Saturday, October 22, 2011

Grendel's Mother's Point of View

Being a monster you probably assume that I am purely evil. With my heart filled with blackness and hatred, containing not a single ray of light and kindness. However you are wrong. Everyone always sees my actions and mistakes them for evildoing. Like the time with Unferth.  Grendel had come home one morning as I was just getting ready to go to sleep and as the sun was creeping over the horizon. Light was streaming down from above making the lake around us look spectacular. The light turned the whole lake a beautiful shade of blue, how I love the beauty of nature. So anyway, he had come home covered in more blood then usual and because of my motherly instincts, I was worried. Had he been injured? Was someone strong enough to fight back? I started to question him about what had happened and why he was home so late. “I’m perfectly fine mom.” He growled, “There’s nothing to worry about, the guy just bled a lot.” However, another instinct I have is that kids usually lie when they don’t want you to know things.  Especially at this age he tries to be so independent. I knew someone had harmed him no matter what he said.
A few days later l was asleep when I heard a horribly loud noise. At first I thought it was Grendel coming home again but remembered I had grounded him for being late that and if one night. I woke up and looked around to see what was happening. Grendel must have noticed because he awoke suddenly. Then at the mouth of our cave, stood a human covered in blood. As I strode over to great the stranger at the entrance it occurred to me that this was probably the same person who had fought Grendel and hurt him. I started to growl and thought He has to be the one; why else would he have followed Grendel home. Why he is here what does he want with my son? Suddenly, Grendel rose and ran ahead of me, trying to tell me that this man did not hurt him and that the man was the injured one. I knew that this man was here for revenge. I could tell by his attitude and the way he glared at me and my son.  Yet my son continued to protect him. Grendel had restrained me from hurting the wretched man. I was growling impatiently and pacing, waiting for Grendel to just kill the man, but Grendel continued to stand there as the man, Unferth, speak of his hardships caused by Grendel. He said that he had been embarrassed by Grendel beating him in a fight and how his fellow thanes had all laughed at his defeat. Now I was sure he wanted revenge. He seemed especially upset about how Grendel had said “Heroes only exist in poetry.”
Their argument continued for quite some time. Later as night fell and I had stopped worrying, Unferth fell asleep. Grendel asked if he would be permitted to leave and return the man to Hrothgar. I, having no idea where this city he was talking about was, explained that it was where the man had come from and that it wasn’t very far from here. I permitted him to do so and as he left, I couldn’t help but think how my son was growing up into such a fine monster. He was strong and fearsome but still was kind at times.
See, I told you I’m not totally evil. My motherly instincts just tend to kick in when my son Grendel is being threatened. And as you saw, Grendel also has a kind heart sometimes. We monsters are always just misunderstood. If people would only realize that we actually just want to be friends with people.  So, the next time you meet me, Grendel or another monster, just be nice to us and we won’t harm you.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Choice Book Blog


            For my choice book I read the book Radiance by Alyson Noel. It is the sequel to another series she wrote called the Immortals. In this book the main character Riley has tragically died at the age of twelve. The book never really says how she died. She has started get used to life in the Here and Now, which is where people go when they die. She gets to live with her parents who also died and her dog Buttercup. After adjusting to her new life, she is told she must go to school. On her first day she is taken to have her life judged to decide what her job should be. She is decided to be a soul catcher and is sent back to the Earth Plane with her guide Bodhi or as she liked to call him “Dorky Guy”. They must find the spirit that is haunting a castle in England. Several things are different in the Here and Now from Earth. For example because thoughts are energy and so are the spirits of people so you can hear others thoughts. Also you can create things simply by thinking of them.
            I think that this is a very interesting book if you enjoy fantasy novels. Some of the things in this book really make you think twice about the things you’ve done in life like when she is judged the judgment council shows her a video of everything she has done in her life.  It also makes you wonder what really happens after people pass away. Also it made me wonder more about what dogs and other animals are thinking because she can here other people’s thoughts and therefore her dog’s thoughts but she can’t really understand them. This reminded of a book I read in 6th grade called The Good Dog by Avi. The whole book is written through a dog’s point of view.