Beowulf

In Beowulf, the characters Beowulf, Grendel, and Unferth are very similar to the characters in movies (superhero movies in particular) today.

“No man swims in the sea/ As I can, no strength is a match for mine” (25). Beowulf is an incredibly strong man who is famous for being a hero. He slays monsters and no other man can beat him. This prototype of a hero figure is in tons of action and super hero movies today. Like Beowulf, all the heroes or super heroes in modern movies are strong and filled with extraordinary and supernatural strength. Likewise, those heroes become famous for saving lives and fighting off terrifying villains…just like Beowulf did after slaying Grendel the beast. Some examples include: Superman, Spiderman, and Batman.

“Out from the marsh, from the foot of misty/ Hills and bogs, bearing God’s hatred,/ Grendal came, hoping to kill/ Anyone” (33). Grendel is the image of the villains. He is a beast, hungry for blood and for destruction everywhere he goes. In the end though, he is killed by Beowulf. This similar idea is illustrated in the superhero movies in that every evil villain or monster is causing chaos only to get defeated by the hero.

“Unferth spoke, Ecglaf’s son,/ Who sat at Grothgar’s feet, spoke harshly/ And sharp (vexed by Beowulf’s adventure,/ By their visitor’s courage, and angry that anyone/ In Denmark or anywhere on earth had ever/ Acquired glory and fame greater/ Than his own)” (24). Unferth represents that one miserable guy in the movie that wants to get rid of the superhero because he’s jealous of the hero’s great powers and good looks. In the poem, Unferth is jealous of Beowulf’s “adventure” as well as his fame. Even though Beowulf has come to save the town from a deadly beast, Unferth does not favor him because Beowulf had “acquired glory and fame greater/ than his own.”

Who is Tyler MacNiven?

1. The most important thing I can take away from Tyler's approach to travel is his willingness to continue moving forward and not stopping. Throughout the video, it is mentioned that Tyler gets extremely exhausted at times, yet he motivates himself to keep moving forward and continuing on his journey in fear that he will want to stop if he rests. Another thing is his optimism in travel. He never seemed to complain about anything.

2. I think Tyler's approach to travel relates to his his normal everyday life in that he will always want to try new things and motivate himself to complete things that he has already started. I think that he will always have optimism in his daily life considering that he is a happy guy.

3. "Walking is such a great way to travel. It's healthy, it's natural, and it can't be rushed." I can definitely apply this to our upcoming travels because it shows that walking is the best way for one to travel and experience a new place. Another quote in one of Tyler's videos spoken by George Meegan that relates to walking is "When you travel in a vehicle, you are going through the scenery...when you're walking, you're a part of the scenery." When we walk in new or unknown places we not only see our surroundings, but we're putting ourselves into our surroundings and allowing ourselves to interact with things or people that we wouldn't be able to do while in a vehicle.

4. I think his advice for us would be to keep an open mind, to learn new and exciting things, have a good attitude, and not let the little things distract us from an amazing adventure.

5. I'm excited to ask Tyler:
What was the most difficult thing you had to overcome in your long walk in Japan?
Would you do it again but in a different country?


UPDATE:

I thought that the interview with Tyler MacNiven went really well. I thought that he was a really great guy and that he was pretty hilarious. He answered all of our questions from what he thought was most difficult about walking in Japan all the way to questions about his girlfriend and whether they were still together or not. I will definitely look at the trip in a new way. I won't complain about things on the trip probably...(maybe). It will change the trip for me because I will know that I should allow myself to become part of the scenery that we see instead of just looking at scenery.

My Boast

Boast:  Watching the Chicago Bulls

This is Michelle and this is what I gotta say
I watch so much basketball I don't know why I don't get pay.
Derrick Rose is my boy
And Joakim Noah will destroy
Lebron James is nothing against our horns
Cause Carlos Boozer was playin since he was born
We're also dominating cause we're #1 in our division
We're destroying all the teams, but to play is their decision
I would keep talking about the Bulls
But the other cities will get scared and fly away like seagulls.