GrendelCommentary

Grendel
isastoryfromamonsterspointofviewJohnGardnerwrotethebook
asanextensionfortheAngloSaxonpoem
Beowulf.
Thestory
Grendel
presentsthe
readerwiththeantagonistspointofviewandhisemotions.Themonstersmain
questionthroughoutthestoryis
Whydoweexist?Whatisthepurposeoflife?
Assuch,
existentialism
playsahugeroleinthewayGrendelthinksaboutthemeaningoflife.His
actionsareconnectedtohimtryingtofindhiswayinthisworld,toescapeisolation,and
tolivealifethatisworththestruggle.ExistentialismisoneofthemainreasonsGrendel
triessohardtofindapathtofollowhedoesnotwanttobeanoutsider,hewantshis
lifetobemeaningfulinwaythatsuitshisterms.However,itisalsoareasonheterrifies
thehumans.
ManyofGrendelsphilosophiescomefromhisexperiencestheyarelinkedto
himbeinganoutcastsearchingforagoalinthiscruelsociety.Goingbacktowhenhe
wasachild,hewasfulloffearthefirsttimeheencounteredhumans.Thefearof
meetingcreaturesthatthink,theyarenotmindlessthatmakesthemdangerous.They
didnotaccepthimwhichmeanttheywerenofriendsofthebeast.Theworldisall
pointlessaccident,Isay.Shoutingnow,myfistsclenched.Iexist,nothingelse
(Gardner28).AfterHrothgarandhismenattackGrendel,hismothercomestohisaid.
Whenheawakesinhislair,hebeginstothinkabouttheincidentandhowlifeis
meaningless.Heisangry,fullofrage,meetingmenchangedhisviews.Hestartedto

think,buthisthoughtswerepessimistic.Gardnerusesthisoccurrenceasaturningpoint
inGrendelslifeGrendeltransformsfromainnocentyoungchildtoahatefulbeast.
FromGrendelstone,heislost,hedoesnotknowwhattodo.Thispusheshiminto
deeperisolationanddisconnectshimfromthehumansevenmore.Theseideas
developedandremainedwithhimthroughoutthestory.Theyalsoforcehimtofind
answersthisleadshimtothedragonthattellshimtofindanobjective(Gardner74).
Hishopelessfeelingstowardslifearethereasonhechoosestoattackthehumans.The
desiretoexistforareason,evenifmadehimanevilmonster,isbetterthanlivingan
emptyanddulllife.GardnerisshowingthateventhoughGrendelistryingtofitin,his
choicesaredrivinghimintoalienation.Goingbacktowhatwashappeningduringthe
timeGardnerwrotethisstory,manyartists:writers,poets,reporters,etc,decided
theirworkwasuselessandpeopleneglectedit.Grendelalsoheldthisideology.
Grendelsdepressingideasevolvedashegrewolder.Hefoundthatattacking
Hrothgarandhiskingdomwasasmalltargetthatoccupiedhisexistence.However,
aftertheShaper,whichhadincreasedthehumanshatetowardsGrendel,haddied,
theybegantoforgetaboutthemonster.TheShaperwasGrendelsenemy,buthewas
alsotheclosestthinghehadtoafriend,ifhewerenotthereGrendelwouldbe
neglectedtheShaperstrengthenedGrendelsexistencebymakinghimtheevilofthe
world(Gardner51).ThereasonGardneraddedtheShaper,wastoprovetothenihilistic
artistofthe1960sand1970sthatapoetcaninfluencethepeoplearoundhim.
Basically,theShaperportraysGardnerandhisefforttoconvinceothersthatartisa
powerfultool.

Untilonedayaforeignman,Beowulf,hadarrived.Iammadwithjoy.AtleastIthinkits
joy.Strangershavecome,anditsawholenewgame(Gardner151).Grendelstone
changescompletelywhenhefindsoutastrongwarriorwasonhiswaytofighthim.He
wasdelightedandfulloflife,hecouldnotbelievehislifewasbecomingmoreamusing.
Ithadmeaninghewasgoingtobattletheultimatehero.Thisshowshowmuch
Grendelprizedapurposeinlife.
Grendelsbiggestphilosophyiswhatisthepointoflivingifwearegoingtoend
updyingunlesswehaveanambitionthatpushesustoliveandsurvive.Gardnertries
torelatetotheoutsideworldGrendeldepictstheartistthatbelievetheirworkis
useless.WhileGardnerrepresentstheShaper,whocreatestherealityforthepeople
amonghim.

Workscited:

Gardner,John,andEmilAntonucci.
Grendel
.N.p.:n.p.,n.d.Print.