GrendelGrendel is an unhappy soul in John Gardner’s book “Grendel”, because hefeels useless in society and doesn’t want to accept his given role. Throughoutthis whole book Grendel feels he has no friend in the outside word and no one toexcept him besides his own mother. He doesn’t want to except his role in societywhich is to be the Great Destroyer.
Man creates a huge problem in Grendel’s lifeand has had a major effect on the way he lives with man. Grendel is unhappy in many ways. He wants to be accepted by man but neverknew why he was always shunned out of there society. Grendel in the beginningnever set out to hurt man just understand him.
When Grendel shows up the firsttime in the mead hall he yells “Mercy! Peace!” But no one even gives him achance when he walks in holding a dead body and using it for protection againstthe drunken men swinging axes and swords at him. Grendel dose not understandthis as he says “they were doomed, I knew, and I was glad. ” showing the hope fordestruction of the human race. In Grendel’s eyes humans are going to destroythemselves and he will be glad when it happens. Grendel is very lonely in the world of man.
He has only one person close tohim and that is his mother. She cares for Grendel but just with the naturalmotherly instincts which Grendel sees as mechanical. Grendel doesn’t understand,”Why can’t I have someone to talk to?” as the world starts to look darker in hiseyes. Animals of all sorts are enemies of his because they don’t understand him. Grendel is more superiorGrendel’s role in society is to be the great destroyer. The Dragon tellsGrendel this ” You improve them, my boy! You stimulate them!” but Grendel dosenot want to except it.
HE want to be part of the humanistic world. He want adifferent role in society. This makes Grendel very unhappy that he cannot beaccepted. The Dragon puts a spell on Grendel that lets weapons not harm him. Atfirst he dose not like this because he thinks that the fun of destroying menwould be to easy at this point. He starts to grow into this though and plays hisrole as the great destroyer.
This book shows how Grendel put up with man and learned to adapt to thehumanistic ways of life. It took him a while to adapt but he did find it fun toreck the humans world. Since he was not excepted he would have to take the roleof the great destroyer at the end of the story.
