Existentialism is a philosophical theory that was developed by Nietzsche and many other philosophers in the 19th century. In the first four chapters of the novel Grendel by John Gardner, the protagonist and the narrator, Grendel tells a story of his adolescence. Like any teenager, Grendel encounters multitude of events which molds him into what he is; an existentialist. Through the use of diction, personification, and simile in the narration of Grendel, John Gardner illustrates the cause of Grendel’s existential outlook. The root of Grendel’s misery is his inability to communicate. Grendel is incapable of communicating with his mother, animals, nor humans. His inability is vividly shown when Grendel first encounters the Danes and attempts