Effects of Interest Rates on Consumer Purchasing Term Paper

Effects of Interest Rates on Consumer Purchasing - Term Paper Example An increase in interest rates may have different effects on the consumer buying behaviors. One of the effects is that it causes a rise in borrowing cost. Therefore, consumers are going to be discouraged to borrow or save. The increased interests will leave consumers with little disposable income and therefore this will reduce consumption or consumer buying   (Soderlind, p.402). Another effect of a rise in interest rates on consumer behavior is the desire to save rather than to spend. The consumers will tend to save their money since they will be encouraged by the high-interest rates the banks offer. The value of the dollar increases with a rise in interest rates. One cause for the increase is the increased money flows. Therefore, investors are more likely to save in US banks if the US rates are high compared to other countries. The main result of a stronger dollar is that it makes exporting from the US not to be competitive leading to  increase in exports and a reduction in imports. In the long run, consumer consumption will have reduced in places outside the United States of America. Increased interest rate reduces the buyers’ willingness to make investments, as well as risky purchases. Consequently, they shy off from borrowing and end up saving for fear of losing their money. In such cases, demand for products reduces and there is a general reduction in consumer expenditure on goods (Esch, p. 302). The rise in interest rates has the general effect of reducing the consumers’ demand for purchasing products. In the case of an increase, consumers try to save and spend less due to a reduced disposable income. On the other side, a reduction in the interest rates will affect the consumers buying behavior in various ways. One way is that lower interest rates will result in reduced returns on savings.  

Do Unions Have Any Kind of Future In Australia Essay

Do Unions Have Any Kind of Future In Australia - Essay Example This will be the time to forge a global partnership between developing global partnership between developed and developing countries to ensure that employment growth policies are put in place to put an end to the scourge of our times - increasing unemployment, poverty and inequality' - said ICFTU President Sharan Burrow. The major corporations of the world are hopping around the world seeking the lowest cost worker. The ITES has meant that the developed world will lose more employment opportunities to developing countries where wages are cheap and working conditions can be stringent. The west and the rest of the developed world already troubled with rising unemployment will see a worse future. The 'global workforce' if at all one arises will require more such meetings and negotiations to make things happen - for a better tomorrow. The Unions around the world have emphasised on the need for collective bargaining. They are primarily composed of skilled and semi-skilled workers. But membership figures vary widely with the industry in question. The problem has particularly plagued Australia in sectors such as health because a large number of health workers from the commonwealth countries are present in these sectors. But what do unions do Changes in the structure and nature of work The Unions seek changes in the structure of work so that the work is less monotonous and comfortable to the worker. Further the unions make sure that the working conditions are also ideal. Unions form and people flock to join them for many reasons. They feel that their grievances will be redressed by the collective bargaining power of the unions. Some members also enrol for ideological issues such as the socialist cause and the anti-capitalism campaign. The Webbs defines that unions arose when the great bulk of workers had ceased to be independent producers, themselves controlling the processes, and owning the materials and the product of their labour, and had passed into the condition of life-long wage-earners, possessing neither the instruments of production nor the commodity in its finished state (Webbs, 1920: 25). In the 1920's Perlman stated thatTrade unionism, which is essentially pragmatic, struggles constantly, not only against the employers for an enlarged opportunity measured in income, security, and liberty in the shop and industry, but struggles also, whether consciously or unconsciously, actively or merely passively, against the intellectual who would frame its programs and shape its policies (1928: 5). Allan Flander says of Unions that 'The first and over-riding responsibility of all trade unions is to the welfare of their own members. That is their primary commitment; not to a firm, not to an industry, not to the nation. A union collects its members' contributions and demands their loyalty specifically for the purpose of protecting their interests as they see them, not their alleged 'true' or 'best' interests as

Urban Structure in Modern Society

Urban Structure in Modern Society How Should a Modern, Globalized Society Adapt Its Urban Structure? A Comparison of Four Texts Globalization, much like the Industrial Revolution that propelled Europe and North America to the forefront of the global economic stage, has forced the redevelopment and organization of urban hubs. Some, like Moulaert and Waley, support government-led initiatives addressing the problem of the economic disparities among social classes caused by the redefinition of labor markets. Others, including Logan and Swanstrom, argue against centrally-planned economies and markets, positing that cities should not work outside the boundaries of their national context. Scholars like Haila, on the other hand, present a married political ideology combining the two, arguing that while differences in cities may exist, real estate and private investment is the common link binding all â€Å"global cities.† With globalization overtaking the norms of familiar market economies, contemporary urban hubs face â€Å"persistent high levels of unemployment, shortage of job opportunities, homelessness, deteriorating housing and living conditions, widening income gaps, [and] social violence†; these problems have become â€Å"an integral part of the new urban context, regardless of prevailing dynamics of economic growth or decline†[1]. Consequently, Moulaert and his contemporaries suggest government-mandated interventions are necessary, including the coerced transformation of labor markets. According to Moulaert, â€Å"the transformation of employment is, doubtless, the key axis of urban socio-economic restructuring and the primary factor shaping increasing inequality and social fragmentation in cities†[2]. Logan and Swanstrom concur, but question the extent to which the government ought to be able to intervene in the restructuring of society. They question â€Å"what form th ese interventions should take,† as reform in the East â€Å"is a synonym for raising prices, reducing some types of consumption, and accepting structural unemployment†; the Communist-type failure of urban restructuring (and central planning) is therefore representative of a â€Å"political and economic event,† avoidable through the careful, monitored endorsement of free market economies[3]. Waley, like Moulaert and his contemporaries, supports a degree of government intervention in urban restructuring and cites the Japanese post-war example. Waley suggests Japan’s success in urban restructuring can be attributed to â€Å"reorganizing urban space in pursuit of economic growth,† which entailed national â€Å"relaxation of zoning, disposal of public land, and measures advantageous to private landowners† vis-à  -vis the strategies outlined by Haila which will be examined later[4]. The government, Waley argues, is the greatest facilitator of econ omic growth through its power to enact policies; contrary to the Communist model, however, Waley’s proposition is one of incentive to the private sector. Logan and Swanstrom directly oppose governmental intervention supported by Moulaert and (to a degree) Waley, specifying that policy cures and the measure of urban restructuring in an ailing economy are better prescribed at the national level; the two stress that â€Å"cities cannot be abstracted from their national context†[5]. Logan and Swanstrom’s position endorse Waley’s admonitions to â€Å"avoid the dangers of a simplistic cultural-determinist response† to the necessity of urban restructuring[6]. On the other hand, Moulaert concedes the fallibility of his model, surmising that government intervention can be detrimental to a point as federal programs are a de facto means of increasing â€Å"the concentration of deprivation in particular urban areas and neighborhoods,† reproducing â€Å"the formation of â€Å"excluded communities, reproduced by the very initiatives that purportedly aim at eradicating them†[7]. Haila echoes the power of pu blic perception, claiming that the aforementioned factor drives the model of private real estate-powered economies. Pointing out the paradigm shift of Japanese investment in Los Angeles from the 1980s to the 1990s, Haila notes that urban development can be catalyzed or snuffed by a change in public perception; after all, â€Å"in the 1980s, Los Angeles was a city favored by Japanese investors,† but the 1992 race riots â€Å"changed this situation, as a property market where an asset can be demolished in one night is not a good market†[8]. While Haila does not prescribe uniformity in the application of economic and urban restructuring, she endorses the facet that all cities which aim to restructure themselves into â€Å"global cities† have real estate in common, echoing Waley’s sentiments regarding Japanese investment in Los Angeles. Private land ownership lends to the environment necessary for economic rehabilitation per globalization. Cities therein affe ct cities; the price falls and gains from one city inevitably affect another[9]. While Logan and Swanstrom support the contention that restructuring carries significant social and political institutions in its wake[10], their views are most applicable to the current global economy due to their calls for uniformity and consistence on a national level. Tied to Haila’s theory of inter-dependent cities, Logan and Swanstrom’s model prevents the cannibalization of intra-national markets. Moreover, Logan and Swanstrom advocate a laissez-faire attitude within the confines of a national agenda, therein tempering the so-called â€Å"free market.† Moulaert’s supposition that global restructuring entails urban development projects, his advocacy for government intervention, finds fault along the lines of market restriction. The workings of bureaucracy prevent the intervention of the individuals Haila perceives as vital to the growth of an economy through land ownership. Though they can be tempered by applicant law and a statute, truncating the invo lvement of the private sector limits growth and future adaptations to a globalizing world economy where punctuality can mean the difference between prosperity and recession. Waley may concede restructured Tokyo’s disparity between the living conditions of the poor and the profit expansions of business corporations, but in his assertions he glosses over the state’s possible use of higher tax revenues to revive the lower classes, thus leaving the question of self-propagating poverty and economic stagnation unanswered[11]. Perhaps most important to note is the necessity of policy fluidity in the degree of laissez-faire economics and governmental intervention. While all four works prescribed a degree of flexibility, none presented the simple fact that globalization, as a new world market and concept, cannot be approached using a template or a macroeconomic stencil of some sort. Adaptation in the urban sector, like all forms of adaptation, cannot be expected to work within the stricture of obstinate thought. BIBLIOGRAPHY Haila, A. (1997) â€Å"The Neglected Builder of Global Cities.† In: Cities in Transformation Transformation in Cities: Social and Symbolic Change of Urban Space, pp. 51 64. London: Ashgate P. Logan, John R and Todd Swanstrom. (1990) â€Å"Urban Restructuring: A Critical View.† In: Beyond the City Limits: Urban Policy and Economic restructuring in Comparative Perspective, pp. 3-24. New York: Temple U P. Moulaert, Frank et al. (2003) â€Å"Urban Restructuring, Social-Political Polarization and New Urban Policies.† In: The Globalized City: Economic Restructuring and Social Polarization in European Cities, pp. 29-45. Oxford: Oxford U P. Waley, P. (2000) â€Å"Tokyo: Patterns of Familiarity and Partitions of Difference.† In: Globalizing Cities: A New Spatial Order?, pp. 127-157. New York: Blackwell Publishers. Footnotes [1] Moulaert et al 2003, p. 30 [2] Moulaert et al 2003, p. 31 [3] Logan and Swanstrom 1990, p. 4 [4] Waley 2000, p.139 [5] Logan and Swanstrom 1990, p. 6 [6] Waley 2000, p. 128 [7] Moulaert et al 2003, p. 32 [8] Haila 1997, p. 56 [9] Haila 1997, p. 52 [10] Logan and Swanstrom 1990, p. 12 [11] Waley 200, p. 141

Genetic Manipulation :: Science Scientific Papers

Genetic Manipulation In David Brins science fiction novel called The Uplift War, the reader is presented with a world in which humans have not only become a space faring species and made contact with extraterrestrials, but also made an astounding achievement on their own world; they have made dolphins and chimpanzees into thinking, sentient creatures through a process called uplift. Uplift is a process of elevating animal species to full sapience through methods of breeding and genetic engineering. The uplifted species, known as clients, then serve their patrons, the species who uplifted them, until the patrons release them from indenture. Naturally, this causes many problems. Client species are often looked upon as inferior; this is partly due to strict regulation of activities such as breeding. Although uplift is still just Brins invention, we are rapidly gaining the techniques and knowledge to make uplift a reality. This is why we must carefully examine the ethics of genetic manipulation. First, the m ethods of genetic manipulation must be discussed. In Brins novel, a combination of selective mutation, breeding programs, and education were used to evolve the natural form into a conscious being. These methods, while hardly gentle, were not drastic and took place over hundreds of years, gradually eliminating the unwanted traits and encouraging admirable characteristics (Yep). Today, there are several methods of genetic manipulation, most of which involve various methods of inserting foreign DNA into an animal. They all share the same goal: to integrate and stabilize a desired DNA strand into the genome of an organism (Macer). The most widely used are retroviral infection, pronuclear microinjection, and nuclear transfer. Retroviral infection uses a virus, which contains the desired gene that will be incorporated into the organisms genome, to infect groups of embryos in culture in both prenatal and postnatal life. This method takes a lot of time and effort because the construction of the virus is quite complicated. Another effect of infection is that the information of the viruses may not always be incorporated into all the cultured cells, requiring out breeding of selected organisms to isolate those with the desired gene (Macer). Pronuclear microinjection is another method of genetic manipulation. Linear DNA fragments containing the desired gene are injected into the nucleus of a fertilized egg, where they will be incorporated at random locations. The desired gene will eventually be expressed in a percentage of resulting organisms. While relatively simple, there is still control over the expression rate of the genes or the disruption of genes vital to the organisms survival (Macer).

Tasmac

Chapter 20: Development Experience Of India Pakistan And China- A Comparative Study Learning Objectives: INTRODUCTION : *China *Pakistan COMPARITIVE STUDY: INDIA, CHINA AND PAKISTAN †¢ Demographic Indicators †¢ Growth Indicators †¢ Human development Indicators. †¢ Appraisal of Development Strategies ( China and Pakistan ) Q1. Compare between India, China,& Pakistan in terms of GDP growthrate. Ans: After the Independence in 1947, India & Pakistan adopted planned development programmes which relied on public sector to spearhead the process of growth and development. China adopted more rigorous model of growth in 1949 and it decided to bring all critical areas of production activity under government control. †¢ The great leap forward (GLF) campaign was launched in 1958, focusing on widespread Industrialization of the Economy. People were encouraged to launch household Industry in the country yards. †¢ China adopted Commune system of agricultural production which was a system of collective cultivation. †¢ Great Proletarian Cultural revolution launched in 1065 and making it mandatory for the students and professionals to go to the country side to work and learn from the countryside. Chinas Export driven manufacturing is the key parameter of its success story in economic growth. †¢ Till about 1980, the economies of India, china, & Pakistan did not show much divergence in the GDP growth rate and it was around 4% annually. †¢ It was around early 1980s in China, mid 80’s in Pakistan, 90’s in India that the breakthrough in GDP Growth rate was recorded. †¢ In 2005, India & Pakistan both recorded GDP growth of 6 to 8 percent, where as china recorded GDP growth of about 10% per annum. 2.Compare the structure of growth between India, China, and Pakistan. % Share in GDP % share in employment India Pakistan China India Pakistan China Primary 23 23 15 60 49 54 Secondary 26 23 53 16 18 27 Tertiary 51 54 32 24 33 19 China has succeeded in placing greater reliance on Industrial sector compared to India &Pakistan. It is due to (i) GLF , a campaign launched in China in 1958 focusing on widespread Industrialization of the Country . (ii) Policy of reforms and opening up launched in 1978 which gave big push to china’s manufacturing exports.Page | 74 Sector Q4. What is the important implication of the one child norm in China? Ans : One child norm in China has successfully reduced the growth rate of population . †¢ After few decades in china there will be more elderly people in proportion to young people. †¢ This will force China to take steps to provide social security measures with fewer workers. Q5. Compare the Demographic profile of India, China, and Pakistan. Ans: One child policy in china adopted since 1979 has reduced the growth rate of population from 1. 3 percent in 1979 to0. 64% in 2005. (i) Growth rate of Population Country Growth rate of Population 0. 64 China 1. 33 India 2 . 5 Pakistan Fertility rate is also very low in china as Compared to India & Pakistan. ii)Low Density of Population Country Person per square kilometer China 138 India 358 Pakistan 193 iii) Urbanization Country % of Population China 36% India 28% Pakistan 34% iv) Sex ratio Country Female per 1000 male China 937 India 933 Pakistan 922 Q6. Compare between the parameter of Human development. Ans.Human development i)HDI Ranking Country Ranking in the world China 81 India 128 Pakistan 136 ii) INFANT MORTALITY RATE Country Per thousand China 30 India 63 Pakistan 81 iii) Maternal Mortality Rate Country Per Lack China 56 Page | 75 India Pakistan iv) Improved Sanitation Country China India Pakistan v) Safe Drinking Water facility Country China India China vi) Below Poverty Line Country China India Pakistan 540 500 Of Population 44% 30% 54% Of Population 77% 86% 77% Of Population 16. 6% 21. 8% 13. 4% Q7. Mention the common success story of India &Pakistan.Ans; i) A substantial rise in GDP per capita. ii) Self-sufficiency in food production. iii) Dualistic nature of the economy is gradually declining. iv) Considerable increase in the incidence of poverty. Q8. Mention the common failures of India and Pakistan. Ans. I) Relatively slow pace of GDP growth rate as Compared to China. 2) Poor performance in HDI ranking. 3) Poor fiscal management. 4) Lack of political interest for social prosperity. Q 9. Mention the areas where India has an edge over Pakistan. Ans. i) Skilled manpower ii) Investment in Education. ii) Health facilities. Q10. Mention the areas where Pakistan has an edge over India. Ans: 1) Urbanization 2) Less percentage of population below poverty line. 3) More percentage of population having access to improved water sources. Q11. Mention the areas where China has an edge over India. Ans. 1) China has successfully focused on Pro-poor reforms. 2) Agrarian reforms have been effectively carried out. 3) Export driven manufacturing has significantly grown, adding to t he pace of GDP growth. 4) SEZ policy has proved to be a boon for FDI flow in India. Page | 76 Tasmac Chapter 20: Development Experience Of India Pakistan And China- A Comparative Study Learning Objectives: INTRODUCTION : *China *Pakistan COMPARITIVE STUDY: INDIA, CHINA AND PAKISTAN †¢ Demographic Indicators †¢ Growth Indicators †¢ Human development Indicators. †¢ Appraisal of Development Strategies ( China and Pakistan ) Q1. Compare between India, China,& Pakistan in terms of GDP growthrate. Ans: After the Independence in 1947, India & Pakistan adopted planned development programmes which relied on public sector to spearhead the process of growth and development. China adopted more rigorous model of growth in 1949 and it decided to bring all critical areas of production activity under government control. †¢ The great leap forward (GLF) campaign was launched in 1958, focusing on widespread Industrialization of the Economy. People were encouraged to launch household Industry in the country yards. †¢ China adopted Commune system of agricultural production which was a system of collective cultivation. †¢ Great Proletarian Cultural revolution launched in 1065 and making it mandatory for the students and professionals to go to the country side to work and learn from the countryside. Chinas Export driven manufacturing is the key parameter of its success story in economic growth. †¢ Till about 1980, the economies of India, china, & Pakistan did not show much divergence in the GDP growth rate and it was around 4% annually. †¢ It was around early 1980s in China, mid 80’s in Pakistan, 90’s in India that the breakthrough in GDP Growth rate was recorded. †¢ In 2005, India & Pakistan both recorded GDP growth of 6 to 8 percent, where as china recorded GDP growth of about 10% per annum. 2.Compare the structure of growth between India, China, and Pakistan. % Share in GDP % share in employment India Pakistan China India Pakistan China Primary 23 23 15 60 49 54 Secondary 26 23 53 16 18 27 Tertiary 51 54 32 24 33 19 China has succeeded in placing greater reliance on Industrial sector compared to India &Pakistan. It is due to (i) GLF , a campaign launched in China in 1958 focusing on widespread Industrialization of the Country . (ii) Policy of reforms and opening up launched in 1978 which gave big push to china’s manufacturing exports.Page | 74 Sector Q4. What is the important implication of the one child norm in China? Ans : One child norm in China has successfully reduced the growth rate of population . †¢ After few decades in china there will be more elderly people in proportion to young people. †¢ This will force China to take steps to provide social security measures with fewer workers. Q5. Compare the Demographic profile of India, China, and Pakistan. Ans: One child policy in china adopted since 1979 has reduced the growth rate of population from 1. 3 percent in 1979 to0. 64% in 2005. (i) Growth rate of Population Country Growth rate of Population 0. 64 China 1. 33 India 2 . 5 Pakistan Fertility rate is also very low in china as Compared to India & Pakistan. ii)Low Density of Population Country Person per square kilometer China 138 India 358 Pakistan 193 iii) Urbanization Country % of Population China 36% India 28% Pakistan 34% iv) Sex ratio Country Female per 1000 male China 937 India 933 Pakistan 922 Q6. Compare between the parameter of Human development. Ans.Human development i)HDI Ranking Country Ranking in the world China 81 India 128 Pakistan 136 ii) INFANT MORTALITY RATE Country Per thousand China 30 India 63 Pakistan 81 iii) Maternal Mortality Rate Country Per Lack China 56 Page | 75 India Pakistan iv) Improved Sanitation Country China India Pakistan v) Safe Drinking Water facility Country China India China vi) Below Poverty Line Country China India Pakistan 540 500 Of Population 44% 30% 54% Of Population 77% 86% 77% Of Population 16. 6% 21. 8% 13. 4% Q7. Mention the common success story of India &Pakistan.Ans; i) A substantial rise in GDP per capita. ii) Self-sufficiency in food production. iii) Dualistic nature of the economy is gradually declining. iv) Considerable increase in the incidence of poverty. Q8. Mention the common failures of India and Pakistan. Ans. I) Relatively slow pace of GDP growth rate as Compared to China. 2) Poor performance in HDI ranking. 3) Poor fiscal management. 4) Lack of political interest for social prosperity. Q 9. Mention the areas where India has an edge over Pakistan. Ans. i) Skilled manpower ii) Investment in Education. ii) Health facilities. Q10. Mention the areas where Pakistan has an edge over India. Ans: 1) Urbanization 2) Less percentage of population below poverty line. 3) More percentage of population having access to improved water sources. Q11. Mention the areas where China has an edge over India. Ans. 1) China has successfully focused on Pro-poor reforms. 2) Agrarian reforms have been effectively carried out. 3) Export driven manufacturing has significantly grown, adding to t he pace of GDP growth. 4) SEZ policy has proved to be a boon for FDI flow in India. Page | 76

Major Shifts in Netflix Strategy Essay

Compare Blockbuster’s and Netflix’s profit models and value proposition prior to the establishment of Blockbuster online: Blockbuster’s Value Proposition and Profit Models: †¢ By establishing over 5000 locations to represent â€Å"70% of the U. S. population by a 10 minute drive,† Blockbuster’s value proposition is its convenience by geographic location. The physical convenience as well as established brand name made the Blockbuster experience attractive to potential movie rental customers. †¢ Their profit models were based highly off of their utilization of shelf  space. Most prominent shelf space would be dedicated to the newest releases. †¢ Another part of Blockbuster’s profit model was to maximize the number of days a video was rented. This financial aspect of the profit model allowed more rentals, thus more revenue. †¢ Late fees contributed to Blockbuster’s profit model in two ways. The fees accounted for $600 million or 10% of Blockbuster’s revenue in 2004. They also enhanced the company’s consistency in timely rental returns. Since customers usually want to avoid late fees, returning their rentals in a timely manner  allowed the videos to be rented by another customer. Netflix Value Proposition and Profit Models: †¢ Netflix’s key value proposition was offering a completely different format of movie rental. Not only did Netflix offer its product through a different channel (the internet), but they also focused on utilizing DVDs, which was at the time considered early- ­? technology. The popularity of both the internet and DVDs were increasing at the time of Netflix’s launch. With an increase in popularity of new technology, Netflix’s unique service offering became very  attractive among the early- ­? adopters of these technologies. The utilization of a subscription- ­? based service also added to its value proposition. Enabling subscribers to exchange DVDs as frequently as they wanted made Netflix even more attractive. †¢ One aspect of Netflix’s profit model was its marketing strategy to only target DVD consumers. By developing a cross- ­? promotional program with manufacturers and retailers of DVD players, Netflix did not waste marketing to other consumer groups who don’t have the new technology to even use DVDs. †¢ In regards to Netflix’s operational aspects of its profit model, Netflix expansion of nationwide distribution centers contributed to the company’s efficient process. The expansion improved delivery time and also nationwide coverage. Also, the low costs of investing in an additional distribution center further added to the company’s profit model. 2) List each major shift in Netflix’s Strategy †¢ The first major shift in Netflix’s strategy was the transition to a prepaid subscription service. Netflix realized its original pricing strategy of paying $4 for reach rental was †¢

Free Essays on Beowolf

â€Å"Grendel vs. Beowulf† In the epic poem Beowulf, a battle occurs between two characters: Grendel and Beowulf. Grendel portrays the evil character that is believed to be the descendant of Cain, the first murderer of the Bible. Beowulf is the hero of the story, who fights to protect his people. Both Grendel and Beowulf were courageous. Grendel was courageous for the fact that he had the audacity to even enter Herot and kill all those people. He never one showed fear for any human being, not even Beowulf. Although, he wasn’t courageous in the method he went about in murdering. He murdered while the people were in their sweet slumber. This was such a cowardly act because the people were never presented the opportunity to defend themselves, which of course wouldn’t have served much purpose after seeing Grendel’s incredible strength and brawn. Beowulf was courageous because he stood up to such a monster even though he was just a mere human being himself, Although, he did acquire brute strength that defeated Grendel. He defended his people when there was no one else to rely on. But Beowulf courage stops at a certain point. In one way, he wasn’t courageous because he could have dealt with Grendel another way other than killing him. There may have been other methods in banishing Grendel. Regardless, Beowulf was still a hero to the Geats. Grendel and Beowulf both sought fame even if they weren’t aware of this themselves. Grendel was famous for his reputation for being this horrible creature that preyed on helpless humans. He never intentionally pursued this persona, but it came about after taking so many lives. Therefore it led to the intimidation of the people towards Grendel. They all feared for their lives. Beowulf was known as the savior of the people. He overpowered Grendel, whom the people thought could not be destroyed. He also defeated any of the others that followed Grendel, such as his mother and the dragon. Nob... Free Essays on Beowolf Free Essays on Beowolf â€Å"Grendel vs. Beowulf† In the epic poem Beowulf, a battle occurs between two characters: Grendel and Beowulf. Grendel portrays the evil character that is believed to be the descendant of Cain, the first murderer of the Bible. Beowulf is the hero of the story, who fights to protect his people. Both Grendel and Beowulf were courageous. Grendel was courageous for the fact that he had the audacity to even enter Herot and kill all those people. He never one showed fear for any human being, not even Beowulf. Although, he wasn’t courageous in the method he went about in murdering. He murdered while the people were in their sweet slumber. This was such a cowardly act because the people were never presented the opportunity to defend themselves, which of course wouldn’t have served much purpose after seeing Grendel’s incredible strength and brawn. Beowulf was courageous because he stood up to such a monster even though he was just a mere human being himself, Although, he did acquire brute strength that defeated Grendel. He defended his people when there was no one else to rely on. But Beowulf courage stops at a certain point. In one way, he wasn’t courageous because he could have dealt with Grendel another way other than killing him. There may have been other methods in banishing Grendel. Regardless, Beowulf was still a hero to the Geats. Grendel and Beowulf both sought fame even if they weren’t aware of this themselves. Grendel was famous for his reputation for being this horrible creature that preyed on helpless humans. He never intentionally pursued this persona, but it came about after taking so many lives. Therefore it led to the intimidation of the people towards Grendel. They all feared for their lives. Beowulf was known as the savior of the people. He overpowered Grendel, whom the people thought could not be destroyed. He also defeated any of the others that followed Grendel, such as his mother and the dragon. Nob...