A look at the novel Grendel by John Gardener

Beowulf Little motivation for Grendel Little background/history on Grendel Little perspective from Grendel

Grendel Fills in the gaps Grendel says he is a mammal and he thinks his mother has some

human in her Gives Grendel a voice He can talk, reason, feel and express emotional pain

Grendel is struggling to find meaning for his existence Also looking for meaning of the men who he is connected with (the danes) The novel is an opposing view to the Beowulf poet’s admiring description of the Geats and the Danes

Gardner wrote the novel around the time of the Vietnam War America’s vision of itself was noble, on the side of freedom and democracy, and against repression and communism

12 Chapters Five are the actual story The rest are backgrounds and flashbacks

Background Establishes: Danish history Character The feud between Grendel & Hrothgar

Through the flashbacks: Older Grendel looks back at his younger self to

understand his motives

A confession Grendel is confessing to the reader Refuses forgiveness because of his belief that

everything is an accident and nothing matters

Solipsism: The belief in the self as the only reality The belief that the only thing somebody

can be sure of is that he/she exists The true knowledge of anything else is

impossible

Nihilism The belief that life is pointless and human

values are worthless The belief that there is no objective truth

The nature of language (and stories) and its power to create and destroy worlds

“The struggle between good and evil” is often oversimplification (there is more behind the story)

The consequences of isolation

How do we define “Hero” or good

How we judge the “Villain” or evil

Post-modernism in literature has developed since the 1960’s

A literary movement that accepts the fragmented nature of human existence

The recognition of ME over WE

Challenges the traditional and accepted views of truth, ethics and beauty

This view considers that truth, ethics, and beauty are rooted in the individual

A post-modern archetype

They are not a set character like the Hero or Villain

The Antihero is complex & fractured, often mirroring the society they live in

The Antihero is someone with some of the qualities of a Villain (such as brutality, cynicism, and ruthlessness) but the soul or motivations of a conventional hero

Generally feels helpless in a world which they have no control over

While sometimes they might be courageous or strong, it is on their own terms and is inconsistent

Usually accepts & sometimes celebrates their position as outcast

For the Antihero there is no clean resolution of conflict

Often, they ignore the rules or consequences imposed by society

Rejects societal values and attitudes, and is unconcerned with political establishment

Has their own code of rules and ethics

May be crude, a failure, dishonest, or angry Often feels “the end justifies the means” They are rarely pleasant, but are relatable

Holden Caulfield

Grendel (in the novel)

House

Severus Snape

Batman

Sherlock Holmes (from BBC’s Sherlock)

Shrek Peter Griffin Dexter Catwoman Wolverine The Green Arrow