Beowulf
The book Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon poem about the main character Beowulf, and his success slaying the monster Grendel. The movie He’s Just Not That Into You is comprised of several different storylines and relationship scenarios. On the surface, the book Beowulf and the film He’s Just not That Into You don’t appear to have much in common. However, both the book and the film share common themes. The most prominent themes in Beowulf are; loyalty, reputation, and revenge. These themes are also present in the movie He’s Just Not That Into you.
First loyalty is a theme in both the book and the movie. In Anglo-Saxon culture, loyalty to your tribe was a highly valued quality especially because of the constant conflicts with other tribes. Beowulf exemplifies loyalty because his primary motivation for assisting Hrothgar and fighting with the Danes is that his father was in debt to Hrothgar. In He’s Just Not That Into You, loyalty is displayed in Janine and Ben’s relationship. Janine and Ben are married although they have some difficulties in their marriage. Janine is upset that Ben lies about smoking, but more importantly Ben is attracted to another woman named Anna. When Ben confesses his affair to Janine, she chooses to forgive him out of loyalty.
Next, reputation is an important theme in the book and the movie. In Beowulf, and Anglo-Saxon culture, one’s reputation was based on their warrior abilities, and their father’s reputation. In Anglo-Saxon, people were unsure about whether there was an afterlife, therefore, the only way to ensure one’s legacy continued after death was to be remembered as an excellent warrior. As a result, Beowulf is partially motivated to fight Grendel because he wants to establish a reputation for himself as an excellent warrior. In He’s Just Not That Into You, the character Gigi is unsuccessful at relationships because she is refuses to tell her dates how she really feels about them in order to protect her reputation. In conclusion, two
First loyalty is a theme in both the book and the movie. In Anglo-Saxon culture, loyalty to your tribe was a highly valued quality especially because of the constant conflicts with other tribes. Beowulf exemplifies loyalty because his primary motivation for assisting Hrothgar and fighting with the Danes is that his father was in debt to Hrothgar. In He’s Just Not That Into You, loyalty is displayed in Janine and Ben’s relationship. Janine and Ben are married although they have some difficulties in their marriage. Janine is upset that Ben lies about smoking, but more importantly Ben is attracted to another woman named Anna. When Ben confesses his affair to Janine, she chooses to forgive him out of loyalty.
Next, reputation is an important theme in the book and the movie. In Beowulf, and Anglo-Saxon culture, one’s reputation was based on their warrior abilities, and their father’s reputation. In Anglo-Saxon, people were unsure about whether there was an afterlife, therefore, the only way to ensure one’s legacy continued after death was to be remembered as an excellent warrior. As a result, Beowulf is partially motivated to fight Grendel because he wants to establish a reputation for himself as an excellent warrior. In He’s Just Not That Into You, the character Gigi is unsuccessful at relationships because she is refuses to tell her dates how she really feels about them in order to protect her reputation. In conclusion, two