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Difference between American and British culture
Cultural differences between the English and native Americans
Cultural differences between the English and native Americans
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After reading the epic poem Beowulf, translated by Burton Raffel, one would see culture from the Anglo Saxon civilization. Taking a glance into the American’s pop culture you would see a parallels between the two. You see how they boasts, how the appreciate values, and how they handle their views on the afterlife. When looking at American cultural values, one could find similarities and differences while looking at the Anglo Saxon civilization’s life.
When looking at both the Anglo Saxon and American culture, the reader would see how the upper class boasted, and they could see a main difference between the two is religion. There was a moment in the text where Beowulf said there were “No tales of you, Unferth, telling Of such clashing terror, such contests in the night!” (Beowulf 545-585) He says he’s able to boast
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because he has the experience to back it up, unlike Unferth. Looking at the most popular people in American culture, thinking of the entertainment industry, a person would always hear them bragging about all the fame and glory they get. For example, Big Sean’s song “I Don’t F- with You” is about him being better than anybody else, so he doesn’t need them in his life. The people would boast to make other people jealous. The American Culture feels that the only way to show status is through material objects. The difference between the two cultures is the fact that the Anglo Saxon civilizations boast because of their belief in their God. The Anglo Saxons believe that God only rewards people who prove themselves. The fact is proven when the author states that “Unferth grew quiet... stopped all his boasting.” (Raffel 980-981) The previous reasonings prove that people from both the American civilization and the Anglo Saxon civilization boast, but only the Saxon boast because of God. A difference between the Anglo Saxons and the Americans is the fact that the Americans forget where they come from and what they believe in, but the Saxon people never forget their views.
“And then pride...forgetting did not care”(Hergar 1740-1750). By the saying this Healfdane’s son, meant that no matter what happens in a warrior’s life, the fighters never forget why they're fighting. The warriors always remember that God is helping them throughout their journey and that there will be future rewards. The upper class in the American society seem to forget that they came from a small town. They neglect the fact that while they’re making millions of dollars, while their hometowns are struggling in poverty. They also fail to give thanks to God, they claim that it was them that got them to the top. Beowulf declared that “...the she-devil victorious, If our Father in Heaven had not helped me.” (Beowulf 1657-1658) By saying this he gave praise to God for his victories. Beowulf never once tried to deny any help from his Lord. All of this proves that when it comes to praising religion, the Anglo Saxon people do a better job of it than the American
people. Although the Saxon civilization has a decent amount of differences with the Americans, they do have one main similarity, fame after death. Both groups agree on the fact that you only truly die when people stop talking about you. As stated in the book “fame after death is the noblest of death” (Beowulf 1388-1389). In American culture we celebrate the people that have been dead for decades. Tupac Shakur was well known in the 20th century, but kids know of him today in the 21st.The question that’s asked is ‘Why is he still popular?’ The answer is that he left his mark not only by giving back to his community, he shared his personal insights, with no care in the world about the consequences. Beowulf says one should “fight For the glory of his name” (1387-1388). His main focus was that he had to fight for his glory so he can truly be loved after he died. Altogether the Anglo Saxons and the Americans have distinct differences, they have equivalent values. It is possible for one to compare a fictional universe to a real universe. A person could compare the reasons why each culture boasts, how they approach their values, and their views on the afterlife. All things considered, even though people from both the American civilization and the Anglo Saxon civilization boast, only the Saxon boast because of religion. The Saxons also remembers their views, unlike the Americans. Although they have differences, they have equivalent values when it comes to after death experiences. In conclusion, one could find similarities and differences when comparing the Anglo Saxon culture and the American culture.
Many people who read the poem Beowulf would probably find it hard to find similarities between the poem and life in modern America. How could one compare an ancient Anglo-Saxon culture with the sophisticated world that we are living in today? But, if we look closely, we may be able to pinpoint some parallel between the two societies. This essay will discuss the topics of warrior life, the “bad guy,” and social similarities. One might wonder how a warrior culture might be similar to our own? But if we consider American culture, we are actually still very war-like. We have a strong military system built to protect our country and the people that make it up. We are also known for going to the aid of other countries that aren’t able to defend themselves. This is very similar to the mentality of the warriors in Beowulf. Beowulf comes to the aid of Hrothgar’s falling kingdom.
When the Vikings first attacked England many of the Anglo-Saxons viewed them as people who don’t claim a religion. The thought of the Vikings not claiming a religion horrified the people of England because of many reasons. The main reason was because the Vikings didn’t worship the same God as the people of England and the Vikings also didn’t have any respect to the symbols that connected the people of England together (Gunnell 351). Another reason is that the Vikings had been trying to teach a different view of the world to the English people; which furiated the church because the church had been trying to throws out these beliefs. This view of the world seemed to anger the English people because these beliefs wasn’t written down in a book, it was always told orally which meant
In today’s society, most of our life can be defined by what is occurring in the media. What trends we are following, what we find entertaining, and even the values that we hold close to our heart. As you examine the movie, Beowulf and Grendel (Gunnarsson, 2005), and compare it to the original work that it is modelled after, Beowulf (Heaney, 2000), you can see that there is a significant difference in the cultural values of the time period that Beowulf and Grendel was written compared to Beowulf. There is a multitude of differences in the values people hold close to their heart in our world today compared to Beowulf. With Beowulf representing the Anglo-Saxon time period and Beowulf and Grendel representing the early 2000s era, the differences
Despite numerous cultural and technological advancements, life in modern America continues to bear resemblance to the Anglo-Saxon world. Although it may take time and some loss of pride to admit it, since characteristics of human nature have stayed the same, from work place to personal relationships, the similarities between the two worlds are uncanny.
This essay is the comparison between Beowulf and a modern day hero. I consider any American soldier to be my modern day hero. In this essay I will explain in three paragraphs of how my modern day hero is like Beowulf. With in these three paragraphs I will go over how they are both fighting for a good cause, how they are both rewarded for what they do, and how they are both treated with much respect.
Boasting, as vastly shown in the epic poem, was not an uncommon method of introduction in the Middle Ages. In the world of Beowulf, the concept of boasting does not carry the negative connotations that it normally does today. In a warrior society, such as that of Beowulf, manly valor was so highly prized in the world full of
Do people ever talk about superheroes, and monsters? Especially people into comic books and children. Every child, even adults, have a superhero they look up to, or a role model they want to grow up to be like. Superheroes are everywhere from movies to books. Children even sit in their room playing with toy superheroes, hoping one day they can be just like them. Even hundreds of thousands of years ago there were superheroes! A long time ago in the Anglo-Saxon Period there was a brave and loyal hero! His name was Beowulf, and everyone looked up to him. This hero definitely brought peace to many people, and if it wasn’t for the mighty hero Beowulf, the Anglo-Saxons would have been terrorized forever. Therefore, the times were hard before Beowulf, the Anglo-Saxon warriors always stood for three values, and the time was changed without monsters.
There are numerous similitudes and contrasts between Beowulf the motion picture which was made in the year 2007, and the poem by an obscure Angelo Saxon poet. A large portion of the likenesses and contrasts are clear. The poem was changed into a motion picture and was more advanced and simpler to see then the epic poem itself. The movie happens to be more modern and gives the audience a better understanding of Beowulf and what happened during his life. It also helps the audience visualize it rather than having to picture the occurences while reading the poem.
Beowulf 's courage originates from his certainty that he can overcome creatures utilizing distinctive techniques. Hailey W. Odessa states Goodness, unwaveringness, civility, equity, and courage all portrays the attributes a perfect saint would have. At that point she says in the lyric Beowulf, there is one character that conveys all and a greater amount of these expressed attributes, and that character is without a doubt the hero known as Beowulf. We as a whole need to comprehend life is an exceptional voyage. Beowulf 's life changed when he got more seasoned. The main question is the thing that makes somebody a saint? Components of being a legend are appeared all through Anglo-Saxon fundamental qualities. A standout amongst the most prestigious
Throughout the story, Beowulf fights three battles against frightening monsters. Beowulf, the prince of the Geats, was a well known warrior with extreme strength who makes a promise to protect his people under any circumstance. In the poem, his strength is tested, but he uses it to save many people in battles against: Grendel, Grendel 's mother, and a dragon. Before, during, and after each of these battles Beowulf shows many similarities and differences in his actions.
Are there any similarities between life in modern America and the world of Beowulf? Is it possible for such a technology oriented world such as ours to have anything in common with a world which had not even heard of electricity? Has this technology really separated us from prior civilizations? Is our thinking today any different from the thinking of ancient cultures? Although it may not seem to be true, there are actually many similarities between our world and that of Beowulf’s. These similarities are readily seen in all forms of media and entertainment, as well as noted sources of culture such as music and movies. If the similarity between the two cultures is accepted, it will not be hard to comprehend Beowulf.
Anglo Saxon’s history is well known for their loyalty, courage and bravery. Beowulf our protagonist is symbolized as a hero, who represents the Anglo Saxons at the time. Beowulf earns his fame and respect through battling creatures nobody else would want to face. These creatures symbolize the evil that lurks beyond the dark. Beowulf’s intense battle with these creatures’ symbolizes the epic battle of good versus evil. In the end good triumphs over evil but one cannot avoid death. Beowulf’s death can be symbolized as the death of the Anglo Saxons. Beowulf’s battle through the poem reflects the kind of culture that the Anglo Saxons had. The youth of a warrior to his maturity then the last fight which results in death. Beowulf wanted to be remembered and be told in stories that are passed on from generation to generation after his death. These story tellers relate to the Anglo Saxons time when they told stories about their great heroes.
In history, evil men have reigned supreme across many cultures. Some people say that being evil is inherent in every human. If this is true, then writing may be the ultimate way of releasing hatred of the world without hurting anyone. In Beowulf, all of society's evil men can be personified within the demons of Cain. The main demon presented in Beowulf is Grendel. Grendel personifies the exact opposite of what the Anglo-Saxons held dear. Beowulf, the story's hero, is the embodiment of what every Anglo-Saxon strove to become in their lifetime. Grendel is constantly angry, afraid and unsure of himself; while Beowulf is fearless and loyal to his king.
By carefully reading Beowulf, a scholar can accumulate information about the values that dominated Anglo-Saxon society. Anglo-Saxons utilized storytelling to entertain and to teach their people. Heroic behavior such as honor and strength were immensely important in society. Loyalty to the king and to the people was essential to be a worthy individual. Although poetry often conveys great stories, upon closer examination it reveals important facets of a society.
Beowulf Society The earliest known manuscript of Beowulf is thought to have been written in the tenth century, however, the poem had most likely been told as an oral tradition for centuries before that. In fact, the poem’s events date back to the sixth century. However, because there is only one manuscript of Beowulf still in tact very little is known about the poem or its author. The poem does, however, give us great insight into the culture of the people who composed and told this epic tale. Because the poem was performed orally mainly between the eighth and tenth centuries, but dealt with subject matter of centuries earlier, it is difficult to decipher and separate the cultural context involved in the poem from one century to the next. The poem was probably unrecognizable from its original state after two hundred years of oral tradition that would have changed its content drastically. The storyline of the poem, the battles and significant events, probably maintained most of their identity while the cultural context took on another form more suited to the current culture of the people. By the time it was written, in 1000, the poem was probably most representative of the tenth century culture yet it still managed to tell a story similar to the original version. Beowulf, then, gives us a significant insight into the cultural views of the tenth century Anglo-Saxons including their political, social and moral views. The individualistic society was just beginning to replace the tribal system in which no individual had been seen as more important to the success of the tribe than any other. The individuality that Beowulf displayed helped establish new rules in society. Beyond this, Beowulf gives us an even greater insight into middle ages society. Woven throughout almost every aspect of their culture and the poem are very strict moral codes and values. Loyalty, honesty, family ties, courage and even Christianity play a major role in this epic poem. In each of the stories told throughout the poem elements of these values are openly displayed. All three of Beowulf’s battles demonstrate qualities deemed virtuous and essential to the people of the middle ages. Beowulf, a godfearing, heroic warrior, first faces a monster that represents all things evil. The monster is a descendant of Cain, a bloodthirsty avenger of man and an outcast. Beowulf confronts this evil fig...