Analysis Of The Monster In 'Grendel' By John Gardner

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.

Beowulf accepts Hrothgar's favor to fight Grendel, and Beowulf goes off and boasts about his accomplishments. He fights Grendel and wins! Towards the end, Beowulf dies due to a dragon bite. Grendel does not deserve sympathy because he invaded the Mead Hall, killed humans, and was irredeemable. Grendel invades the Mead Hall unwelcome by the humans.

It leads gradually to his increasing isolation (Gardner par. 15 line. 1-2)”. Since Grendel can not talk to his mother because of her speech impairment nor the dragon because of the intelligence gap and the dragon’s dark philosophy he has no one to turn to after his peers and society reject him. This leads his murder spree and eventually his

Grendel is on the edge of dying and is on the floor looking at the forest animals that have surrounded him. “ Animals gather around me, enemies of old to watch me die. ”(Gardner 173) He is explaining how he gets surrounded by the animals that would be around him. By stating “ Enemies of old to watch me die.”

This is the beginning of Grendel falling directly into the role that the dragon said he would need to fill. Grendel’s murderous tendencies completely reflect the monstrous side of his personality and the more he kills the more he grows insane, separating from rational, humanistic thought. “I am swollen with excitement, bloodlust and joy and a strange fear that mingle in my chest like the twisting rage of a bone-fire... I am blazing, half-crazy with joy” (168). It is clear that, by the time Beowulf arrives, Grendel has embraced the fact that he is required to be evil, despite the fact that he previously claimed he would oppose that destiny.

He attempts to make peace, his actions are no different than those of others, and he is experiencing resentment. Although there is no excuse for murdering others, Grendel does not kill for the fun of it. His actions are just reactions to emotions he is experiencing. Furthermore, his willingness to make peace emphasizes the remorse he feels for the crimes he has committed. This also shows that he acted impulsively because of his strong feelings of resentment.

It was all lies” (Gardner 54). It is obvious Grendel suffers the physical pain of being alone, and he gets addictive to hurting others due to his sadness. The more Grendel hears about people getting along he hates them and wants to fight them, because he can not have that. Grendel actions speak louder than his words when conveys his anger against the world. In the quote Grendel portrays this is what he does when he says, “It's all I have, my only weapon for smashing through these stiff coffin-walls of the world”

Always we portray Grendel as the monster and destructive character. However, in the novel by John Gardner that is a different case. We see Grendel as a emotional and sympathetic character. For example, Grendel states, “It wasn 't because he threw that battle-ax that I turned on Hrothgar. That was mere midnight foolishness...

Grendel in the novel displays the idea that he is far more superior than mankind. He mentions, "I am swollen with excitement, bloodlust and joy and a strange fear that mingle in my chest like the twisting rage of a bonfire" (Gardner 167-168). Grendel knows that that the people fear him because he is different and he uses that to his advantage. The "Monster", Grendel, seems to be fascinated in attacking Meadhall and is not frightened at all. Although he is brave in the novel, Grendel in the epic poem is described in being scared and weak on the attack at Meadhall.

Grendel also asked why he doesn’t have anybody to talk to, giving away that he has no friends. Grendel feels lonely and in need of company as well as "the monster" in Frankenstein. In the middle of the novel "the monster" has a conversation with Frankenstein, "These bleak skies I hail, for they are kinder to me than your fellow beings." (70) "The monster" compares the sky to the men and how kinder it is, revealing to the reader that the sky has too much meaning and that he talks to

“So that in two months I began to comprehend most of the words uttered by my protectors.” He found a few books that were in the woods and he begins to read them. In the end they both end up dying because of their actions. Grendel was defeated by Beowulf, “I whisper.

Grendel was a being sung about in the songs of the shaper, who twisted tales to fit his own means. In the song Grendel was made out to be a wretched monster, without intellect, who only sought to kill. This wasn’t the case entirely. Grendel was determined to enter society, to be a part of their gatherings, instead at every turn he was chased away, cursed, and attacked. He was only a monster to those in the mead hall, a beast who could never be a part of them.

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.

In chapter 12 of the book Grendel , Grendel’s last words were “ poor Grendel’s had an accident... So may you all ” Grendel’s last words were meant as a curse. When Beowulf ripped Grendel’s arm off and Grendel slipped on blood .The animals , also his enemies were watching him die. Grendel hopes the animals that they will all die.

Grendel was this grim beast who haunted the moors and secluded fens; this troublesome one had long lived with monsters since the Creator had declared his exile. Grendel had been punished and separated from the company of man and God through the sins of Cain. Being a descendant from Cain, Grendel is full of evil and deceitfulness. This fuels his hatred, and a desire to destroy goodness from the world of which he can have no part in. His first night of violent attacks was describe as “The unholy creature, grim and ravenous, was ready at once, ruthless and cruel, and took from their thirty thanes; thence