eaters of the dead
In his novel, Eaters of the Dead, author Michael Crichton shows how the Volga Northmen were able to defeat their foes, the wendol, by using their intellect instead of their weapons. This is seen in four aspects. The theme of the novel is that physical courage is not enough to preserve your culture and lifestyle: intelligence and superior knowledge are absolutely essential. Conflict between the wendol and the Northmen shows which group has the intelligence to eliminate the other. Symbolism of wisdom, knowledge, and the lack of such things are used by Crichton to illustrate this moral. The juxtaposition of characters emphasizes the cleverness of the Volga Northmen compared to the Venden Northmen.The theme of the story is that applying intelligence and knowledge is essential in order to keep one's culture alive. A good proof of this is the lack of knowledge of Ahmad Ibn Fadlan, the narrator of the story. He is an Arab who "knows nothing of the ways of the world" (p. 77) because he has never truly experienced the world before that day, since he does not care for adventure. Having no experience with the world and having no knowledge, Ibn Fadlan slowly learns the Northmen's way of life. In the end, felt he "had been born a Northman"
Although he is cunning, he is not clever enough to defeat the wendol himself. Each character displays, and symbolizes, the level of intelligence they have and this is reflected in the decisions they make, affecting their future. The pairing of these characters show the stupidity of the Venden royals and nobleman, which causes them so much trouble and requires the help of the Volga Northmen, who are more intelligent. This left his people defenceless and he needed help from Buliwyf. The Northmen acquire knowledge from the helpful dwarves in the caves of Venden, who aid them in killing the leader of the wendol. It is because of Buliwyf that Venden is once again a safe place to be. 99), and wear the heads of dead animals as masks. 97), "have hair as long as a hairy dog" (p. At the arrival of Buliwyf, Wiglif insults Buliwyf for fear that Buliwyf will be able to do what he himself could not. The Northmen underestimate the number and strength of the wendol. Everything the angel of death says is thought to be real and is trusted since she is able to see into the future. A good use of this device is when Wiglif's friend, Ragnar, challenges Herger, a brave warrior of Buliwyf's group, to a duel. Ragnar is strong but he has no knowledge or intelligence to create a plan of attack. His attempts to outsmart Buliwyf fail every time, showing he is not as cunning as Buliwyf and he may lose his chance at the throne.
Common topics in this essay:
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Rothgar Vain,
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dwarves caves venden,
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