Examples Of Philosophies In Grendel

At the time my doctor and I were under the impression that it would be a short recovery and we were very relieved that my symptoms would resolve quickly. However we were wrong. What we thought was going to be a month of antibiotics turned out to be three and a half years, two of which I was essentially confined to my bed. While my friends were off at football games, shopping, and attending school, I was doing what I could to avoid spending my nights in the emergency room. Every day was a struggle. I suffered from a variety of symptoms, including headaches, muscle pain, joint pain, dizziness, and fatigue. I would sleep for 14 hours and wake up exhausted, of course this was only on the nights were I wasn’t in too much pain too sleep. Despite how terrible Lyme disease was I am more than grateful that I was able to come out a stronger person. Without Lyme I do not think I would have the same determination, focus, or confidence that I posses

Philosophies are the ideas formed in one’s mind, often about the world and the questions we have about it. As humans, we often pick one philosophy and stick with it. How would a monster like the character Grendel in the novel by John Gardner react to these philosophies? Throughout the novel, Grendel experiences and is conflicted with many different philosophies. Influenced by characters such as the Shaper, the Dragon, and the people of Hrothgar, Grendel experiences many philosophies such as Nihilism, Solipsism, and Machiavellianism.

In Grendel by John Gardner, the story is told through Grendel’s perspective. The author uses point of view to further prove the theme of Grendel’s isolation from society through both his perspective, and his ability to narrate the point of view of another character. In the beginning, the reader gets a taste of what Grendel had to endure growing up. Grendel explains his perspective on the world when he says, “I understood that the world was nothing: a mechanical chaos of casual, brute enmity on which we stupidly impose our hopes and fears” (22).

Everyone experiences some form of anxiety within their life. Anxiety is highly individualized; meaning that each person who experiences

            There is a stage in everyone’s life where they feel they are not accepted by someone or something. Whether it is because of one’s age, appearance, or emotional and mental stability, a sense of disproval and isolation appears to be glaring through the eyes of society. Throughout Grendel’s life, he is shunned from humanity for he was viewed as something of destruction and harm. However, not one person ever took the time out to see Grendel’s true personality or really discover what he was all about. When facing the realities of the cruel world, Grendel found himself severely struggling with some psychological deficiencies. After performing multiple psychoanalysis tests on Grendel’s behavior, his

I was a very shy kid. Making friends wasn’t my cup of tea when I was younger. Based on this you can imagine how nervous I was when we moved. Joseph Campbell wrote in The Hero With a Thousand Faces, “It is only when a man tames his own demons that he becomes the king of himself if not of the world.” I was preparing to start school again in August when I decided it would be smart to begin associating with kids my age in the area; so, I began spending time with my cousin Lief. After spending some time with Lief, he introduced me to some of his friends and taught me to how to appreciate

In John Gardner's Grendel, women are viewed as inferior and as objects. For example, women are used as peace treaties between kingdoms. When Hygmod meets Hrothgar, he offers his sister as a means of peace. By serving as peace offerings, women are capable of being designated as material possessions. In addition, women are utilized as servants. By making her serve the Geats upon their arrival, Hrothgar clearly reduces Wealtheow into a laboring role. Through this patronizing, inferior employment of women is undoubtedly conspicuous. Through degradation of women's societal roles, the novel accentuates the discriminatory behavior between

It’s a struggle to get out of bed sometimes, I often just sit there struggling to comprehend the sequence of events which have taken place over the past year. I mean, I’m used to this now, its normal to me, but the fact that this has happened and that I am now ‘disabled’ as people would put it is hard to get my head around. And every time I look down I’m reminded of the pain and the struggle I faced, it’s a physical scar which links me to my grueling past, a physical and emotional journey.

To live or to die, in the end they both amount to the same thing: Uselessness. In John Gardner's novel, Grendel, the title character is an outcasted and confused beast, who desperately searches to identify the predetermined life he is meant to live. In his futile attempt to distinguish this life, Grendel encounters a conflict with the universe; falling in and out of human philosophies until finally deciding that nothing matters and it is better to die than to continue searching. Grendel falls victim to the philosophies of Solipsism, Nihilism, and Absurdism; theories humans, such as the Shaper and Unferth, use to give meaning to life, by placing his trust in those who hate or wish to corrupt him. He becomes his own enemy by falling victim to

In the work Grendel by John Gardner, Grendel says, “The world is all pointless accident. I exist, nothing else” (28). This quote demonstrates Grendel’s nihilistic view in the novel. Nihilism is defined as the view that rules, morals, laws, and religion are pointless because they are man-made, as well as existence in general being pointless. Along with nihilism, Grendel has sarcastic and cynical perspectives of life. These views on life are a reaction to the events that he lived through as a monster. The effect of these events therefore results in his actions that express his views of his life and life around him. Throughout the novel, Grendel expresses a nihilistic, cynical and sarcastic point of view of life for several reasons.

After being trapped in between two trees, Grendel finds himself contemplating about the importance of his existence and the existence of others. He has come to the conclusion that the world has no meaning and all the things he experiences are not true. He believes that the only thing that he can truly count on is his existence and the beliefs he alone possesses. When speaking about the overall nature of humans, Grendel speaks of how he disapproves of their values and how they view the world. He doesn't understand why they spend time admiring the different seasons, and shows no remorse over the fact that he is a murderer.

A common theme or motif in a literary work is the loss of innocence. This loss of innocence can refer to learning the truth of the world. Every person has to go through this loss of innocence in order to grow and develop as a person. In Grendel, the titular character goes through this sort of loss of innocence. The old dragon’s display of negativity creates conflict felt by Grendel and aids in his development as a character, as well as advances the plot.

It was all downhill from elementary school. No, my grades didn’t drop and I didn’t become a street rat, but socially, junior high single handedly ruined my social life. But from before I even stepped foot on the premises, I was destined to an awkward, mute, and sidelined three years: seventh grade, eighth grade, and freshman year. My elementary school, Central Road, was made up of two groups of kids, those who would go to Carl Sandburg, and those who would go to Plum Grove; and my tight knit group of friends would be cut in half when it came time for the split. Although there was more than 100 students who would be moving on to one of these schools, I was one of only 20 who would be attending Plum Grove starting in the fall. Of course, my

I got bullied a lot so that kind of stopped people from wanting to talk to me in the first place. When they did they saw a weird anti-social kid that wasn’t fun to be around or maybe that’s how I see myself reflecting on everything. Can’t say much about that has changed though. When I did get friends I had a problem where I’d get overly attached to them; as a result you could’ve insulted me every day and I’d still call you my friend. I think it was my want for one with the fact I was really, really dense;consequently most of the people I met weren’t great people to be around and a lot had some sort of bad habits, I still always had a book with me as once again an escape from my at least how I saw it sad and boring life in

I 'm scared to start over so maybe that 's why I am not going out of my way to make new friends. I tell myself that I should just focus on school, but I know it 's my anxiety telling me that I won’t be accepted. I chose to talk about this experience because this is something i am experiencing now and I knew once i talked about it, I could start making progress to being happy st this school. I don’t really understand why people don’t seem to like but I think it’s just because they don’t know me yet. Ive realized that friends aren 't just going to fall into my lap and I 've already started to sign up for a few clubs so hopefully some good will come from it.