Grendel's Philosophies In Beowulf

The question of why we are alive, is a common one. “What is my Purpose in Life?” is asked almost daily by every single person. This question is answered along with many important philosophies being analyzed and discovered in John Gardner’s Grendel. The philosophies of solipsism, nihilism, and eventually existentialism are explored through Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, and the Dragon as Grendel learns more about himself and the world around him. These philosophies are established in the book due to the historical context of the time the book was written.
The philosophy of solipsism is found when Grendel is young. Grendel is speaking about going exploring as a young child. He realizes how utterly alone he is and questions if maybe he is all that exists. “I would feel all at once, alone and ugly, almost –as if I’d dirtied myself –obscene” (Gardner 17). He finds his cave-born views of the world defied when his solipsism collapses into a desperate cry for his mother. “The same kind of self-conscious rhetoric undercuts the process of Grendel’s learning” (Milosh 9). Grendel first learns about himself before exploring more about the world and other philosophies. After learning that it is not only him in this world he goes on to explore.
Grendel goes to
These are understood to be explored due to the historical context of when this novel was written. As Grendel ages and matures he discovers more about himself and the world around him. The philosophies he discovers relate to the real world and what was happening when the book was written. The world was in a large amount of confusion and lots of events were going on. People had disagreements on what the right thing was to do. Grendel, in this way, is trying to figure out how to live his life. He decides to become what everyone thinks him to be. He embraces it and makes it his purpose in life to be the monster he