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Narrative about grendel
Description Literary analysis on John Gardners "Grendel"
Description Literary analysis on John Gardners "Grendel"
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Grendel’s Internal Battle Throughout John Gardner’s novel, Grendel, Grendel’s thoughts are constantly at war with each other. He does not know what or whom to believe, and how to distinguish lies from what he knows to be true. The Shaper’s songs, the brutal reality of the corpse, and the dragon’s cynical way of thinking all change Grendel’s view of life and thoughts, and are examples of how the art of falsehood in seen throughout the novel.
In the book Grendel he seems to change throughout the book. At the beginning of the story Grendel is sensitive , immature and very lonely. Giving a feeling of sympathy . That all changes when Grendel talks to The Dragon. When Grendel first meet The Dragon he was afraid of it. He was so terrified to ask him questions.
Although Grendel does have a more satire and sarcastic personality, I believe that he is truly sincere in his emotions. He somewhat tends to let other people’s words control his emotions and actions very easily. For example, he let the dragon persuade him that humans were bad and he was being sincere toward the dragon by listening to what he had to say and then believing him.
When Grendel is faced by the protective bull in chapter 2, he states “[the bull] fought by instinct.” (Gardner 21) Grendel recognizes that bull is predisposed to act specifically as he does; to protect the young. The bull is made to do this by nature, and is unable to understand others’ mental states, such as Grendel’s as he is stuck in the tree and is unable to harm the calf. Similarly, Grendel is able to recognize solipsism in man. As the men who stumble upon the trapped Grendel contemplate the possibility of him being a fungus or spirit, Grendel understands that the men are unable to know who he is.
“Grendel should be home now, what is wrong with that child,” the mother of the descendant of Caine thought. Just then Grendel burst through the ceiling, deep dark red blood gushing from his shoulder. He trails blood through the chalet towards his room where he collapses from his injuries on his bed. His mother instantly falls to his side trying to save him but it is too late for he has passed. “SO MUCH BLOOD.
In Grendel the author shows us a very captivating character. Gardner is able to show himself misunderstood, confused yet a very different creature. By showing him this way, the author shows that there are more than 1 side to each story. This makes him be able to familiarize himself to the reader. Grendel has some very monster like qualities, but he is not violent and Grendel is a character who is capable of learning, thinking ,etc. and communicating.
In the novel Grendel by John Gardner, Grendel’s largest internal conflict is whether or not he can overcome his predestined status of monster. Throughout the course of the story Grendel is influenced by both sides, human and beast, through the dragon and the Shaper. Although Grendel initially wants to align himself with the humans, no matter how he tries to communicate with them as an equal they will not accept his company, causing him to become lonely and angry. Grendel’s anger turns to violence, which makes the humans turn further against him and, as he is alienated from any sense of humanity he ever had, he eventually discovers that he has no choice and must fulfill his role as the enemy to humans. Initially, Grendel’s free will
Grendel was a wise man and didn't mind a fight. Grendel was hairy, muscular and smelled like a onions on a sunny day. Several people followed him because of his confidence and his arrogant ways. His peers could smell his cockiness from a mile away. People didn't understand why he was so mean
John Gardner gave Grendel emotions that the reader was able to see and hear through his own words. Grendel told tales of his childhood causing the reader to become invested in Grendel’s past giving the feeling of a connection. As in the way he describes instances of his imaginative play, “I use to play games when I was young…explored our far-flung underground world in an endless wargame of leaps onto nothing…quick whispered plottings with invisible friends” (Gardner 15). Consequently, this information gives the feeling of sympathy for Grendel, for his lonely childhood and circumstance. Gardner continues to play on the sympathies of the reader after Grendel’s first interaction with the Danes.
He lurches in, groaning, grabbing at the emptiness that used to be his arm. Stumbling around for a few moments, Grendel, my son, my window of happiness in the darkness of my life, slumps against the wall. I scream, my anguish blinding me, choking the air out of my lungs. I feel like cold, wet hands are wrapping around my throat- but I need to be strong.
Throughout the novel Grendel by John Gardner, Grendel comes across as a ruthless monster who takes pride in murdering others. His actions give the impression that he is an evil figure, but in hindsight he is not as evil as he appears to be. Gardner makes the readers feel sympathy for Grendel because Grendel lives a lonely life, is consistently treated poorly, and attempts to make peace. If Grendel was truly evil, readers would have difficulty having sympathy for him. Therefore, Grendel is not evil and is no different than the rest of humanity.
The common characteristics of what makes a monster have remained constant throughout society: evil, isolated, violent. Monsters have no regards for social normatives, and cause chaos and destruction wherever they go. Grendel is no exception. In Beowulf, Grendel manifests every characteristic of a stereotypical monster. He is considered inherently evil, and is an outcast; he roams alone and commits devilish atrocities whenever he pleases.
This is different than the Anglo-Saxon version of Beowulf, where Grendel is seen as an all-powerful monster who is very strong and dominant due to the use of different point of views from which the story is told. Beowulf is told from third person point of view. It is for this reason that we can not definitively see what Grendel is feeling physically, emotionally, or mentally. Meanwhile, Gardner’s version of the story is told from Grendel’s point of view. This is gives us a better look at what Grendel is seeing, feeling, and thinking.
The Devil in Her Eyes: Oppression, Allowable Femininity, and Good Versus Evil in Beowulf Beowulf, the lauded Anglo-Saxon epic poem of unknown authorship, contains deeply embedded themes of Good versus Evil, especially between the female characters. Queen Wealtheow and Grendel’s Mother have detailed descriptions based on their contrasting physical appearances, allowing the author to subject them to reduction to body. Both characters, while vastly different in actions and motivators, are strong, passionate women who attempt to protect their progeny at all cost. However, both fall victim to instrumentality as the author assigns honor to Queen Wealtheow’s actions, and forces Grendel’s Mother into a base and despicable role.
Grendel in both stories is described as a vicious "Monster", but is viewed differently. The character of Grendel, in the novel by John Gardner, portrays a different visualization than that of Grendel in the epic poem Beowulf. In the novel the story is told in first person point of view which gives Grendel human qualities while Grendel in Beowulf is told in third person point of view not giving Grendel his standpoint. In both works, the authors give two different perspectives of Grendel. Grendel in the novel is not seen as a "Monster", but as a human that has emotions and is very sympathetic about everything that comes his way.
