Gears operate properly when each particular section is correctly in place so, the smallest defect can cause the gears to malfunction and generate chaos within the entire system. Correspondingly, Grendel in the novel and the monster in Frankenstein resemble these defects. Their being amongst their surrounding societies makes them realize what outcasts they are. Grendel in the novel is somewhat similar to the monster in Frankenstein because both are pained to not being able to accommodate with people, both are rejected by people, and both compare their situations to the stories of those cursed in the bible.…
Grendel is portrayed differently in both novels Beowulf, and in the book Grendel, both giving very different aspects of the character Grendel. In both novels Grendel and Beowulf the character is portrayed as a beast like creature with human like characteristics. The character’s way of thinking and its actions are different from one another in both books.…
Who determines what is right or wrong? Who determines what is evil and what is not? In John Gardner’s Grendel, the main character wonders if he is truly evil and the purpose for his existence. He starts as a poor, lonely creature, but after an encounter with a dragon, his mindset changes. He experiments with different philosophies in order to define his existence. Consequently, he becomes an intolerably evil creature that shows no remorse for his actions. He intentionally deceives the Danish people, disrespects others, and kills for sport. Grendel is evil according to the Old and New Testament teachings of the Bible.…
The character of Grendel in John Gardner’s is more appealing than the “monster” in the novel Frankenstein by Mary W. Shelley because they both use of first-person point of view, they both show how the characters grow, and they both have difficult situations in the end.…
Grendel terrorizes the town’s people by entering the hall they rejoice in. The speaker reveals, “Then/when darkness dropped/Grendel went up to Herot/ wondering what the warriors would do in that hall when their drinking was done” (30-32). He always was curious of why they celebrated all night long so one day he enters the…
Grendel in the novel shares many of the problems as the Monster in Frankenstein does. Grendel and The Monster both share suffering, isolation from mankind, and their monstrosity towards mankind.…
Meanwhile this can be followed by the idea of hope for the world that lies within Grendel. This hope provides evidence for Grendel’s lack of damnable intentions. This is demonstrated during his time spent with the dragon, pages fifty-seven through seventy-four. The dragon is largely selfish and nihilistic, however Grendel refuses to believe the negativity presented by the dragon. On page seventy, one may read the dragon speaking of all of the world being consigned to oblivion. That is, he states that eventually all current occurrences will be meaningless. “You don't know that!” Grendel simply debates. Additionally, page seventy-one the dragon is speaks of the little to no effect that even an apocalyptic age would have on the world over time.…
The Dragon as a character in John Gardner’s Grendel serves as a mentor for the main character, Grendel. Grendel visits the Dragon in his underground lair in hopes of finding purpose and meaning to his life of killing humans. However, Grendel quickly discovers that the Dragon has a unique viewpoint on life. The Dragon tells Grendel that he has the ability to see into the future, and, as a result of this vast knowledge, life has no real purpose. The river of time can not be slowed or altered. He tells Grendel that his place in the world was already decided long before he was born and that he is doing exactly was is meant for him in this world. The Dragon serves as a vessel in the novel to present the central theme of Grendel, which is the idea…
Throughout the novel Grendel goes back and forth between the two beliefs nihilism and existentialisms. Through the journey of figuring out the belief in life, he struggles for being a cultural outsider. Gardner makes it tough for Grendel to make a decision because just like Grendel there are other cultural outsiders like the Dragon who shares his philosophy with him.…
Anglo-Saxons brought their society (kings, thanes, ceorls, slaves), religion, legends, stories. They also brought their outlook on life (loyalty, feuds, exile) and their language.…
Grendel is “a powerful monster that lives in darkness.” Hrothgar’s warriors lived happy in his hall until Grendel attacked. Grendel lived in a swampy hell hole on earth. When darkness fell Grendel quietly went to Herot. Wondering what Hrothgar’s men were doing after they were done drinking. When the warrior pasted out from drinking, Grendel knew it was time to sink his claws into them. After Grendel killed every…
He is the hero of the story because he is proud. After his encounter with the dragon, Grendel begins to see the world as a meaningless place. Despite this new outlook, he still has no intention of systematically terrifying the Danes. “I was Grendel, Ruiner of Meadhalls, Wrecker of Kings! But also, as never before, I was alone.” (Grendel Pg.80) Grendel makes this miserable statement when he discovers the dragon's enchantment has left him invulnerable to harm from the Scylding’s weapons. He glories in his power, but realizes that his impervious hide now separates him even more from the world of mortal men. He’s proud because he can survive any attack, yet he’s sad because he has become even more different from the mortal men.…
Bored by the isolation of the Wild West, Grendel begins to pick up a drinking habit to kill time. It all started when he went out to hunt for food. He found an old woman living outside the town. After killing and eating her, Grendel found multiple jars with the word “XXX Granny’s Moonshine” written across it. Disgust by the spleen taste of the old woman in his mouth, Grendel decided to drink down the liquid to clean up his taste butt. He was hooked.…
Have you considered seeing Grendel from a different point of view or wondered what his motivations in Beowulf to kill so many people were? In the epic poem Beowulf, Grendel is described by the author as an evil and cruel creature that has a strong desire for man´s blood. However, we get a very different characterization of the same character in the novel Grendel by John Gardner. In this book, Grendel is illustrated as the only character that thinks and reasons clearly. Therefore, readers get a very different perspective of Grendel in the two texts. This is mainly done, since the author is looking forward to expressing his personal opinion and different ideas and themes that includes the humans´s tendency to judge from the beginning, the violence of men, and the fact that humans are dumb and easy to trick.…
Grendel in the beginning of the novel is naïve and innocent to the world and really does not know what to believe, leaving many questions. After leaving his mother’s cave Grendel’s innocence is no longer unblemished and is introduced to an obscure world. As a shield against the rest of the universe and its many skeptics Grendel tries to derive meaning from the world. Although after he leaves his mother and becomes independent Grendel realizes his mission in life is to disrupt the lives of the humans. During this time Grendel is stuck in profound confusion by how he feels that nothing is truly of significance in the world, and how no matter how many men he kills, he will not break their spirits.…