Technological advancements have always played an important role in the literary progression of humanity. As knowledge increases, technology improves, and as technology improves, so does the literature. From the Anglo-Saxon era to the postmodern era. From oral histories to written histories, printing presses and the industrial revolution, human literature has gradually changed in each phase, adopting a different point of view and achieving greater understanding. Stanley Kubrick, the director of 2001: A Space Odyssey, understands the concept of technological advancement over humanity. And his film can be seen as a parallel to this concept of progress. From 450 AD, man began the evolution of literature by taking it to the next stage. This period is known as the Anglo-Saxon era. The foundations of this era were left by the Romans. When invaded by outside forces, the Romans were forced to evacuate, leaving behind roads, walls and villas. These assets allowed Anglo-Saxon culture to develop and flourish. It also allowed King Alfred of Wessex to unify the territory. During this period, the religion was often practiced as a combination of paganism and Christianity. They also move from polytheism to monotheism. At that time, monks were the only ones who were literate. As a result, this affected the way literature was written. The stories told by the bards and scops, old English poets, would be passed on to others. These stories would contain a rhyme system to help them tell the stories. These stories are written by monks. These stories would reflect the views and beliefs of the monks. A well-known popular story from this era is Beowulf. As told by a bard, it involves a warrior slaying a monster for fame and glory. But once written into the manuscript, the theme of the story changed to reflect a well-established Christian religion, not just for personal interests..