FREE ESSAY ON GRENDEL THE SAVAGE

GRENDEL THE SAVAGE

Portraying adolescents as false tragic heroes has been a theme explored in literature
throughout the twentieth century. In John Gardner's Grendel, the protagonist Grendel,
portrayed as a parentless adolescent seeking guidance, finds happiness in violence.
Grendel continually commits the ultimate act of evilness, murder on Hrothgar's mead hall.
Gardner creates a character and an environment in, which the reader must feel sorrow for
Grendel, in order to have fulfillment by the end of the resolution. However, Gardner uses
Grendel and writing in general as tool to communicate his liberal philosophies to a wider
audience making it difficult to weep over Grendel's death. Grendel is not a misguided
youth; he is a monster who willingly takes part in his death by indulging himself in
violence. 
In Grendel, the protagonist spends his ephemeral life attacking Hrothgar's mead hall, and
Grendel takes the lives of Hrothgar's men during the raids. When Grendel encounters the
dragon, Grendel turns into a barbaric machine, after his self-realization. After the
dragon, Grendel begins his contentious "war" with Hrothgar. The attacks on Hrothgar are
essentially a deranged pastime for Grendel. After the attacks, Grendel feels some
remorse, although this could merely be a biological reaction to the tyranny. Even if
Grendel feels remorse, it is still no excuse to slaughter. If Grendel's attacks are means
of survival, then he must surely realize his death is necessary. Grendel returns to the
mead hall repeatedly, even after the scenes of sick compassion. Grendel's regrets only
last long enough for the reader to see another side of him. The side of remorse and
regret quickly disappears as he feels the hunger of death again. 
Grendel is a three - dimensional character. At the same time, Grendel can lose his
confused frivolous existence and become a bloodthirsty killer. Grendel reflects modern
troubled youth. He is lost in a corrupt world and consequently the use of violence is a
means of short-term escape. Although we want to see Grendel saved, it is impossible to
aid all adolescents in troubled. In addition, if we say Grendel's acts are justifiable
because he lives in terrible world, we are also saying it is justifiable for a drug
dealer to deal out drugs. In order to maintain balance in civilization, we must have
equal shares of compassion and common sense. Common sense tells us children are not
products of their environment. Rather, they must take responsibility for their actions.
Common sense tells us punish those who commit crimes.
John Gardner uses Grendel as a platform for his philosophic message of troubled youth
lost in modern confusion. Gardner is a product of the turbulent 1960's. He uses his
characters to reflect the period he lives in. During the 1960's America's youth felt
trapped and mislead in a country at war. Grendel, trapped in Hrothgar's power movement,
becomes a misinformed youth. Throughout the novel, Grendel seems to be more of a tool
than a character. It is difficult to relate with Grendel, when his purpose is to push
liberal themes in the novel. On July 3, 1974, Gardner told the San Francisco Examiner &
Chronicle, "All laws are an attempt to domesticate the natural ferocity of the species."
Clearly, Gardner's anti-government ideals interfere with the storytelling of Grendel. The
novel and Grendel lose their tragic nobility throughout this philosophically profound
story. 
Tragic teenage figures have been popular characters in twentieth century literature.
Grendel, who is the protagonist of Grendel, is portrayed as a mislead adolescent, who
finds peace in violence. Grendel continually sacks Hrothgar's mead hall and deprives life
from the mead hall. Gardner uses the novel to advocate his radical left wing views on
America. Since the novel is so political, the reader cannot help but applaud Grendel's
death at the end of the book. Grendel is not a product of his environment; he is selfish
animal, who gets the punishment he deserves, death.