Compare And Contrast Grendel And The Monster

Monsters The Frankenstein and Grendel novels, both contain the stories of some of literature’s most famous monsters. The characters in these stories exist to remind the world of the pain that stems from rejection and of the consequences of that pain. Grendel and the “Monster” from Frankenstein explored the realms of men in search of acceptance from them and were both met with cruel rejection. Although their stories were written during different time periods, both characters share many characteristics, story elements and overall themes. Monsters who are foul in appearance contain complex ideas and personalities then become outcast by their societies and are forced to deal with the pain of being outsiders. This is evident in both Frankenstein …show more content…
He begins to raid the mead hall and attack people more. During a raid Grendel says: “I eat and laugh and eat until I can barely walk, my chest-hair matted with dribbles blood, and then the roosters on the hill crow, and dawn comes over the roofs of the houses, and all at once I am filled with gloom again” (12-13). This quote shows the two sides of the character. The side that eats people without a second thought and the side that feels guilt or the one that doesn’t exactly feel joy from killing. Grendel had always had the power to kill a man, but he didn’t always have the animosity he does now towards men. He became convinced that all men were stupid and violent. It was only after observing them and being rejected by them when he truly wanted to hurt them out of …show more content…
Audiences rarely had the opportunity to hear a story from multiple sides. Both authors gave the audience the opportunity at a glimpse of the lives and feelings of what we would normally call the “villains” with the wise use of first person point of view. Grendel and Frankenstein were both brought into the world with many obstacles preset in front of them. They were born outsiders. Their presence in the world seems to anger people and it is mostly because of how they look. Their societies denied them the privileges of humanity and were left outside to deal with their frustrations and conflicts alone. The surrounding communities pushed them to a dangerous edge where they were forced to choose between finding a way into society, hidden and miserable, or to succumb to the expectations that everyone had of them and live as demons. Both stories leave the reader in a reflective state that makes them question the way people in any society (like ours) can treat a person that is unlike them. Grendel and Frankenstein make you question the societies’ choices in each book and leave you wondering who the real monster