We have discussed how the Anglo-Saxons saw the world, what they valued, and what they considered heroic.

Response Paper (5 extra-credit points): Write a short, informal paper (1-2 pages) about how Beowulf is typical or atypical of the Anglo-Saxon culture that we discussed in class.  Is Beowulf a typical Anglo-Saxon hero?  Does he behave the way you would expect an Anglo-Saxon hero to behave?  Does the poem Beowulf deal with typical Anglo-Saxon concerns?  Where does the poem or its hero fly in the face of expected Anglo-Saxon characteristics?  Where does the poem or its hero conform to those characteristics?

NOTE ON RESPONSE PAPERS: Response papers are ungraded, extra-credit assignments.  I ask you to type them (so that they are easier to read), but they need not be a perfect, polished product.  Rather, response papers should be just what their name says -- a response.  Think about the question(s) that I ask you to consider; then, write a response.  Don't worry about typos or comma splices or organization.  Don't worry about answering every question I ask in the assignment.  Just be as specific as you can and get down as much as you can as quickly as you can.  Treat response papers more as a journal entry than as a formal paper.  I don't want a thesis or five-paragraph theme.  Rather, I want an exploration -- as detailed and specific as possible.  As long as you submit a response paper of suitable length, detail, and thoughtfulness (and as long as you turn it in on time in the class assigned), you will receive all the points that the assignment is worth.  Grammar, punctuation, spelling, and organization have no effect on the number of points you receive.  (NOTE: If you choose not to submit a response paper for extra credit, you should still come to class prepared to discuss the questions assigned, since we will focus on those questions in our discussion of the reading assignment.)