Grendel

Essay III

            In John Gardner’s novel Grendel, the protagonist Grendel is the quintessential outsider. He lives a reticent life, lurking in the outskirts of a Dane establishment during the day and slithering into his cave at night. As time progresses, he experiences several revelatory instances where his complete outlook on life is challenged. Encountering humans and speaking to a dragon both impact the way Grendel thinks. Nevertheless, he still retains his original, existentialist values. Thus, the conjecture can be made that based off the events in Grendel’s life, his mind is constantly struggling to counter the ideals of the outside world against his own.

            As the novel opens, Grendel’s interest in the outside world compels him to escape his cave and see the other side. One night, while Grendel is searching the outside world, he encounters humans, meticulously observing them right before they attack him. The humans’ logic of attacking unknown beings does not change Grendel, however. As the story progresses, Grendel remains on the outskirts of the forest. He does not blindly attack because he fears humans as they did him but instead because he wants to learn their strategies and logic. Speaking to an omnipotent dragon, he tells Grendel that all the frivolous actions he commits are worthless. He tells Grendel to instead, “seek out gold and sit on it,” signifying he should not try understand what is around him. Eventually, everything will “turn to dust,” thus in lieu of trying to be a saint, become a cold-minded intellect. Even to death, however, Grendel chooses to understand what is, unaffected by the dragon’s words.

            Perhaps one of the greatest testaments to Grendel maintaining his true logic is his death. As Grendel and the mysterious Geat, clearly Beowulf, are dueling, Beowulf tells Grendel, “Though you murder the world, transmogrify life into I and it, strong searching roots will crack your cave and rain will cleanse it.” Clearly about to kill Grendel, Beowulf tells Grendel these words in order to create a control he will hold over him in death. As Beowulf flees, bleeding to death in his arm, he runs back to where he originally left the cave in the opening of the novel. This creates the illusion that he is the same as when he was young. Right before he dies, he says, “Poor Grendel’s had an accident.” This last ode serves as a vessel for Grendel dying on accident, not at the hands of Beowulf. Thus, he is not controlled by Beowulf or society, but himself.