Now, both the Captain and Grendel have those who continue to shape their own worlds which they affiliate with, for Grendel the first is the Shaper, a muse, on who tells songs of glory. He is also a liar. In Grendel's eyes this man shapes people's perspectives through lies and deception, however even Grendel cannot help but fall victim to the stories become entranced with his tales. Grendel is once again torn. Grendel has been enlightened, the beauty of the Shapers tales sweeping him up, and laying out a new past which Grendel knew never occurred. This confused Grendel, knowing the deceitful and false nature of the stories yet all the while fascinated by its beauty, and ability to convince as he listened Grendel began to focus on his monstrous …show more content…
nature, he weaped and when he attempted to appeal to the human, he was only met with force. Grendel state that something much “deeper” stayed with him, it “became my aura. Futility, doom, became a smell in the air… “(Gardner 75). Grendel finally accepts these stories and this personality which so many desire to pressure him as his own. Gardner writes, “I had become something, as if born again “ (Gardner 80). Grendel had hung between two possibilities before, between two cold truths. But now he was renewed, he became “Grendel, Ruiner of Meadhalls, Wrecker of Kings”(Gardner 80). Gardner divulges that Grendel finally accepts this identity that inspired fear and hatred, he is commenting on how those who adopt the desires of other often end up unhappy with themselves.
Grendel becomes less of a human and mutated into what the humans had etched into their stories, finally accepting the role of the monster. It's fitting considering Grendel is a descendant of Cain, brother of Abel. The Shaper sings of this biblical allusion, which only reinforces Grendel's position as the monster in the human society, While Grendel was now more alone than even, he adopted this identity was the fact that it gave him purpose. Grendel shed his naivety of human intelligence and adopted his animalistic nature which has been pressured onto him. Nguyen parallels this in “The Sympathizer” when the Captain during his time in America with the nationalist is forced to kill the crapulent major. The Captain follows through with this order for several reasons, the first being that he wished to not blow his cover, the second, purely because the General asked him. The General had become a father figure to the Captain, filling in for the pastor who was the Captain biological father. The captain wished to “prove to the General that I could correct my ostensible mistake and that I could be a man of action” (Nguyen 59). The Captain has no real sense of family, other than his love and respect for his mother, luckily enough his friends, Man and Bon were always there to help …show more content…
him. His friends became his family. His first real semblance of home. The Captain also finds solace with Ms. Mori, His first real connection that he created since returning from Vietnam. Ms. Mori is a buffer for him a connection between the two different worlds of Asian culture and American culture. Within their relationship an Oedipus complex arises, as he is so attracted to the woman who could just as easily be his mother, He once again enjoins himself with something that gives purpose to his life, a symbolic representation of his mother who devoted everything to his future and development. However, when this person is taken away from him, the Captain expresses how "Longing flooded the basement of my heart.."(Nguyen 121). Nguyen acknowledges that pain and loneliness often result in one closing oneself off from the rest of the world. Sonny, who had stolen Ms. Mori from the Captain was a reporter who actively seeks out stories to reveal to the world.
Nguyen uses this to show how life not only works in cruel ways but also illustrates that lose especially ones that you can connect with, are the most hurtful kinds of losses, often resulting in confusion and even anger. Similarly, Wealtheow, wife of Hrothgar, ensnares Grendel. Her unparalleled beauty and goodness, Her ability to create an atmosphere light, and homely. Just as the Shaper entranced him, Wealtheow had done the same. Her beauty and grace enlightened him and drove him to never return to what he once was. This symbolizes Plato's Allegory of the Cave, Grendel the prisoner forced to look at nothing but his own monstrous nature until he was exposed to compassion and morals and ideologies that contrast his own. The blinding sun and the world outside the cave, Wealtheow, brought unfamiliar concepts to Grendel and showed him a whole world which he knew almost nothing about. He would never want to return to that cave which he left. Grendel states how he would, without thinking "leaping from my high tree and running on all fours through the crowd to her," (Gardner 101) Gardner shows how Grendel without even contemplating the impact, he would readily prostrate himself for this woman. He would go, "howling, whimpering, throwing myself down, drooling and groveling at her small, fur-booted feet. "Mercy!" I would
howl." (Gardner 101.) Wealtheow's plight fascinates Grendel. After all, she too is a stranger in a hostile land. He watches as there are moments in which Grendel witnesses Wealtheow crying, obviously missing that which she originally belonged and was torn from. Wealtheow is in the same predicament that Grendel is in, torn from her home yet never feeling as though she truly every belonged with the Danes. She is important because she seems like the only human who could ever truly relate to Grendel. However, she only responds to Grendel with resistance. This resistance and fear of Grendel is meant to show that real communication between Grendel and the human world is an impossibility. This further instigates the fact that Grendel, Can never be part of the intellectual human world, and is forced to remain a being which humans can affix their hate to. Similar to the killing of the crapulent major. The Captain's old acquaintance from his first visit to America must also be dealt with. The General tasks him with killing Sonny, in order to receive his ticket to join Bon who is venturing to Thailand to assist the South Vietnamese resistance which is soon to be mounted. The Captain knew Sonny, however, to ensure his place with Bon to Thailand and Yearning to protect his friend overrules the rational mind of the Captain that would shy away from killing. The Captain doesn't affiliate himself with killing due to the fact he had no real reason to kill, but now that someone precious to him was on the line, someone who gives the Captain purpose, who is one of the only family members the captain has, The captain will do whatever is necessary to be right next to Bon through it all. The Captain continues to protect his friends and joins Bon when he leaves for Thailand, assisting the resistance in order to keep an eye out for one of his best friends, even though Man urges him not to. The Captain manages to save his friend, but at what cost. Bons states that “If it wasn’t for you, you stupid bastard… I’d die here” (Nguyen 168). The Captain made good use out of his deceitful nature and saved Bon who would have gladly fought to his last breath. Nguyen reiterates the importance of having a purpose in life with these statements, many would gladly give their lives to causes that they would never see the end of, but the Captain was determined to keep Bon from making that mistake.
Grendel, as a character, has a much more complex identity than just a monster and a human. Some, such as Ruud, classify him as a mixture of three different characteristics, but alone, they tend to conflict with each other. By making the connection that Grendel represents immorality, the previous idea makes more sense, while simultaneously incorporating more aspects of the character into the analysis. In either case, Grendel represents much more than meets the eye, and provides a fascinating insight into
Grendel varies from the simple, childish tone of "'Why can't I have someone to talk to? The Shaper has people to talk to'" (53) to the dense philosophical metaphors and complex diction of Grendel's conversation with the dragon. Gardener gives Grendel a purposefully guileless voice to illustrate both the monster's feelings of lost youth as well as his progression into a more sentient being.
Towards the end of the novel, Grendel finally becomes ‘himself’. Grendel is unable to decide what to make of himself and of the world surrounding him. He has only ever known the world as wild and mechanical, yet he is charmed by the artistic brilliance of the Shaper’s words. Grendel ultimately meets a brutal yet peaceful demise. Standing on the face of the same cliff he found himself in at the beginning of the novel, surrounded by mindless eyes, he states, “Poor Grendel’s had an accident.
In John Gardner’s Grendel, the Shaper is an important contributing character that carries the plot in a historical sense. During the first encounter between the monster and the humans, Grendel hears of the stories and tales the Shaper is singing about in Hrothgar’s mead-hall. Throughout the story the Shaper tells about Danish history and the creation of man’s existence and Grendel is fascinated by this. After listening to the Shaper’s stories, Grendel starts to realize that what he is saying is not true, “I too crept away, my mind aswim in ringing phrases, magnificent, golden, and all of them, incredibly, lies,” and starts to question what is true and what is not (Gardner 43). The Shaper’s eloquent tales had a large effect on Grendel, “He told of an ancient feud between two brothers which split all the world between darkness and light. And I, Grendel, was the dark side...I believed him! Such was the power of the Shaper's harp!” (Gardner 52). Gardner’s writing of Grendel sheds light on a whole new side of Grendel, as opposed to the monstrous being in Beowulf; so much so that we can see a divide in G...
The Shaper, a harp-playing bard, tells righteous tales about Hrothgar, the ruler, and his society. The Shaper lies and spins a web of exaggerations that romanticize the violence that has given Hrothgar his power. Grendel witnessed the fighting himself and knew what the Shaper was saying was untrue. However, Grendel cannot help himself but falling for the optimistically distorted reality of the Shaper. Throughout time and across the world, figures similar to the Shaper work to twist the truth into a favorable picture. The human perspective can often be easily controlled. This shows the fragility of independence and humanity. In response to the Shaper, Grendel says I too crept away, my mind aswim in ringing phrases, magnificent, golden, and all of them, incredibly, lies" (Gardner 43), but he also says “I clamped my palms to my ears and stretched up my lips and shrieked again” (Gardner 45). The contrast between these responses to the Shaper show how Grendel is split. He is both charmed and repulsed by the lies. Both ways, the Shaper demonstrates to Grendel the artificiality of truth in this existence. This only furthers Grendel’s dissatisfaction towards
Grendel, surprisingly, adapts quite well to his society despite its detestation of his existence. Grendel live is a rattlesnake-guarded cave, which allows himself to detach from his society, giving him the necessary space to cope with the troublesome thoughts among his people about Grendel. Unlike Frankenstein, Grendel tries to associate with the members of his civilization but is rejected every time he tries to do so. Every night Grendel goes to Herot to listen to the Sharper’s stories because the history interests him. He is quite intrigued and appreciative of the tales he hears, but when he comes in contact with those from Herot, they do not reciprocate the appreciation of his presence in Herot. The ones he admires so much taunt and torture him to the point they try to kill him for “intruding.” As retaliation, Grendel fights back and raids Herot every night.
“I wanted it, yes! Even if I must be the outcast,” (55). This is after Grendel has listened to the Shaper’s story about Cain and Abel. Grendel learns that he is the cursed descendant of Cain and is forever destined to be a monster. At first, he didn’t want to believe that is was true but after a while, he gladly accepted the role thus creating his own meaning. “I was Grendel, Ruiner of Meadhalls, Wrecker of Kings!” (80). This is when Grendel is experiencing his newfound invincibility to the humans and their weapons and he is tormenting them. After he visits the dragon in Chapter 5, Grendel has a renewed sense of confidence of who he is - which is a monster. In Chapter 6, he continues to terrorize the Danes and pursuing his monstrous desires. Grendel is acting upon his role as the monster because after speaking to the dragon, he realizes that nothing can stop
Throughout the novel, this monster, Grendel, seems confused as to whether he wants to view life like his existentialistic dragon mentor, or like the ignorantly optimistic humans on which he feeds. At times he is captivated by the romantic songs of the Shaper, and feels no desire to kill, while at others he thrives on the "knowledge" of the dragon, and goes on bloody rampages. At one point during Grendel's insecure state, the dragon tells him something that changes his outlook, and gives him a new feeling of self-worth.
His contemplation results in the ADD TRANSITION. As Grendel acquires knowledge of the story of Cain and Abel, he discovers himself in a new light: as a dark evil creature. The Shaper explains “an ancient feud between two brothers which split all the world between darkness and light. And I, Grendel, was on the dark side...terrible race God cursed. I believed him. Such was the power of the Shaper’s harp” (Gardner 51). The ‘power’ of the Shaper’s songs, full of creatively crafted words, emphasizes that the Shaper possesses the ultimate power to convince Grendel that he is created from darkness. The ‘darkness’ referred to in this statement represents the evil of humanity such as violence which serves as the primary reason for Grendel’s purpose to kill. Although Grendel is categorized into this evil since he’s a descendant of Cain, at this point, his actions do not embody qualities of evil. Grendel’s realization of the darkness within himself alters his perspective of his purpose in life as the creator of the world into a monster cursed by God into isolation. Grendel is easily convinced by the new knowledge provided by the Shaper due his lack of full maturity. In accordance to maturing teens, Grendel also has not completely transformed into an adult so is more facile to
With the introduction of the Shaper, Grendel’s ideals are transformed by another’s words. The Shaper is able to show Grendel that he can have an identity and not just be a mere obstruction in the dark. The Shaper created his own theories and stories about life and fed them to the people in a way that enabled them to follow what he said as truth. The Shaper gave the Danes a purpose by telling them what great feats they had overcome and his words excited and encouraged the men to become even more magnificent. The more Grendel listens to the Shaper’s songs, the more apparent it is that Grendel is captivated by the Shaper’s perspective on life. The Shaper’s songs tore at Grendel because he wanted to believe in everything said, but felt ashamed to live his life believing in lies: “I listened, felt myself swept up. I knew very well that all he said was ridiculous, not light for their darkness but flattery, illusion, a vortex pulling them from sunlight to heat, a kind of midsummer burgeoning waltz to the sickle” (Gardner 47). Grendel wanted to believe in the Shaper and his theories but he knew that in the end they were all lies meant to deceive, to fool, and to ensnare the listener. It was the Shaper’s skill and imagination that stirred him, but as much as Grendel wanted to accept the Shaper’s tales, he knew they were not the truths he was looking
Grendel feels like an outcast in the society he lives in causing him to have a hard time finding himself in the chaotic world. He struggles because the lack of communication between he and his mother. The lack of communication puts Grendel in a state of depression. However, Grendel comes in contact with several characters with different philosophical beliefs, which allows his to see his significance in life. Their views on life influence Grendel to see the world in a meaningful way.
Grendel is born a neutral being, perhaps even good, but nevertheless, without hate. The transition which he undergoes to become evil is due to misunderstandings between himself and humans and also meeting with a dragon who is questionably evil. As a young “monster”, Grendel knew nothing other than the cave he lived in and his mother who could not speak any distinguishable language. He was a playful creature who seemed to be like a “bla...
The character Grendel portrays the fallen self, which will assert itself violently if neglected, and must be overcome throughout life. The monster Grendel mirrors the part of our fallen state. Grendel's ancestry leads to the biblical figure Cain, to which all evil can be attributed. Grendel represents the hidden evil of Beowulf. Rollo May describes this in his metaphor "the dragon or the Sphinx in me will often be clamoring and will sometimes be expressed"(174). Grendel represents Beowulf's Sphinx, that lashes out on others.
Grendal, a descendant of Cain, is one of the main antagonist of the poem Beowulf. He lives under an inherited curse and is denied God’s presence. Throughout the story Grendal causes enormous grief and fear to the people of Herot. After so much pain and agony the king of Herot, Hrothgar, sends for the protagonist of the poem, Beowulf. He is a Geat and the epic hero of the poem. The wide variety of distinctions between Grendal and Beowulf is what develops the climax of the composition. Beowulf kills Grendal, so he is honored by the people of Herot for his heroic act. Since Grendal and Beowulf play opposite roles in the poem, Beowulf, they let the reader know how contrasting characters can develop the plot of the story.
...zes humanity in this scene by portraying them as the evil beings instead of Grendel who is the helpless victim of their savage assault. The men attack Grendel solely because they could not understand him and because of his appearance. Grendel makes no attempt to harm the men but to communicate with them while they are the ones that savagely tried to kill him. John Gardner portrays the men as the real monsters who mercilessly tried to kill Grendel while he was defenseless. Grendel has another revelation due to this attack in where he states. “The world resists me and I resist the world… “That’s all there is.”(Gardner, 28) Grendel makes this assertion as a means to organized the ways he perceives the world. While he once saw the world as a confusing array of frightening images, now he can separate the world into categories: those who do not resemble him and himself.