John Gardner's 'Grendel': Corrupt Righteousness

Madison Donnelly

Foster

English IV H-2

31 August 2016

Corrupt Righteousness

In John Gardner’s novel Grendel, Grendel purveys erroneous intelligence during his journey of escaping isolation and searches for his moral purpose of existence, while facing the challenges of freedom. The philosophy of existentialism underlines an individual’s own righteous development’s taking dominion over his or her actions of self-determination and intellect. Grendel epitomizes the core of fraudulent existentialism and imprisons himself with insanity due to the confusion of outsider beliefs and principles, which lead to his chaotic downfall of coming to the knowledge of truth. Because of the Shaper’s and the Dragon’s influence, Grendel’s immoral boredom, and the

confrontation involving Unferth and Beowulf, Grendel gives up as an existentialist that overcomes obstacles that humanity bestows upon him.
Grendel oversees the Dragon’s pragmatic existentialism and the Shaper’s hopeful fantasies as opposing ideologies, which take partial remorse of Grendel’s deficiency and continuous transitions of virtuous thoughts.

Grendel falls into the Dragon’s enchantment of instituting the theory of nihilism, but Grendel rejects the Dragon’s philosophy and returns to acceding to his impulses. Because the Dragon surmises persuasively about the absence of God and proclaims there is no intrinsic meaning or worth in existence, Grendel battles with his conscience to not let the evil temptations of the Dragon’s ulterior motives prevail his mentality. The Dragon contradicts his own hypothetical opinion of meaningless life by encouraging Grendel to create his own meaning in the inevitable ambiguity of life. Grendel infers from the Dragon’s propaganda of his theory that nihilism does not lead to the looming sensation of having communal and commutative happiness with sympathetic human beings. Since Grendel only relies on his behavior and intentions as a decision mechanism, Grendel grapples with fighting off the outward drives of the Dragon’s existential approach and with maintaining stable, anthropomorphic characteristics. The Shaper contaminates Grendel’s intellectual disorder and identifies this pessimistic creature with consciousness as an embodiment of evil that cannot vanquish the segregation that he has with the nature of man. The Shaper’s song mentions hopeful thinking of Hrothgar’s kingdom

and encourages the thanes’ false glory, which convinces them that the lies of Hrothgar’s greatness are true. The Shaper takes credit and responsibility for inspiring Hrothgar into building a mead hall. The Shaper’s vision of tranquility and power of imaginative art angers Grendel, because the Shaper creates order out of the internal notion of truth. Grendel reacts with misleading existentialism and frustration of having indecisive self-deceptions, instead of giving the Shaper’s religious words an opportunity. Both ideologies of the Shaper and the Dragon produce critical interpretation and awareness for Grendel’s unstable mentality.
Grendel’s immoral boredom when encountering corruption torments his own essence and perceptions when having internal contemplations on figuring out the freedom of self-reliance.

Due to Grendel’s inability to communicate with the Scyldings, he isolates himself with human society and becomes the creator of his own universe. Grendel fascinates himself from exile and lets his instincts take action when facing the conflictions of apathy. When Grendel’s murderous actions partake in his deceitful dissatisfaction, Grendel establishes that dominion over his own identity has various complications with upstanding balance and conduct. Grendel retorts that attacking the innocent breaks up the weariness of life. However, this killing actually displays paradoxical pleasure that does not present an everlasting happiness in society. Grendel has predicaments when accepting his own tedium because he feels astray by not knowing how surmounting depression and loneliness functions. Grendel finds coming to realizations with morality strenuous to maneuver with and eliminates structural solidity and necessities of former systems that make society preserve equilibrium when experiencing banality. Because of the friendless boredom that Grendel approaches while on the search for connotation while in existence, Grendel attempts to dispose of it by applying his own sovereignty and repulsive behavior toward the blamelessness. Because of these endeavors, Grendel portrays his downfall of existentialism and

results in failure when finding his ambitions in civilization.
The conflict with Unferth and Beowulf constitute abnormal strength and tenacity that enhance an advantage against Grendel’s invidious incentives and imperfect existentialism. Unferth epitomizes inner courage, which confuses Grendel’s disposition why Unferth would give his life for recognition of bravery. The uncertainty of reverent judgment that Unferth has on Grendel promotes patriotic compassion and attention for the continuation of harmony in Hrothgar’s kingdom. Grendel’s uncontrollable anger increases when witnessing Unferth’s honorable intentions for his community. Grendel begins to initiate horrendous contemplations that would demolish Unferth and his dauntless proposals against him. Because of Grendel’s malicious considerations toward Unferth, Grendel loses his virtuous existentialism, and starts penetrating his way to unfortunate corruption. Beowulf puts a termination on Grendel’s mischievous fantasies and existentialism by utilizing his supernatural powers. The coming of Beowulf‘s assistance wipes away Grendel’s unnecessary oppression. Beowulf‘s embodiment of sacrifice halts Grendel to deteriorate in a deeper error of immorality. The impact that Unferth and Beowulf have on Grendel provoke him from becoming an unstoppable monster.
Grendel’s fallacious knowledge unveils actual image of modest character with the incapacity to correspond with other humans maturely. Grendel exemplifies the base of treacherous existentialism and constrains himself with madness from the disorientation of the decision-making process. Readers can infer from the outlooks of Grendel’s disastrous conduct that his inclinations are evident to be publicly obscene. Through the empowerments of various characters and situations within the novel, Grendel has lost the capability to persevere his expedition to existentialism.