Symbolism In Grendel

Symbolism, one of the most secretive literary devices, is vastly used and implied throughout the novel Grendel by John Gardner. The immense symbols are illustrated in a way in which all parts come together to affect the plot. However, the majority of symbolism is shown through one character, the dragon. The dragon is symbolic of the devil and corruption. These characteristics shape the world around Grendel and affect every aspect of his life. The dragon is a devious character. He frightens, ridicules, and angers Grendel. He is bold and does not care about anything but himself. The way Gardner perceives him throughout the novel begins to indicate that there is a distinct meaning for these characteristics. The dragon is symbolic of the devil. In chapter five of Grendel, it states, “I went on squinting at him, hand on my mouth. He could lie. He was evil enough.” This statement emphasizes the fact that the dragon is evil. In the book of
As Grendel describes the dragon, he is depicted as sitting on jewels and gold. The dragon begins to laugh at Grendel in a way that gets him angry, so, Grendel picks up an emerald to throw at the dragon but he instantly gets told to put the emerald down. The dragon got angry when Grendel picked up the emerald which shows that he wants all of his money, which correlates to power. On page fifty-eight, Grendel states, “‘Good boy,’ he said. He tipped his head, lowering an eye toward me. ‘Smart boy! He he he!’” This description indicates that the dragon is treating Grendel as a dog. He is saying that he is more powerful than Grendel. He is trying to belittle Grendel so he could boast of having all the power. At the end of chapter five, it states, “He shook his head. ‘My advice to you, my violent friend, is to seek out gold and sit on it.’” The dragon is telling the protagonist to chase after money and to seek only more of it. The lust for power and money depict that the dragon is