon.

            Beowulf first arrives in Denmark because word has traveled that the Danes are suffering from a demonic creature. Beowulf's voyage to conquer Grendel is symbolic of how only he can commit the act. As Grendel is ravaging through Heorot, Beowulf attacks him with his bare hands; this is symbolic of Beowulf being too powerful to succumb to mortal weapons such as a sword. When he severs Grendel's arm from its socket, "Proof of this...was displayed beneath the high gabled roof." (36) By displaying Grendel's gory arm at the head of the mead hall, Beowulf is again supporting the fact that only he could defeat Grendel. In showing the arm, Beowulf is also showing his might and impenetrable force for all Danes and Geats alike to see and praise. Later on, when Beowulf is being praised for his deeds, he notes that he is only wishes that he could have killed Grendel so all could see his corpse. A lifeless corpse in the mead hall would bear both a physical and spiritual meaning. By killing Grendel, Beowulf is showing his omnipotence in terms of his physical strength. Spiritually, a lifeless corpse shows Beowulf's ability to remove the life force and spirit of a living being.

            As Beowulf is preparing to leave, Grendel's mother then storms into the hall and takes Grendel's arm and flees. Instead of leaving after receiving treasures from King Hrothgar, Beowulf vows to find the witch. Symbolically, it would have been impossible for Beowulf to turn down the chance to kill yet another monster; the pride that would come with it is unfathomable. In Beowulf's eyes, two dead monsters are better than one. More so, Beowulf did not gain total fame because he is not able to kill Grendel in Heorot; as a result, he needs to compensate. When he faces Grendel's mother, he struggles and finally uses a giant blade to pierce her neck, and, "the man is pleased with his work." (57) In lieu of leaving after completing his task, he sees Grendel's body and severs the head, making his comrades plunge a spear through it for display. This instinct of his battle is almost incontrovertible for Beowulf to have because it is a daily reminder of what Beowulf's unconquerable strength is. People can see and even feel Beowulf's victory in lieu of only hearing about it orally. Beowulf's supremacy would also be unquestioned because he brings back proof of his heroism.

            Beowulf's pride is ultimately tested when he faces the dragon fifty years later after being crowned King.  After raining fire upon King Beowulf's land, he quickly becomes enraged. Beowulf's anger is a direct result of his pride and ego being impaled; to Beowulf, the dragon attacking his land shows his superiority over Beowulf, as if he can simply attack his land without consequence. Instead of building a vast army, Beowulf sets off with a few warriors to destroy the dragon himself. Nearing old age, Beowulf does not want anyone to forget that he is not only a King but a God; his tales of defeating Grendel and his mother are satisfying, but defeating a dragon would be an unmatchable feat. In the battle between Beowulf and the dragon, a warrior named Wiglaf stabs the dragon, but Beowulf is the one to deliver the fatal blow. In this act, Beowulf wants to take the glory for himself, and hacks away at the dragon's flesh. As Beowulf is slowly dying from the dragon's poisonous bite, he orders Wiglaf to enter the dragon's den to see some of its treasures, noting, "I would resign the life and lordship I have long held with more ease when I look upon this splendid hoard." (86) By sending Wiglaf to retrieve the treasures and show them to him, he is for the last time looking at what his power and will resulted in. Also, this wealth granted by Beowulf will help his kingdom for generations to come, another symbol of their dependence on Beowulf. After this, he orders his men to create a memorial of him on a hill looking out into the sea, By creating a  grave higher than any other structure, Beowulf is signaling that he is still greater than any other being, even in death.

            Clearly, Beowulf's acts are a perfect example of his obsession to better than everyone else. He wants the world to know who he is, and he viciously fights to reach the level of God. More  importantly, Beowulf demonstrates the human condition: people think only for themselves. Humans in their very own nature are at the top of the pyramid because they prey on other animal species. Children are aggressive with their toys, just as adults are possessive with their belongings. Any "benevolent act", such as Beowulf removing the problem of Grendel or the dragon, is an illusion for doing something that will make you more highly regarded and esteemed than someone who does not step up to the challenge. The concept that humans think only of themselves has endured the test of time from Beowulf all the way to the 21st century, and it is one that will never fade from existence.

Self-Pride

In the epic poem "Beowulf," written by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet, a narrator recounts the tales of a man named Beowulf who was incontrovertibly the greatest hero of their time. Beowulf travels miles over an ocean to slay the demonic monster Grendel, who is wreaking havoc on the Danes, and soon after kills Grendel's bellicose mother. After returning home, he becomes King and fifty years later slaughters a dragon who was destroying his kingdom. Though he may appear to be noble and courageous, Beowulf, through his "selfless" acts, in reality is a man who is a fiend for hubris and is solely concerned with himself. This is apparent throughout Beowulf's trials against Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon.

            Beowulf first arrives in Denmark because word has traveled that the Danes are suffering from a demonic creature. Beowulf's voyage to conquer Grendel is symbolic of how only he can commit the act. As Grendel is ravaging through Heorot, Beowulf attacks him with his bare hands; this is symbolic of Beowulf being too powerful to succumb to mortal weapons such as a sword. When he severs Grendel's arm from its socket, "Proof of this...was displayed beneath the high gabled roof." (36) By boasting Grendel's gory arm, Beowulf is showing his might and impenetrable force for all Danes and Geats alike to see and praise. Later on, when Beowulf is being praised for his deed, he notes that he is only wishes that he could have killed Grendel at Heorot so all could see his corpse, a symbol of Beowulf's work.

            As Beowulf is preparing to leave, Grendel's mother then storms into the hall and takes Grendel's arm and flees. Instead of leaving after receiving treasures from King Hrothgar, Beowulf vows to find the witch. Symbolically, it would have been impossible for Beowulf to turn down the chance to kill yet another monster; the pride that would come with it is unfathomable. When he faces Grendel's mother, he struggles and finally uses a giant blade to pierce her neck, and, "the man is pleased with his work." (57) In lieu of leaving after completing his task, he sees Grendel's body and severs the head, making his comrades plunge a spear through it for display. This momentum of his battle is almost incontrovertible for Beowulf to have because it is a daily reminder of what Beowulf's unconquerable strength is; people can see and even feel Beowulf's victory in lieu of only hearing about it orally.

            Beowulf's pride is ultimately tested when he faces the dragon fifty years later after being entitled King.  After raining fire upon King Beowulf's land, he quickly becomes enraged. This emotion results because to Beowulf, the dragon believes it is more powerful than Beowulf, and it attacks Beowulf's pride by attacking his domain. Instead of building a vast army of young, elite warriors to eliminate the dragon, Beowulf sets off with a few warriors to destroy it himself. In the battle between Beowulf and the dragon, a warrior named Wiglaf stabs the dragon, but Beowulf is the one to deliver the fatal blow. In this act, Beowulf wants to take the glory for himself, and hacks away at the dragon's flesh. As Beowulf is slowly dying from the dragon's poisonous bite, he orders Wiglaf to enter the dragon's den to see some of its treasures, noting, "I would resign the life and lordship I have long held with more ease when I look upon this splendid hoard." (86) By sending Wiglaf to retrieve the treasures and show them to him, he is for the last time looking at what his power and will resulted in. After this, he orders his men to create a memorial of him on a hill looking out into the sea, By creating a  grave higher than any other structure, Beowulf is signaling that he is still greater than any other being even in death.

            Clearly, Beowulf's acts are a perfect example of the human condition: people think only for themselves. Humans in their very own nature are at the top of the pyramid because they prey on other animal species. Children are aggressive in their toys, just as adults are possessive in their belongings. The concept that humans think only of themselves has endured the test of time from Beowulf all the way to the 21st century, and it is one that will never fade from exist

College Essay Option II- Prometheus

There were screams all around me. The loquacious men released their spit all over me while I tried to make my way through the crowd. It was as if I was on the floor of Wall Street. Convoluted and artisan-made crafts whisked past me as I left the scene. I felt it would never end.

            My father had warned me that the sellers in Dominican Republic vexed everyone they saw, but I had never fathomed it to this extent. My father had also warned me that I was not to go past the market, but I did not listen. The lucid advice was eternally lost into the crowd once I entered the market. He had previously denounced the other side of the market, saying that there were thieves and dangerous criminals. But something made me want to go; it was almost a sort of untamable beast that wanted to see another world, experience another reality. Once I left the market, an almost different air filled my lungs. Scenes of the walking dead and disaffected voices filled all that I saw. A young boy, no more than ten, then walked by with his incontrovertibly starving dog. I thought he, seeing that I was a tourist, would tantalize me for money. I was shocked, however, to see him just look at me. It is impossible to describe what I saw, what I felt, in that moment, but it is something I will never forget.

            He continued walking, but I moved towards him. He was hesitant to interact with a foreigner, but I spoke and conciliated him thanks to all the years of my Hispanic parents yelling at me. I told him I just wanted to give him something. He said no thank you several times, but his eyes bore a different answer. I gave him the little money I had of five hundred pesos, which is the equivalent to about fifteen dollars. He smiled in a way that many people never live to see; it was as if I had not given him money, but hope. He gave me a bracelet made of buttons, then silently walked away with his dog. That one moment resonated in my mind more than any other beach party or movie in the city did. I did not feel thankful for what I had; if only for a moment, I felt as poor, lifeless, and, most of all, hopeless as that boy. It made me realize that hearing about poverty; reading about poverty; learning about poverty; was completely different than seeing poverty. It forever changed my outlook on society and hope. Will I end world hunger? No. But I can help at least one more person, either in a different city or in a different country, lead a better life in whatever way I can. I still wear that button encrusted bracelet every day as a reminder of what hope does for someone.

           

Imperial Adam- A.D. Hope REVISED

The poem "Imperial Adam" by A.D. Hope describes the trials of Adam and presumably Eve; the creation of a woman, the impregnation of a woman,  and the  birth of a human are depicted in a rather cacophemistic tone. Throughout this poem, it is interesting to note how God displays himself as an incontrovertibly omnipotent force. The line, "The surgeon fingers probing at the bone," describes how God is controlling and is parallel to the concept that surgeons place their patients in a powerless or unconscious state, thereby being able to exert their complete will upon them with no objection. Similarly,  God also appears to know the single and only correct perspective for anything. When one views Adam and the woman as his children, he appears to have a patronizing and dominative tone; the line, "It is not good for him to live alone," suggests that God knows what is best for his children, and they should close their mouths in obedience. The narrative perspective is perhaps the most resonating factor in proving God's Creator complex. The entire poem centers around the trials of Adam and his companion. Adam , "found the breed of men," the woman, " broke her terrible and triumphant female cry," and eventually, "the first murderer lay upon the earth." The narrator, God, speaks of the events going on in a third person perspective, watching his actions come undone; it is as if He is watching His ants quiver once he pokes them with His hands. God struggling to prove his force is apparent throughout the poem, and A.D. Hope provides several more examples.

Imperial Adam- A.D. Hope

"Then he remembered through mysterious sleep /The surgeon fingers probing at the bone, /The voice so far away, so rich and deep: /"It is not good for him to live alone."' These words describe the acts God completed in A.D. Hope's "Imperial Adam." In the poem, God is described as a dominative force, overseeing all that happens as a result of his own actions; as a result of this Creator stigma, God has more subordinates to control. This is evident when the woman, Eve, is created and even more so when she gives birth to a newborn baby.   God's desperate need to expand the human population in order to have more power illustrates his obsession to display his omnipotence. This is evident in this stanza and throughout the poem.

Invisible Man

David Garcia

            In the novel The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, an unnamed narrator struggles to find his true identity. Traveling from Southern farms to Northern cities, he is constantly searching for some sort of self-knowledge. The narrator’s perspective on life incontrovertibly evolves from when he is a young teen in high school all the way to his adult years; in lieu of once thinking that he should treat white men with deference and reverence, he concludes the novel with the thought that he has no interest in what any of them think. This philosophy is shown particularly during his time with the radical group known as the Brotherhood.

            Once the “Invisible Man” realizes his hopes of re-entering college were doomed, he accumulates a mix of both rage and dismay; he feels rage toward his betrayer, Dr. Blesdoe, for sending him out of the college, but he also has a sense of regret for him and many future African-Americans being crucified by Dr. Blesdoe and all the white men he gravels to. When he sees a riot of people protesting an African-American woman’s eviction, he goes to the foreground of the incident and makes a speech that sparks a rebellion of the white police. He soon joins a group named the Brotherhood, channeling the rage and dismay he felt after what had happened to him into bettering the lives of countless African-Americans. After giving several speeches, he feels that he is assisting African-Americans who truly are in desperate need of it. As time progresses, however, he soon sees that the organization is controlled by white bureaucrats who have no interest in helping the struggling African-Americans with their lives at all; the Brotherhood’s leader even goes on to say that they tell the people what to think. Feeling again betrayed by the omnipotence of white society, his perception of society is forever changed; he now wants nothing to do with them, and he wishes to forge his own path.

            Clearly, the narrator has endured trial after trial in his life; these traumatic events have created a sort of emotional wall, and he truly believes he is justified in doing so. Nevertheless, by not associating himself with white society, he is doing the mirror of what white men were doing to African-Americans. There is no argument that people should have their suspicions, but by not allowing any new ideas or people into their minds, thoughts that may improve their own could not result. If the Invisible Man were to resurface instead of stay in the dark, he would truly see the light.