blog #2

An issue that is brought up in one of the works that we have read is alienation and/ or being a social outcast. In the story Grendel, Grendel is a social our cast and is alienated as well. He is a social outcast because he is different from everybody else. Grendel just watches the world from the surrounding areas, usually perched in a tree. He would just sit there and observe the villages and make comments about how they are always drunk and singing and making threats to everyone and all the other villages. Although, this seclusion was brought upon by himself not wanting to be involved with the humans, he does get alienated by them. One night, Grendel goes to the mead hall asking for help from the humans, but instead of lending a helping hand, they attack him with spears and drive him away from their mead hall. This alienation by the villagers caused Grendel to become even more of a social outcast. I think this is bad that this happens in the real world, because it can emotionally scar a child if they are alienated and/ or become a social outcast. Those who have just moved to a new town are especially susceptible to this kind of treatment because they do not know anyone. For example, I have moved a lot, and when I would first move in and school would start, I wouldn’t know anyone and I’d feel left out and alone, like a social outcast. Lucky for me, though, these experiences did not emotionally scar me.