Of Monsters and Men: The Just Complexity of Evil in Grendel
John Gardner’s Grendel delicately betrays the humanity of a monster. The reader is pulled into the story of Grendel’s life, his rather philosophical journey, and his ultimate downfall. Remarkably, the tale of a creature who, in Beowulf, is a simple force of evil, becomes a complex, storied protagonist. However, this complexity must not be mistaken for righteousness. No, even Gardner’s Grendel remains evil, but in a way that is more relatable, more human. He is cognizant of his wrongdoing, and he even attempts to break his own cycle of destruction, but in the end surrenders to a dark and thankless fate. Grendel’s inherent evil is revealed as he disregards preexisting morals, embraces
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the view of himself as evil, and carries out the destruction he believes he is intended to bring about. Evil and good are human constructs which serve only to create a semblance of order in a chaotic universe; This sense of right and wrong gives the majority a sense of self-worth and virtue, but to the minority represents a divide between the self and the society. Grendel feels this divide deeply, achingly, especially in his youth. Perhaps Grendel once had the potential to be good- indeed, in Chapter 4, he approaches the men entreating “‘Mercy! Peace!’” (Gardner, 51) and is greeted with terror and anger. The people have decided that Grendel is evil, so he becomes evil, a self-fulfilling prophecy in a rather literal sense. Grendel is faced with isolation, exposed only to the ideas of the humans and the dragon. The humans hate him because they are conditioned to believe he is the dark side; he cannot take comfort in their companionship, even once he seeks to understand it. He is excluded from the animals in that he is smarter than they are, more self-aware. He cannot turn to his mother, for she has receded to more animal tendencies, unable even to speak. He cannot turn to the dragon, or even the dragon’s morality, because it too frustrates him. The part of Grendel which aspires to an intelligent, connected, human, is shot down again and again. Finally, he resolves to give up this hint of romantic optimism, saying “So much for heroism. So much for the harvest-virgin. So much, also, for the alternative visions of blind poets and dragons.” (Gardner, 90). This forswearing of exterior morals, ideas and constructs that don’t serve him well, is probably the clearest beginning of his complete descent into evil. As the book progresses, Grendel grows to accept the humans’ view of him as a force of evil, absorbing this image of himself until he almost agrees with it, eventually proclaiming himself “Grendel, Ruiner of Meadhalls, Wrecker of Kings!” (Gardner, 80). He begins, even in the early chapters, when he still maintains some small sense of optimism, to recognize that he is viewed by others as evil, or at least as an outsider. This “wretched state of exile and alienation” remarked upon by critic Jay Ruud causes Grendel intense frustration, and eventually anger; He is fascinated by the humans, because their way of life presents a sort of intelligent socialization which he yearns for but never experiences; However, he does identify with their society through the Shaper’s stories, which paint him and those like him as terrible beasts. This is the only intelligent outside view of himself that he is exposed to, and it’s effect on him is great. By page 107 of Grendel, the title character admits that “Blood lust and rage are [his] character.” And so they have become his identity, both outwardly and inwardly- he is not only committing heinous acts of violence against the humans whose shared culture and ideals he once envied, but he is okay with it. He doesn’t enjoy this way of living any more than any other, but it has in some way become his path of least resistance. Just as the dragon has his pile of gold to count, Grendel has his humans to attack; It is a grasp at a purpose, at a role recognized by other thinking beings. By the end of the novel, Grendel has, in spite of his initial reluctance, fulfilled this role of a hideously violent, malicious creature the world has insisted he must be; he must inevitably literally be a monster, but he chooses to become truly monstrous through his actions. He resolves to attack the humans, to make them his aimless hobby, to fill his role and inspire them to improvement. His first real, open declaration of the war on the humans comes when he approaches them again on page 79, “As if casually, in plain sight of them all, [Grendel] bit his head off”. This war continues night after night for twelve years, with endless, hideously destructive shows of power by Grendel, and equally endless acts of passionate self-sacrifice by Hrothgar’s thanes. This cycle, spurred on by Grendel’s belief that it is his role and purpose to terrorize the humans, churns on until Beowulf arrives to cut it short, finally killing Grendel. In short, Grendel is evil.
He is evil not because he was born evil, and not because it was destined that he would become evil, but because the world told him he was, and eventually he believed. Grendel resigns to a mode of being that is the easiest for him- and that may be just what make him so intriguing. It is not the fact that Grendel is Bad that makes him a compelling protagonist; that alone would almost surely not be enough. He is an engaging, almost likeable, main character precisely because he lapses into evil like a habit, like a role to be filled, like any number of the habits and roles the book’s audience might fulfill themselves. Grendel is important because he is, by the book’s end, purely evil. He is malevolent, chaotic, maniacal, and violent. He is everything a storybook antagonist should be, yet the reader still feels for him. It is there that the power of Grendel’s story lies- in his complexity. The novel’s refusal to accept the simple themes and characterization in Beowulf makes it refreshing, and, in a sense, more real; Grendel is not a tale that allows readers to escape the world, but one that forces them to vividly examine its most gruesome realities, and to imagine that even the worst of monsters
complexly. Citations Gardner, John. Grendel. New York. A Division of Random House, Inc. 1971. Print. Ruud, Jay. Gardner’s Grendel and Beowulf. Humanizing the Monster. 1974. Print.
The philosophies expressed in the Beowulf epic complement the exploration of existentialism throughout the modern work, Grendel, by John Gardner. Both works portray different perspectives of the same story, involving the same characters; Beowulf, the ancient Anglo-Saxon hero who destroys Grendel, and Grendel, the monster who terrorizes Hrothgar’s hall. Beowulf and Grendel act as archetypes that explore humanity’s perception of the world. In the Anglo-Saxon epic, Beowulf and his companions represent good, and the monsters, including Grendel, represent evil. When Beowulf kills Grendel, the world is less evil, but since Beowulf’s companions die in the struggle, the world is also less good. Ultimately, the two forces of good and evil will destroy each other, but the story maintains that God will interfere and save mankind from destruction. In Gardner’s story, the progression of society begins when mankind creates a monster and then creates a hero to fight the monster. Once the greater power of the hero had been established, once the conflict’s resolution strengthened society’s power, than a greater monster developed ...
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
Good vs. Evil in John Gardner's Grendel? & nbsp; 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, 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 to Grendel in defining the human. & nbsp; 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.
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.
John Gardener’s Grendel is another version of the epic Beowulf, except in a differing perspective. This story is retold from the viewpoint of Grendel. Gardener wants us to empathize with Grendel through his own thoughts and emotions. The way one sees the monster in Beowulf is completely different than how one would think of him in Grendel. One is forced to view someone else’s opinion versus getting to form an opinion for oneself.
Some of the greatest villains in literature are characters who have merely been misunderstood. While we are drawn to literary heroes and admire their strengths, we often forget to consider the point of view of their enemies. Many of these enemies also possess strengths that the reader does not realize. Along with traditional heroes, the villain in a story can be considered an anti-hero. In the story Grendel, by John Gardner, the reader is challenged to contemplate the thoughts and feelings of the anti-hero, Grendel. Exploring heroes like Beowulf, and anti-heroes like Grendel, and the Beast in Beauty and the Beast, causes the reader to develop a better understanding of the relationship that exists between the characters and their society.
The presence of a bull prompts a shift in Grendel’s purpose in life from remaining obedient to his mother as a young child to being the creator of the world as he transitions into adulthood. As a young monster, Grendel motive’s coincide with his mother since she is the only person who Grendel is able to communicate with. He feels “Of all the creatures I knew, only my mother really looked at me...We were one thing, like the wall and the rock growing out from it… ‘Please, Mama!’ I sobbed as if heartbroken” (Gardner 17-19). His emotions demonstrate that as a child, he doesn’t consider himself as an individual but rather as embodying the same identity as his mother, which is further emphasized by the use of the simile. Additionally, Grendel’s use
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
Grendel, a book written by John Gardner, retells the epic of Beowulf from the perspective of a lonely monster who struggles to find his purpose. By peering into the life and perspective of Grendel, Gardner encapsulates the themes of, “form is function” and nihilism vs. existentialism. These themes coincide with Gardner’s childhood. On their family farm, Gardner had a cultipacker, a machine that crushes dirt clumps and creates a smooth seedbed. One day he drove the cultipacker with his siblings Sandy and Gilbert. The engine ran out of gas and jolted on a downward incline. Gilbert was thrown out of the cultipacker. It continued to move forward as the huge machine was on an incline, crushing Gilbert’s head (Stanton). At just 12 years old, Gardner
John Gardner’s Grendel portrays a monster searching for his purpose in life. The characters know the meaning of their lives, but Grendel tries to discover his role and what life has to offer him. Grendel discovers his identity through other characters’ actions and beliefs. In Grendel, John Gardner illustrates the contrasting views of each character to show their view of society and the influence they have on Grendel.
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.
While Grendel may possess a brute strength, his lack of wit and logic is what ultimately leads to his downfall and demise. In Beowulf, the actions and character that of Beowulf, or an Epic Hero, define the perfect Anglo-Saxon warrior. Epic heroes are indicated by a variety of traits, including that they, “must look like a hero, they must be noble, famous, strong, courageous, humble, prideful, thick-skinned, self-sacrificing, faithful, focused, be a leader, and have a tragic flaw” (Jones 3). Unfortunately, aside from the ‘tragic flaw’ and ‘strong’ categories, Grendel’s character is antithetical to all characteristics of an Epic Hero. This makes him quite the villain, and a generally despicable character. “Suddenly then, / the God-cursed brute creating havoc: / greedy and grim, he grabbed thirty men”
...n very human feelings of resentment and jealousy. Grendel was an unstable and saddened figure because of his outcast status. Though Grendel had many animal attributes and a grotesque, monstrous appearance, he seemed to be guided by vaguely human emotions and impulses. He truthfully showed more of an interior life than one might expect. Exiled to the swamplands outside the boundaries of human society, Grendel’s depiction as an outcast is a symbol of the jealousy and hate that seeks to destroy others' happiness and can ultimately cripple a civilization. This take on the outcast archetype ultimately exposes the Anglo Saxon people’s weaknesses, their doubts and anxieties towards the traditional values that bounded nearly every aspect of their life.
Grendel is the embodiment of all that is evil and dark. He is a descendant of Cain and like Cain is an outcast of society. He is doomed to roam in the shadows. He is always outside looking inside. He is an outside threat to the order of society and all that is good. His whole existence is grounded solely in the moral perversion to hate good simply because it is good.
The story of Beowulf is a heroic epic chronicling the illustrious deeds of the great Geatish warrior Beowulf, who voyages across the seas to rid the Danes of an evil monster, Grendel, who has been wreaking havoc and terrorizing the kingdom. Beowulf is glorified for his heroic deeds of ridding the land of a fiendish monster and halting its scourge of evil while the monster is portrayed as a repugnant creature who deserves to die because of its evil actions. In the epic poem, Beowulf the authors portrays Grendel as a cold-hearted beast who thrives on the pain of others. Many have disagreed with such a simplistic and biased representation of Grendel and his role in the epic poem. John Gardner in his book, Grendel set out to change the reader’s perception of Grendel and his role in Beowulf by narrating the story through Grendel’s point of view. John Gardner transforms the perceived terrible evil fiend who is Grendel into a lonely but intelligent outcast who bears a striking resemblance to his human adversaries. In Grendel, John Gardner portrays Grendel as an intelligent being capable of rational thought as well as displaying outbursts of emotion. He portrays Grendel as a hurt individual and as a victim of oppression ostracized from civilization. The author of Beowulf portrays Grendel as the typical monster archetype as compared to John Gardner’s representation of Grendel as an outcast archetype.