Good vs. Evil in John Gardner's Grendel
John Gardner's novel Grendel gives the reader a new perspective on
the classic "good vs. Evil" plot. From the start of the book the reader
can tell that there is something very unique about the narrator. It is
evident that the narrator is a very observant being that can express
himself in a very poetic manner. The story is one the reader has most
likely seen before, the battle between the glorious thanes and the "evil"
beast. In this case, however, the "beast" is the eyes and ears of the
reader. This, of course, forces the reader to analyze situations in the
book in the same way that Grendel does. By using this viewpoint, the
author allows his readers to see the other side of the coin. Therefore,
throughout the course of the novel the reader is able to understand how
important Grendel is in defining the humans.
Grendel's first encounter with the human beings that he literally
defines is not a pleasant one. After accidentally trapping himself in a
tree he is discovered by a group of thanes out on patrol. Grendel
expresses absolutely no hostile intentions towards these "ridiculous" (ch.2,
pp.24) creatures that "moved by clicks." (ch.2, pp.24) The thanes do not
understand what Grendel is and are very uneasy about the whole situation.
Like animals they are frightened of anything that is different from what
they are used to. When Grendel attempts to communicate they show their
ignorance and simple-mindedness. Instead of taking the time to understand
the anomaly in their world they panic and decide to destroy it. Without
being able to view the story from Grendel's point of view the reader might
assume that the humans had every right to attack. Another example of the
same type of simple-mindedness is their second premature attack on Grendel.
After hearing the shaper's words Grendel weeps, "'Mercy! Peac e!'"(ch.4,
pp.50) in the hopes of salvation from the god of these men. The men, in a
drunken state, merely misunderstand Grendel's intentions and attack him
once again. Instead of killing the men, which would have been an easy task
for the giant, Grendel escapes into the night. This action alone defines
the men as the "beasts" and Grendel as the victim.
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
What's the difference between good and evil? In John Gardner’s classic tale Grendel the line between good and evil is exceedingly blurred. Gardner does a phenomenal job of forcing the reader to question who the real hero of the story is. So is Grendel evil or simply misunderstood? To answer this question one must look at his basic character traits. Grendel is an unloving creature, he enjoys killing and torturing humans, and when he shows any sort of mercy, he later regrets it. Due to these facts it is impossible to label him as “good”.
Throughout John Gardner’s Grendel, the audience bears witness to a creature who has been ostracized by the world around him. Throughout his journey, the stories protagonist tries to live out his own life the way he wants to, despite being labeled as evil by those around him. Due to this constant criticism by his peers, he develops an inferiority complex that he desperately tries to make up for as the story progresses. Throughout his development, Grendel very rapidly moves past his existentialist beginning, through a brief phase of forced skepticism, and into a severely nihilistic point of view.
As in the parallel comparison of beauty to ugliness, it can be seen that good and evil are only identifiable in their contrast of one another. If there was nothing defined as beautiful, for instance, nothing could be ugly. There would be no such concept. Similarly, having no definition of good would make evil, too, a non-existent idea. In Grendel, Gardner grasps this thought, and maximizes its importance with the help of a horrendously confused monster and the society that he terrorizes.
Part of the development of a human being involves acquiring the ability to classify good and evil as well as distinguishing right from wrong. It has become an inherent trait that is invariably used in our everyday lives. In John Gardner’s novel, Grendel, the main character, Grendel, seeks to find the meaning of life. Through his journey, a depiction of the forces of good and evil is revealed. Aside from being a novel about the search for the meaning of life, Grendel also suggest society’s good and evil have a meaningful and imbalanced relationship where good prevails evil yet facing evil is still critical.
Evil. It’s a concept that has baffled philosophers, religious figures, and the common man alike for thousands of years. In this millennium, people may exemplify evil as terrorism, genocide, or, perhaps, placing an empty milk carton back in the refrigerator. However, many remain conflicted about the exact definition of evil, as the dispute over the character Grendel, from the John Gardner novel, makes evident. To conclude that Grendel is not evil, readers must first operate under the assumption that the beast is unequivocally and thoroughly evil. Having done so, readers will notice the fallacies within this thought process. By asserting that Grendel is evil, readers blatantly disregard the ambiguity with which humanity defines its actions, as
Ethics is a wide field of philosophical study to which the core of every question within falls to one side of a blurred line. On the right, is good; the value which is popularly believed to be the correct alignment for which a person should live their life according to. On the left, is evil; that which is the cause of most human misery, and prevents peace on earth. In John Gardner’s book Grendel, the retelling of the ages old story Beowulf, further blurs the line between good and evil. Circumstance and perhaps a confused view of reality allow the monster, Grendel, to conceivably defend his evil beliefs. In order to better understand evil, using Grendel as a guide, I intend to attempt to justify it.
Grendel is alone; he can not know God’s love and be comforted. He is an outcast, and the sins of his forefather have fallen upon him. Evil can not stand God being glorified just as the praising of God by the Danes angered Grendel.
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Wealth or family? A life old question that is yet to be answered. The choice is very difficult, the outcome is spontaneous. Stuck in the middle, with no way out but disaster. After a disaster nothing gets better, the sight of hope is lost as a person’s gnarled mind takes over and nothing from that point on is predictable. This concept is conveyed throughout The Pearl written by John Steinbeck, the main character Kino is faced with this decision. Steinbeck uses motifs of Good vs. Evil and different songs expressed through Kino’s thoughts throughout the book. Greed can alter a person’s thoughts making them do unpredictable things.