Preview

Grendel The Outsider Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
538 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Grendel The Outsider Analysis
Vincent O'Reilly
May 16, 2011
British and Western Lit.
Outsider Essay Grendel
Grendel, The Outsider

To be an outsider is to be someone who does not belong to the general population of society. Someone who does not follow the same principles, morals, or ideals as the majority. Whether by choice, or by being forced out of the inner circle, anyone could potentially become an "outsider" to society. Grendel is by far the best example of an outsider in John Garders novel, Grendel. His views on life, relationship with humans, and relationship with his mother easily sets him apart from the rest of the characters in the novel.

Throughout the novel, Grendel talks about his own view of life and what it means, and although everyones views of life are different, Grendels was far different from the majority of the world at the time. Grendels own view of life is that there is no real "purpose" of life, which separated him from everyone else. He never tried to find his purpose in life, so all he ever did was wander the world and observe life, and the way humans and animals interacted with eachother. In a way, Grendel made himself an outsider. He would not allow himself to be associated with humans, so his views are almost polar opposites of theirs, which in turn, made him an "outsider".
…show more content…

The humans thought that Grendel was a monster, so when he would come to the villages, they would all start attacking him, and attempt to drive him out. This would obviously make him an outsider, because none of the humans wanted to be around him, so he was forced to be on his own. However, after a while, Grendel began to hate the humans. He would go into Herot and kill people because he hated them so much. This widened the social gap between the humans and Gredel, making him even more so of an

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    In chapter two of Grendel, Grendel gets trapped in a tree.While in that tree he learned or understood three things about life.For example he states, “...I understand the emptiness in the eyes of those humpbacked shapes back in the cave” (Grendel 21). He can now relate to those who suffered in his cave until they became a pile of bones.Also while Grendel was stuck in the tree he , “ understood that the world was nothing” (Grendel 21). To him all we do is pose our hopes and fears to a “mechanical chaos of casual, brute enmity” (Grendel 22). The last thing Grendel got out of his experience is that “I alone exist” (Grendel 22). He makes this last statement because he has been calling upon anyone to come to his rescue and no one has arrived.…

    • 137 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the end when Johnny tells Ponyboy to “stay gold”, he means for Ponyboy to always stay true to himself (Doc F). If that’s the case, then an outsider is someone authentic. Outsiders are the people who don’t get caught up in social groups. People who don’t…

    • 511 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Meanwhile this can be followed by the idea of hope for the world that lies within Grendel. This hope provides evidence for Grendel’s lack of damnable intentions. This is demonstrated during his time spent with the dragon, pages fifty-seven through seventy-four. The dragon is largely selfish and nihilistic, however Grendel refuses to believe the negativity presented by the dragon. On page seventy, one may read the dragon speaking of all of the world being consigned to oblivion. That is, he states that eventually all current occurrences will be meaningless. “You don't know that!” Grendel simply debates. Additionally, page seventy-one the dragon is speaks of the little to no effect that even an apocalyptic age would have on the world over time.…

    • 206 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    It gives the reader the feeling that he does not possess the same thought processes as humans do; therefore, he is characterized as a monster. However, in this novel, Grendel’s point of view and thoughts are more developed and deeper than how he is portrayed in Beowulf. The readers get a glimpse of the story through his eyes and it may change their view of Grendel. He is a solitary and disoriented creature who is misunderstood by humans and all those around him. He looks for a place to belong and his quest is to know who and what he…

    • 406 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    I crawl through our swampy home, in search of something to consume and fill my growling stomach. After perhaps an hour of stumbling around, I see a faint glow off somewhere else. Curious as to what causes such an illumination I venture forth in hopes that this light might offer me a sound way to find food. Now, approaching the light it’s clear to see that it’s a building holding my fetching lure. The building is large and made of wood. It would take Grendel quite some time to build such an architecture. As I crawl around the building I notice a crack with even more light seeking through, a door of some sorts.…

    • 377 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Grendel is the horrid creature that lives in the lake near Heorot Hall. Heorot is a mead hall of King Hrothgar. Citizens go there do drink, eat, laugh, tell stories, and do whatever they please. The creature (Grendel) is known to be the descendant of Cain, which is one of the reasons for all of his hatred. Grendel terrorizes and consumes the occupants of the mead hall. Another reason for his disgust towards the people of Heorot is that he was rejected from the community of people that occupy Heorot and the adjacent area. The main reason for Grendel’s attack on the mead hall is that he envious. The people of Heorot get to enjoy there delicious foods and intoxicating liquor, while Grendel has to live out in the cold forest and hunt for his food. Another reason for his attacks is that he just has a natural hatred for humans due to Cain’s sin and his family lineage makes him hate. In this story, lineage is extremely important, due to the time period that this story was based on. Grendel displays quality of a traditional villain.…

    • 491 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Grendel is a fictional character, designed by John Gardner. Throughout the book Grendel develops new philosophies as he continues to explore the world and encounters new surroundings. Solipsism is an idea that everything is created out of your own mind, that your mind is the only thing to actually exist. Nihilism is the thought that life is meaningless. Solipsism is developed after Grendel explores his new world for the first time. Nihilism is created in Grendel after he has a discussion with a Dragon who tells him the world is pointless. Grendel shows Nihilism and Solipsism throughout the story.…

    • 636 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In writing from Grendel’s perspective, I think Gardener is trying to makes us sympathize with Grendel. While reading the story from Grendel’s point of view we can see that he also felt fear at some point in his life. Like when he caught his foot in the crack where two old treetrunks joined Grendel says “I shrieked in fear; still no one came.” In Grendel’s story he says men are dangerous thinking creatures, “Suddenly I knew I was dealing with no dull mechanical bull but with thinking creatures, pattern makers, the most dangerous things I'd ever met”. In his story we can see that they were the ones that made him a monster because they could not understand him. They just saw that he was an ogre an assumed he was a monster, so they attacked him…

    • 220 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the first chapter of Grendel, I believe that Grendel is more animal than human. In Grendel he is portrayed as a sensitive, intelligent, and immature creature.Grendel is more animal than human because he does act like an animal. For instance, When Grendel states “I cry and , and hug myself, and laugh, letting out all the salt tears…”(Gardner 6). Even animals have feelings. I feel Grendel is not welcomed within society. He feels as though he has worthless. As an example, “Pointless, ridiculous monster crouched in the shadows...”(Gardner 6). He hides in the shadows as he looks for his prey not being welcomed by anyone else. Grendel feasts upon other animals and humans. He eats more cattle than anything. For example, “Cows have more meat and,…

    • 146 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Nihilism, as well as existentialism and a host of other philosophies are boldly explored in Grendel, a novel by John Gardner. The antagonist Grendel travels on a journey of self-discovery, eventually becoming a nihilist, only to be gallantly disproved by the hero Beowulf. In the end Gardner proves that the virtues of individuality and meaning triumph over meaningless violence and destruction.…

    • 1044 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Grendel’s goodness is continuously suppressed by the misunderstanding of humans. When Grendel first encounter’s humans, the humans immediately mistake Grendel for a bloodthirsty monster because of his appearance. In the beginning when Grendel is still developing his moral and spiritual understandings of the world,…

    • 659 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the story about Grendel he hides in his cave from people so they won’t kill him. He comes out when he is hungry and had killed seven men from the Mead Hall a night until Unferth came along. Grendel was very scared of humans at first, but then one…

    • 545 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the novel Grendel, by John Gardner, portrays Grendel's characteristics altering as he meets new characters; throughout his journey to mankind. Mankind teaches him vast new knowledge he's never understood. His nihilistic and solipsism is formed through the characters in the novel; envy and anger are also shown. He plays big roles in terrifying the Danes and somewhat of the Geats; they mold him into the monster they fear the most. The characters, shaper, man, and the dragon shape Grendel into the monster he so desires. They teach him of lies, false glory, brutality, never ending violence, and wisdom.…

    • 511 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Grendel's last words “Poor Grendel's had an accident… so may you all.” can be interpreted in many different ways, but for the most part it seems like a curse. To begin with, Grendel, at one point, states, “evil, incredibly stupid, enjoying my destruction." (Gardner 174) using that to describe the animals watching his agonizing death. These last words were directed at the people and creatures he has detested his whole life for their ignorance, which leads one to believe he is cursing them to also have an “accident” or in other words meet their end. Grendel also shows his dislike towards men when he says, “when I was full-grown and Hrothgar was an old, old man, that I settled my soul on destroying him—slowly and cruelly” (Gardner 30). To…

    • 267 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Is Grendel Truley Evil?

    • 1119 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The first evidence of this is found with observing his circumstances in which he is forced into. The first and foremost distinct difference between Grendel and any other typical monster is that Grendel never made a conscious choice to be evil. In Beowulf, Grendel’s circumstances were given to him, he did not choose them. “He had dwelt in for a time/ in misery among the banished monsters,/ Cain’s clan, whom the Creator had outlawed/ and condemned as outcasts.” (Beowulf 104-107). Grendel was punished for not only a crime he didn’t commit, but a crime that was carried out by a person who we merely was a descended from, a very long time ago. The punishment for what, a long past family member did, was a life of loneliness and banishment. This given circumstance is another huge way in where Grendel has a gigantic impact on the story. Grendel is a representation and symbol of evil for Christianity, but at the same time it also symbolizes the unfairness and the closed minded way of thinking that…

    • 1119 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays