Grendel Research Paper Essay Example
Meera Changela
Ms. Williams
H. Brit. Lit. /Comp.
September 30, 2010
Grendel and His Ways of Communication Although Grendel is a monster, in many ways he is just like human beings. He has feelings, which every human does. He also has a sense of communication. The speech of Grendel is very much like human speech, but the only thing he is able to talk to is his mother who doesn’t have speech and can’t talk back. Because of the lack of communication between Grendel and his mother, he feels that only he exists in the world and fails to understand the feelings of others, thus making him angry and violent. Grendel has a very distinct relationship with his mother. His mother is unable to talk and communicates in only mumbled sounds that even Grendel cannot understand (Telgen and Hile). Her language is bound up in her body (Telgen and Hile). She responds to Grendel by grasping him to her breast offering nurture and sustenance (Telgen and Hile). Grendel describes his relationship with his mother as being one and being together. “She loved me, in some mysterious sense I understood without her speaking it. I was her creation. We were one thing, like the wall and the rock growing out from it.” (Gardner 17). Although Grendel and his mother don’t have much communication in their relationship, Grendel’s mother serves as his comforter and savior (Telgen and Hile). Because Grendel is unable to communicate with his mother, he tries to communicate with other things such as animals and nature. When he fails to communicate with even these things, he becomes angry. He is very short-tempered from not being understood. He is lonely in the world and has no he can talk to beside himself and his mother who can’t talk back. Grendel is influenced many things. For one he is influenced greatly by the dragon. From the dragon, Grendel becomes a solipsist and a nihilist (Telgen and Hile). He starts to believe that there is no purpose in existence and that only he exists in the world.
Ms. Williams
H. Brit. Lit. /Comp.
September 30, 2010
Grendel and His Ways of Communication Although Grendel is a monster, in many ways he is just like human beings. He has feelings, which every human does. He also has a sense of communication. The speech of Grendel is very much like human speech, but the only thing he is able to talk to is his mother who doesn’t have speech and can’t talk back. Because of the lack of communication between Grendel and his mother, he feels that only he exists in the world and fails to understand the feelings of others, thus making him angry and violent. Grendel has a very distinct relationship with his mother. His mother is unable to talk and communicates in only mumbled sounds that even Grendel cannot understand (Telgen and Hile). Her language is bound up in her body (Telgen and Hile). She responds to Grendel by grasping him to her breast offering nurture and sustenance (Telgen and Hile). Grendel describes his relationship with his mother as being one and being together. “She loved me, in some mysterious sense I understood without her speaking it. I was her creation. We were one thing, like the wall and the rock growing out from it.” (Gardner 17). Although Grendel and his mother don’t have much communication in their relationship, Grendel’s mother serves as his comforter and savior (Telgen and Hile). Because Grendel is unable to communicate with his mother, he tries to communicate with other things such as animals and nature. When he fails to communicate with even these things, he becomes angry. He is very short-tempered from not being understood. He is lonely in the world and has no he can talk to beside himself and his mother who can’t talk back. Grendel is influenced many things. For one he is influenced greatly by the dragon. From the dragon, Grendel becomes a solipsist and a nihilist (Telgen and Hile). He starts to believe that there is no purpose in existence and that only he exists in the world.