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Narrative and gender roles
Essay on mythological dragons
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Many centuries ago in what would one day become known as Eastern Europe, Dragon lived along side men, and men feared and hunted them almost to the point of extinction. The Dragonkind who were as intelligent as men and much stronger and yet they respected men and while not fearing them did not seek to dominate them and only attacked their herds when they had no other choice.
It was in these days of the waning of the dragons a prophecy was made by a dying dragon chieftain that a human raised by dragon would lead them to a new home one in which they would live in harmony with the human and his descendants. It was foretold that this child would bear a birth mark upon his left chest, and this birthmark was to be a dragon with wings spread. To men such a symbol was an emblem of evil and fear and as such it was only used by barbarian hordes and vile men out for conquest…
As such when an infant boy was born in a remote mountain village on the winter solstice and discovered to have the birthmark, he was regarded possessed by demons and even his own mother wanted nothing to do with him. The village elders decided he must be taken into the mountains and left exposed to the beasts and this order was quickly carried out and the child was left far from the village on an outcrop known to a haunt of wolves as it was hoped they would quickly kill the child and that it would die quickly and not suffer.
A storm began to rage in the mountains flinging heavy snow down on the mountains and the winds screamed s if the old man of the north wind was angered. Through this inhospitable weather a she-dragon known as Starwing, A beautiful Silver dragon with emerald green eyes and crystal-like reflective scales on the center of her wings, this is wha...
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...ould do to stop them and nor could she stop them if they chose to give him into the care of another. Starwing knowing what could happen was still determined to take Drake to the elders as she was positive that he was the one and hoped that she would be allowed to raise him, and also she longed to see her mate Greywing, whom she had not seen since the last gathering when they begot Skyjewel and Greywing.
The days continued to grow warmer and the time for the gathering approached she packed up what she would need for Drake and had Skyjewel hold it as Greywind held Drake, then she took them in her claws and flew from the cave and headed north and deeper into the mountains hoping that when she returned she would still have all 3 of her children when she came back, even more she wished Greywing would come back with them as he said he would once they had hatchlings.
Everyone comes across difficulties in their everyday life. It doesn’t matter how small you are or how big you are or even how tough you are, you run into a problem every single day. Some problems are easier to handle and you can work them out by your self like Beowulf did with Grendel. Some problems might be too difficult to handle or no way of concurring it by yourself. There are a lot of hard things we come across that we may need help on just like the dragon in Beowulf. Beowulf needed a little help with the dragon. The dragon was too much for him to handle and it was beating Beowulf. I have faced a few “personal dragons” on my own including my parents getting a divorce when I was young and collage.
What seems to be a simple tale of human error at first, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “The Birthmark”, implies a much deeper and darker note upon closer inspection. A relatively short story, it details an event in the lives of Aylmer and Georgiana, a recent wedded couple. Georgiana possesses a birthmark on her cheek that repulses Aylmer more and more as time goes on. When he confronts her about it, she voices that it is a part of her charm, but Aylmer begins to react so violently around it that Georgiana finally agrees to give him a chance to remove it. He spends a few days in the laboratory with her and does remove the birthmark, but also removes her soul from the earth, she dies when the birthmark is gone. This story is wrought with details that support its label as a “dark romantic tale”. To see the story in the correct light, one has to understand what dark romanticism is. Dark romantic writers believed that humans are prone to sin. The human race is not always blessed with divinity and wisdom. Second, they represented evil in their stories with supernatural characters; ghost...
Another form of fear that is later introduced is the concept of the boys humanity slowly becoming strayed. In the novel there is a great amount of foreshadowing towards this topic. An example coul...
Through powerful visuals and specific vocabulary, Cormac thoroughly portrays the main character’s sorrow that was prompted by the loss of the animal he highly respects. The protagonist seeks to find a suitable burial site for the wolf, hoping to uncover and reveal the perfect place from Night’s blanket of darkness. Detailed descriptions establish a sense of deep respect as the main character “cradled the wolf in his arms and lowered her to the ground and unfolded he sheet. She was stiff and cold and her fur was bristly with the blood dried upon it” (McCarthy 5-8). The main character’s actions reveal great care and love for the wolf. It is difficult for an individual to cope with the death of an animal he/she places high regard for. Although wolves are often seen as brutal and deadly animals, McCarthy uses elaborate details to portray wolves as majestic and brave creatures. Such contrast is also achieved through a precise use of diction. He touches the “cold and perfect teeth”. The wolf’s “eye turned to the fire gave no light,” until the ...
Written in 1818, the latter stages of the Gothic literature movement, at face value this novel embodies all the key characteristics of the Gothic genre. It features the supernatural, ghosts and an atmosphere of horror and mystery. However a closer reading of the novel presents a multifaceted tale that explores
In contrast, Beowulf is seen as a hero, even when exemplifying the violent and dangerous qualities the dragon is feared for. Anglo-Saxon society prized loyalty, personal valor, and fame. In order to be a hero, one must recognize the need to act, and not shy away from it. The dragon, based on that definition, embodies the Anglo-Saxon idea of a hero: it is loyal to its cause, it is a good warrior, and it recognizes the need to act. It even has a sense of justice and a sense of wrong, shown by the way it reacted to the theft of the chalice. The dragon becomes vengeful and defensive, using cruelty as a means to correct the wrong. Described as “the guardian of the mound” (2302), the dragon’s intent is identical to Beowulf’s. Beowulf is seen as a hero not only because of his actions, but because he is human. The only thing that makes the dragon different is its inhuman qualities, and therefore it is a monster, a “ground-burner” (2713). Heroism in Anglo-Saxon society is a concept embodied by warriors and guardians, who would vie to be the most well-known. Heroism, to the Anglo-Saxons, is an excuse to use cruelty as a way to further one’s fame. It is a social crutch of sorts, leaned on for the vain chance to be immortal. When Beowulf agrees to fight the dragon, it is to have a heroic death, so he may be remembered. In the battle, just as with Grendel and Grendel’s mother,
Dragons represent human greed but amplify this sin tenfold as this is a monstrous creature whose only interest is in gathering gold and hoarding it. Before Christianity rebranded dragons simply as a manifestation of Satan, they were the ultimate embodiment of power, ferocity, and mystery.
...otsteps from her female mentors from the red tent, becoming a mother and wife, but most importantly, someone to keep the memories and tales alive.
Yet this slave does more than stumble upon the dragon’s mound; he also “[handles] and [removes] a gem-studded goblet; it gained him nothing, though with a thief’s wiles he [outwits] the sleeping dragon” (ln. 2216-2219). Thus disturbed, the dragon is enraged. It is due to this slave’s selfish motives—and those of the men with whom he returns to pillage more—that the dragon’s wrath on people burns. Thus, out of revenge “[the] hoard-guardian [scorches] the ground as he [scours] and [hunts] for the trespasser who had troubled his sleep. Hot and savage, he ke[e]p[s] circling and circling the outside of the mound” (ln. 2293-2295).
Once leaving the unknown, our hero, according to his/her circumstances must face his demons by slaying the dragon. It is now our hero overcomes to be a better version of himself/herself. Slaying the dragon is something the hero probably ran from their entire life up until this point. It’s what has scared our hero the most.
Someone once said, “stories can conquer fear. They can make the heart bigger.” In Grendel by John Gardner, the dragon represents immortal monsterhood and its lawlessness. The Shaper represents the mortality and noble pursuits of human culture. The Shaper and the dragon act as philosophically opposing forces in Grendel’s mind as he discovers how to define himself in relation to the rest of the world and explores the monumental power of stories.
The dragon is one of the four divine beasts from Japanese mythology (the other three being the kirin, phoenix, and turtle). It is frequently the emblem of heroes and emperors.
needed to get rid of Gregor. After his death she was content to go on with
The child’s game had ended. After I nearly ran Kurtz over, we stood facing each other. He was unsteady on his feet, swaying like the trees that surrounded us. What stood before me was a ghost. Each layer of him had been carved away by the jungle, until nothing remained. Despite this, his strength still exceeded that of my own. With the tribal fires burning so close, one shout from him would unleash his natives on me. But in that same realization, I felt my own strength kindle inside me. I could just as easily muffle his command and overtake him. The scene flashed past my eyes as though I was remembering not imagining. The stick that lay two feet from me was beating down on the ghost, as my bloodied hand strangled his cries. My mind abruptly reeled backwards as I realized what unspeakable dark thoughts I had let in. Kurtz seemed to understand where my mind had wandered; it was as though the jungle’s wind has whispered my internal struggles to him. His face twisted into a smile. He seemed to gloat and enjoy standing by to watch my soul begin to destroy itself.
“Dragons. Four fully grown, enormous, vicious-looking dragons were rearing on their hind legs inside an enclosure fenced with thick planks of wood, roaring and snorting- torrents of fire were shooting into the dark sky from their open, fanged mouths, fifty feet above the ground on their outstretched necks.” (p286)