Grendel is a character who, at first, is an innocent monster who is figuring out the way the world works. He is a character that we are supposed to sympathize with, in this story, because we are given his background, so we can see why he made the decisions that he made, and the reasoning behind them. Another interesting point in the book, is the argument of whether or not Grendel, in the end, was punished for his “evil deeds.” In Grendel, we are supposed to sympathize with him, the reader shouldn’t
Grendel was a character that was widely misunderstood in the book Grendel by John Gardner he was portrayed in the book as a gruesome beast when in reality all he had wished his entire life was to fit in. Throughout this story Grendel feels he has no friends in the outside world and no one to accept him besides his own mother. He doesn’t want to accept his role in society of being the Great Destroyer described to him by the dragon. Man creates a huge problem in Grendel’s life and has had a major effect
In the novel Grendel by John Gardner, the main character Grendel seems to be a vicious evil monster that makes his goal to kill every man that steps foot in the mead hall, built by King Hrothgar, for his men. Grendel night after night enters and almost has a “midnight snack” by going in the mead hall and devouring about thirty men of Hrothgar's a night. Grendel has made an evil appearance to the audience by now but as learned later in the book, it is discovered that Grendel’s job is to keep balance
In grendel novel , the author used literary devices to create different stages in grendel's Character.John Gardner showed grendel by conveying his inner thoughts and observations; occasionally he narrates from the point of view of another character. Grendel attempts to maintain a mocking distance throughout the novel, but often finds himself slipping into an impassioned earnestness.throughout the novel Grendel struggles, within his own mind, to understand his place in a potentially meaningless world
Grendel. One of John Gardner’s best novels based on the epic poem, Beowulf. It talks about a war between Grendel and the humans, the Danes, their king Hrothgar and a stranger who appears at the end of the novel, Beowulf himself. Grendel lived with his mother in a cave, isolated from the rest of the world. With time passing by, he became curious about the outside world, so he started to go out to explore, seeing new fascinating things, meeting with the humans which made him even more curious about
Grendel character analysis Terrorizing a town for 12 years Grendel kills countless men and woman in the epic of Beowulf. Banished to an underwater dwelling when descendants of Cain were banished and killed, many warriors faced him but few survived. Many have herd of Grendel and his tale of horror, but who is Grendel? Grendel is seen by other people in Beowulf as a monster and a fiend even before his name is mentioned the narrator refers to him as a “powerful monster, living down in the darkness”
When first reading through the book it is hard to fully comprehend and understand what the author is using Grendel to get the reader to understand. Even still there are many parts and pieces of the story and everyone has different thoughts or theories about it. As the author takes us through Grendel 's story it is easy to feel sympathy for such a creature who is portrayed as a villain due to his stranger appearance. Eventually it is due to how the humans treat him and are frightened of him that truly
Grendel is characterized as a lonely creature who is trying to figure out the meaning of life around him. Grendel is an unhappy soul because he feels useless in society and doesn’t want to accept his given role. Throughout the novel Grendel feels as if he has no friends and nobody else accepts him but his mother. Humans have always been a problem in Grendel’s life and they affect how he lives life each day. Grendel is not an evil creature, he is just unhappy because of the way he is treated. We should
achieved by both experiences, but also interact with dominant and impactful characters. The book, Grendel, is based on the tale of Beowulf which is a literary piece depicting the life and involvements of an adolescent beast named Grendel, who acquires hidden guidance. He identifies both with humans and creatures on a rational level ultimately trying to find his place in acceptance in the world. During his exciting journey, Grendel encounters a wise dragon who ultimately aids him in finding his own true
this world offers, my shadow.” (Gardener 8) This passage helps to develop the character of Grendel at the beginning of the novel to show his mental state at the beginning of the book as well as his character as a whole. This quote is used to show that Grendel is alone and he recognizes his only true companion is his shadow because it can never leave him. This allows the reader to get a grasp of how Grendel is as a character and shows his mental thought processes to lead him to the thoughts he does have