Meanings within the novel Grendel

Many novels are an allegory, a novel in which it has a literal meaning and a metaphorical meaning. Sometimes the literal meaning is important but many readers will lose the meaning of the literal part of the novel. This is especially true in the novel, Grendel. The zodiological and philosophical content in the novel, Grendel, have pushed out the whole other perspective of the novel, which is in Beowulf’s point of view.
The first way the other perspective is lost by the philosophical and zodiological point of view is when Grendel slips on the blood when fighting Beowulf. When Grendel is fighting Beowulf in Hrothgar’s Mead Hall, Grendel says, “I have fallen! Slipped on blood.” (169). In the epic, Beowulf, Beowulf is described as a hero and that he has super human strength. But in this novel it seems that Beowulf defeats Grendel out of pure luck. After reading, Grendel, one may even think that Beowulf isn’t a hero and that he beat Grendel out of pure luck. But in reality Beowulf was a hero and beat Grendel out of courage and strength. The novel even goes as far to say that Grendel didn’t run away from the fight out coward, but to warn the reader and other animals that it is okay to make mistakes in life.

The second way the other perspective is lost by the philosophical and zodiological point of view is when Grendel is perceived as an innocent child in Grendel. In Grendels cave, Grendel says “Explored our far-flung underground world in an endless wargame of leaps onto nothing, ingenious twists into freedom or new perplexity, quick whispered plotting’s with invisible friends.” (29) In, Beowulf, Grendel is perceived as a monstrous beast, but in Grendel he is looked at as a innocent child poisoned by the thoughts of the dragon. The philosophical view of Grendel as a child changes the perspective of Grendel, in Beowulf, as an evil beast from the Cain clan. After reading Grendel one may lose the true meaning of Grendel, which is that is he an evil monster deemed to hell.
The third way the other perspective is lost by the philosophical and zodiological point of view is when the dragon is perceived as an intelligent being who affects the thoughts of Grendel. When Grendel is pondering about the dragon’s words in his cave, he says, “For all the dragon’s talk, I had no intention of terrifying Hrothgar’s thanes for nothing” (76). In, Beowulf, the dragon has no description as being intelligent, or in any way connected to Grendel in any way. But in, Grendel, the dragon is highly intelligent, in fact one of the most intelligent beings on earth. The dragon also effects the decisions of Grendel and in the long run completely changes the plot of the book. The philosophical point of view of the dragon changes the literal meaning of the dragon as the treasure-hoarder and Beowulf’s killer.
The philosophical meaning within, Grendel, have allowed the literal meaning to become lost to the reader. Being aware of how one can lose meanings of a book because of another meaning can really help one’s full understanding of a novel they are reading. Grendel is an allegory in which a reader can become lost in the meaning. Many books have an allegory within them and it is really easy for a ready to become lost between them.