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Cannibalism introduction
According to cognitive dissonance theory, discrepancies between attitudes and behaviors produce
According to cognitive dissonance theory, discrepancies between attitudes and behaviors produce
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“ ‘And now famine beginning to look ghastly and pale in every face that nothing was spared to maintain life and to do those things which seem incredible, as to dig up dead corpse out of graves and to eat them, and some have licked up the blood which hath fallen from their weak fellows’ “, reads a firsthand account from George Percy who was an eyewitness of cannibalism in Jamestown, during the “Starving Time” in 1609-1610. In the spring of May 1607, three English ships carried about 110 Englishmen who sailed to the mouth of a substantial bay on the coast of Virginia known as the Chesapeake Bay. Additionally, this was the first permanent English colony/settlement in the New World, United States. However, little did they know that the first year
This is because, while humans are often thought of as converse from monsters, they exhibit several characteristics that could categorize them as monstrous. This expansion on the term ‘monster’ is portrayed in the novel, Grendel, written by Josh Gardner. In it, the reader sees the world through the point of view of Grendel, a giant bear-like beast. Through his first-hand experience, it is learned that Grendel was not always so malicious. The isolation and misunderstanding he faced from the humans, especially because of his physical difference, was what drove him to hate them.
He is portrayed in the poem as a horrendous beast with human characteristics, but looking closer to the text, he is a human out-casted and raised to be a monster. Although Grendel is written as a monstrous villain who kills with no remorse, he is actually a complex human with a repressed anger exploding in bursts. Grendel is often described in a negative way. He is reffered to as a demon in the text “from Beowulf”
Grendel identifies with modern day monsters because both threatened the lives or safety of a certain society, both had some form of support from someone else, and Grendel and modern day monsters were both created by themselves. Grendel threatened the lives of the Danes by intruding their safe place, the mead hall, and slaughtering innocent Danes. Much like Dylann Roof, who stormed into a sacred place, a church, and
For instance, in chapter four, Grendel talks about how “innocently” the humans are enjoying themselves at a party, when he finds a dead man’s body throat that had been slit and his clothes had been stolen. The humans may think that everybody around them, which are humans, are on the good side of the world, whereas humans can commit the same violence crime. The reason they refer to Grendel as a monster in their land is to compare themselves to Grendel and appearing to be more civilized, having morals, and blameless for their actions compared to
Monsters are described as big, ugly, no-feelings creatures. They are also described as creatures of hell or creatures that are not acceptable in the society. This is disagreeable, not all monsters are ugly, and some monsters do have some feelings. The monster Grendel, in the book Grendel by the author John Gardner, shows that he is sensitive and has human's feeling traits even though he is a monster. Different events in the book, prove that the monster is impressionable and afraid.
Grendel is frustrated and confused that he is trapped as a human in a monster’s body, but this confusion make him want to evolve. Grendel’s anger even leads him to sort of insanity as Gardner comments “Grendel is crazy” (Gardner 92), charging that humans may too go insane. cummings describes human anger resulting because they had lost their “ultraomnipotence” (cummings 13) in “Progress” (cummings 2). The theme of anger perpetrates the motif of cycles as Grendel curses “the twelfth year of my idiotic war” (Gardner 92).
Grendel in the novel is very different from the monster in Frankenstein because Grendel wants to and enjoys to humiliate and kill people, the monster in Frankenstein wants to be able to socialize with people without them getting frightened by his appearance. They are alike because they are both alone, they both frighten people with their looks, and they are not welcome in the human world. Grendel in the novel knows he is a fright to people, he is danger. He doesn’t seem to have a problem with that, but at the same time is not proud of it, either. He does like the pain of others, preferably king Hrothgar and his men.
Grendel begins attacking the humans, “I eat and laugh until I can barely walk, my chest-hair matted with dribbled blood... my belly rumbles, sick on their sour meat” (Gardner 12). Grendel went from crying for his mother when his foot got stuck in a branch to killing and eating dozens of people. Seeing the events that lead up to this how Grendel did helps us further see the transformation he is making. It’s the isolation from the humans that transforms Grendel, “Not, of course, that I fool myself with thoughts that I'm more noble.
His violent nature grew so much that he became crazy with the need to kill the humans. Therefore, Grendel’s actions reflect that his existence has drifted away from its partially civilized nature and into the barbaric. Grendel had no choice in becoming more beast than human because external forces constantly push him towards that fate. Whether it was the dragon, the actions of the humans, or Grendel’s own unconscious tendencies, he never really had the opportunity to make a choice, human or beast. What Grendel said and thought always clashed with the situations he encountered until there was simply no possibility of becoming the good in the way
Whereas, Beowulf’s encounter with the dragon. He knows that the dragon was truly a monster without any human characteristics. Whereas, Grendel possess human characteristics such as a human form and share mutual values such as a place to meet, meadhall. Grendel simply represent an alternative darker side of humanity, which is reflected in his underwater sea cave. Compared to the dragon, Grendel is more human than monstrous.
Readers can learn some things about Grendel in Beowulf but in order to dive deeper into the character and who he is, people go to the book Grendel. The book takes a closer look at Grendel and how he discovers the order and disorder of people and the world (Sanchez). Grendel is thought to symbolize the dark side of humanity, or the sins of man (Farrell). It’s easy for readers to sympathize with Grendel at points because he is a natural outcast of society. He is said to be the son of Cain and because of that he was labeled from day one (Sanchez).
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.
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.
