Question

This is a question about how abstract structures are made into narratives. Every culture makes distinctions between what is inside the social order and what is outside, between the human and the non­human (a category which can include animals, plants, natural processes, monsters and the miraculous). Cultures organize themselves to contain or exclude these “outside” things; social organization also works to control certain violent human tendencies inside the culture (anger, lust, fear, greed, etc.). How does the social world depicted in Beowulf do this? That is, what does it exclude, and why? What is its attitude towards the “outside” of culture? How does it control the forces that threaten social stability within the hall?

Answer 1

The Epic of Beowulf describes an ancient societies fear of the unknown. Throughout Beowulf's challenges in the story we learn about how this society had a deep fear of being destroyed by an unknown that could come in to their society to pillage and plunder. This is combatted by having a great hero(Beowulf) come to save the day from the bog monster and its evil mother.