Grendel's Character Essay

John Gardner displays Grendel as a very critical and important character in his novel Grendel. In fact, without Grendel the novel in itself would not exist. Through humanistic and animalistic qualities, John Gardner brings out Grendel to have a significant presence in the novel Grendel.

From the start of the novel, Gardner is presented as a lonely and dumb creature. He is described to live in a cave that is dark and somewhat spooky. No one talks except for Grendel. Everyone else is described through action. Gardner does this to strengthen the effect of loneliness. Grendel talks about how his own mother would not even talk to him. As well, in the cave, it is dark only lit by a fire which light up the bones of animals devoured for food. Gadner adds this to the animalistic side of Grendel. Gardner as well adds in the novel how Grendel talks about what types of animal is easiest to hunt and what animal taste best. This again adds the side of animalism Grendel displays in the novel.

Grendel as well shows humanistic side in Grendel. Gardner includes in the novel that Grendel can think on his own. All throughout the novel Grendel makes rational thoughts. Examples of this would be once when Grendel was caught in a tree. A bull was trying to attack him, however, Grendel was smart enough and able to think in order to move his leg when the bull would charge him, preventing himself from getting hurt any worse than he already was. Another example is when Grendel attacks a little girl and right as he goes to kill her he changes his mind and does not kill her. Both of theses examples show proof of Grendel to make decisions for himself. By giving Grendel this characteristic, Gardner shows to the reader that Grendel is not an animal, but actually a human whom, at specific times, acts as an animal.

As proven, through humanistic and animalistic qualities, John Gardner brings about Grendel to have a significant presence in the novel Grendel. Grendel is an extremely important character in the novel. The novel itself is Grendels decisions and quest in life to gain his identity. All in all Grendel is just like everyone else in todays society. We are all only trying to find our identity or roll in the world.