The Anglo-Saxons were the first peoples to invade Briton after the Romans evacuated. By defeating the Celts and other inhabiting tribes the Anglo-Saxons became the dominant culture in England for about 600 years. In these years, their beliefs and customs flourished and many of these can be observed through the reading of Anglo-Saxon literature, especially in Beowulf. The presence of the “Other” in Anglo-Saxon literature is noted in three distinct interpretations by which the "Other" is excluded from society, used to classify oneself against, and frequently used to displace personal tribulations.
Although people generally fit into the social order there are those among us (“Others”) who are alienated by diverse characteristics not familiar to a certain society. This interpreted quote by Foucault implies both the ph
Most people fashion themselves based on an established norm or in other cases by being the converse of the established outsider. Utilizing Greenblatt’s quote we can infer that peopled prided themselves in being part of a close knit clan and despised those “Others” who did not follow suit. Grendel, who was always the outsider due to his hereditary background, is an easy person for people to define themselves against. His solitude, cannibalism, cowardice, and ancestry prove him to be the antithesis of the Anglo-Saxon culture. This person in society may have been a descendant from a once abandoned member of society that most exemplified these traits.
ysical and mental differences that separate those who lived in clans and those who were outcasts. Most people lived in single family homesteads and were organized aroun
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