Beowulf Freewrite

"it is to idols that men turned(and turn) for quick and literal answers"(44)

It is with this sentence that Tolkien decides to conclude his essay.  Although at first glace it seems like a somewhat weak ending to such a critical essay.  However, I think that it actually does an excellent job of 'summing up' this very dense essay.  The majority of criticisms Tolkien makes about the critics of Beowulf is their tendency to focus on the wrong things and/or focus on things that are not there.  Whether it be the structure, the language , the lack of progression, theme of religion references.  This is not, as Tolkien explains, a fair judgement to make  on a work that was not written to appease to these "necessary" requirements of a historical text.  It makes perfect sense that people who study these medieval texts can easily get to a point that the idolize the past and all things that remain from it.  Therefore, they treat the story of Beowulf as an 'idol' what surely must be a source of critical information.  However, when they do not find these "quick and literal answers", the text must therefore be inadequate because it does not live up to the standard of other idolized historical texts.  Therefore, Beowulf becomes unfairly judged by what it is not, instead of enjoyed for what it is and nothing more.