by AP Literature Class Rewrites Beowulf As Dystopian YA Novel With Love Triangle
What began as a standard assignment to analyze the Old English epic *Beowulf* took a turn for the fanfictional when Memorial High’s AP Literature students presented their final project: *Beøwulf: Rise of the Ravenbloods*, a dystopian young adult novel featuring a motorcycle chase, three rival kingdoms, and a brooding antihero named Wulfie.
“We wanted to make it relatable,” said group leader Jess A., “so we gave Grendel abs, made Beowulf an orphan with a mysterious past, and added a love triangle involving a telepathic healer named Lyra. Also, there’s a dragon named Chadwick who runs a steampunk bar.”
The class presented their work with a live reading, mood board, and a Spotify playlist titled “Swordcore for the Soul.” English teacher Ms. Padilla, caught between horror and awe, gave the project an A minus, deducting points for the phrase “yeeted his fate into the abyss.”
“They misunderstood the assignment,” she admitted, “but they also sold 46 pre-orders on Amazon and secured an influencer collab with a chainmail fashion brand.”
The school board is considering a spinoff curriculum titled “From Epic to Epic Fail: Fanfic as Literary Theory.” Meanwhile, students are lobbying to replace *The Odyssey* with *The Maze Runner: Siren Edition.*
As for the love triangle’s resolution? “It’s left open,” said Jess. “We believe in reader agency. And sequels.”
