Examples Of Transition In Grendel

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Throughout Grendel by John Gardner we see Grendel as the main character transition from an innocent child to an adult . Through Grendel’s journey he comes up on many obstacles as he starts to see the world for what it really is . Grendel also comes upon many other characters in the book that have an influence in him transitioning from a child into an adult . The character’s that have impacted him was his mother , Shaper , and the Dragon. In Chapter 2 as Grendel goes deep in the forest and gets caught in the tree he wakens and see’s the bull . Grendel has no other choice but to fight the bull . Grendel says “bellowed for help , so loudly it made the ground shake . Mama ! waa ! waa !”(Grendel 18) . This quote signifies how he needed his mom the most in this battle and she was nowhere to be found . This is where Grendel has to learn how fin for himself without him his mom coming to help him …show more content…
Grendel believes that Shaper is a joke and everything he says as no meaning . for instance , in chapter 4 he explains that shaper sings all these lies just to give the people some sense of hope and comfort . “ I listened , felt myself swept up . I knew very well that all he said was ridiculous , not light for their darkness..” (Grendel 48) . He see’s that Shaper is just trying to convince the people to think everything is going to be okay by singing these songs of stories . Grendel then learns who Shaper is and what he speaks about “I had become something, as if born again. I had hung between possibilities before, between the cold truths I knew and the heart-sucking conjuring tricks of the Shaper; now that was passed: I was Grendel, Ruiner of Meadhalls, Wrecker of Kings! But also, as never before, I was alone” (Grendel 80) . Grendel became someone new once he understood the idea of being monster by Shaper’s songs he finally understands who he is and he accepts it

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