Grendel: a sensitive and remorseful creature, or a horrendous beast? This question has been pondered ever since the release of Grendel by John Gardner in 1971. He may be portrayed as evil since the universal term of a “monster” has a negative and frightening connotation. Grendel went through mistreatment by the humans and never knew what it was like to be accepted. In human society, if something is different than the “norm” than it cannot be accepted. Grendel went through this exact dilemma just because he was born a different creature. Grendel is not an evil character in this novel. From the very beginning, the readers find that the humans are absolutely terrified of Grendel. He has the power to kill people in an instant. When Grendel talks, they cannot understand him and therefore don’t
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The Dragon told Grendel that life doesn’t have value, that without a monster there would be no good and evil comparison. The Dragon is considered to have a “mentor role” to him. After Grendel hears this idea of no good and evil, he went out and started his raids on the humans. Every single raid could have been prevented if Grendel would have been accepted in their world. He felt lonely and discouraged because no one wanted to be “friends” or at least kind to him since he was a monster to the rest of the world. All of these events cause Grendel to question his role in this life and if he should be that good or bad role. “I had become something, as if born again. I had hung between possibilities before, between the cold truths I knew and the heart-sucking conjuring tricks of the Shaper; now that was passed: I was Grendel, Ruiner of Meadhalls, Wrecker of Kings! But also, as never before, I was alone.” (Gardner 80) Grendel had realized that he had a choice in how he would react, and he chose to attack the humans. Like all sensitive and emotional creatures, he reacted in anger and hurt those around
The Dragon told Grendel that life doesn’t have value, that without a monster there would be no good and evil comparison. The Dragon is considered to have a “mentor role” to him. After Grendel hears this idea of no good and evil, he went out and started his raids on the humans. Every single raid could have been prevented if Grendel would have been accepted in their world. He felt lonely and discouraged because no one wanted to be “friends” or at least kind to him since he was a monster to the rest of the world. All of these events cause Grendel to question his role in this life and if he should be that good or bad role. “I had become something, as if born again. I had hung between possibilities before, between the cold truths I knew and the heart-sucking conjuring tricks of the Shaper; now that was passed: I was Grendel, Ruiner of Meadhalls, Wrecker of Kings! But also, as never before, I was alone.” (Gardner 80) Grendel had realized that he had a choice in how he would react, and he chose to attack the humans. Like all sensitive and emotional creatures, he reacted in anger and hurt those around