Beowulf Journal 1

Beowulf is a story about a hero from the misty reaches of the British past, a hero who faces violence, horror, and even death to save a people in mortal danger. The epic’s events took place many centuries ago, but this story still speaks to people today, perhaps because so many of us are in need of a rescuer, a hero. Take a moment to write about a contemporary hero, real or fictional, and the challenges he or she faces. Describe your hero, and then briefly analyze him or her using these questions:

1. What sort of evil or oppression does your hero confront?


2. Why does he or she confront evil? What’s the motivation?

3. For whom does your hero confront evil?

4. What virtues does your hero represent?

          The hero I chose was the fictional espionage special operative codenamed Solid Snake, of the Metal Gear franchise. Snake is hired by numerous secret organizations to take out organized terrorists. His job often complicated because his foes tend to acquire various different weapons of mass destruction, usually giant mechanical structures known as “Metal Gears”. Metal Gears vary in design but usually resemble walking tanks and capable of amazing feats. In one instance, the organization Foxhound convinced an engineer to design a Metal Gear with a rail gun capable of launching nuclear missiles to any location on Earth. Because his missions tend to have unusual circumstances and the facilities he must infiltrate are heavily guarded, Snake is usually forced to begin his missions alone and minimally equipped, not even given any firearms. However, Snake is remarkably intellectual always manages to collect weapons or tools he needs to accomplish his task. Because of his reliability and determination, to me, Snake represents strong commitment to duty.

           Snake’s background has always been shrouded in mystery. However, it has been revealed that Snake is a clone of another mercenary codenamed Big Boss, and that he was genetically altered so that he would receive all of Boss’s recessive genes. Part of his creation through gene therapy has left him with an urge to struggle on the battlefield. Also, Snake is indifferent when it comes to taking lives. However, he is also motivated to minimize casualties and to preserve life in general since he recognizes that most fighting is a result of conflicts of interest.