GRENDEL THE SAVAGE :: essays papers

GRENDEL THE SAVAGE Portraying adolescents as false tragic heroes has been a theme explored in literature throughout the twentieth century. In John Gardners 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 Hrothgars mead hall. Gardner creates a character and an environment in, which the reader moldiness feel sorrow for Grendel, in rear 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 rough to weep over Grendels 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 Hrothgars mead hall, and Grendel takes the lives of Hrothgars men during the raids. When Grendel encounters the dragon, Grendel turns into a barbaric machine, by and by his self-realization. After the dragon, Grendel begins his disputatious 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. level if Grendel feels remorse, it is still no excuse to slaughter. If Grendels attacks are agent 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. Grendels regrets only last long enough for the reader to see another side of him. The side of remorse and regret speedily 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 hold up a bloodthirsty killer. Grendel reflects modern troubled youth. He is lost in a corrupt world and consequently t he 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 Grendels acts are justifiable because he lives in distasteful 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.