John Gardner

civilization. In John Gardner’s letter to the students, he uses word choice and comparison to persuade the reader that those who isolate themselves from society will develop the belief that everything is hopeless. Gardner expresses his argument to the readers through word choice that those outcasted from society believe that nothing has meaning. The extensive use of vocabulary is prevalent throughout the letter, as he is relaying this message to the readers. For instance, Gardner states,…

crime of Abel's death" (Gardner 6). For centuries, Grendel has been classified as a paragon of evil through his abuse of Hrothgar's kingdom in the Anglo-Saxon tale, Beowulf. There has always been the illusion that Hrothgar's people are innocent and are being attacked by Grendel solely for his own pleasure; however, what if Grendel is truly the innocent being, and not evil at all? This is the depiction John Gardner attempts to create in his novel. In the novel Grendel, John Gardner illustrates…

expresses his/her attitude through a piece. Sometimes the tone remains the same throughout a work but in others the tone changes to convey a new or different attitude. Such is the case within Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, and Grendel, by John Gardner. Overall, Beowulf has a formal tone as it uses the third person narrative. For example, “Beowulf is my name” (Beowulf 343). The Anglo-Saxons, and others within their time frame, did speak like this. They valued a man’s language much like…

According to dictionary.com, a hero is “a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character”. In Grendel by John Gardner, the author portrays Grendel in such a light that he is not the hero of the story, even though he is the protagonist. Grendel gave a specific list on what qualities a hero must have, and he has the exact opposite of those qualities. He says that a hero should be great with women, stand tall, be self-aware, and have a great vocabulary. The exact opposite of a hero is a…

Grendel, by John Gardner, offers an alternate perspective to the infamous events of Beowulf. An insight to the mind of a ruthless monster, one that slaughters all in it 's path, with no mercy. But is it that simple? Grendel is complex, composed of layer upon layer of conflicting thoughts and emotions. However, all of the character’s actions seem to imply an evil streak, of various degrees and visibility. Gardner attempts to answer the question: are all things inherently evil, and if this is the…

Why is it that the influences of others affect characters – and real-life people – as much as they do? In the novel Grendel, by John Gardner, there are four specific characters that had a visibly large effect on Grendel. Of course, every character in the book had some sort of influence on Grendel. In addition, it is clear that his character traits evolved from the beginning of the story to the end. The dragon, Hrothgar, the Shaper, and Beowulf all had a profound effect on Grendel, and they…

The chapters two through four of the book Grendel By: John Gardner makes it pretty clear why Grendel goes from being a carefree innocent creature to a tortured, confused being who feels so lost. throughout the chapters Grendel faces many things that would cause him to feel lost or change his mindset of who he is, such as encounters with the humans and the shaper. Grendel's first encounter with the humans was a very unpleasant situation. Grendel accidentally traps himself in a tree he is…

Poor Misunderstood Grendel When thinking about the name Grendel, most people picture in their mind the hideous monster in the epic poem, Beowulf. However, in the book, Grendel, by John Gardner, readers obtain a new perspective on Grendel. They learn about his upbringing and his own personal mindset. Is Grendel the horrific ogre that he is perceived to be in, Beowulf, or is he just a reclusive being? Grendel is considered to be an outlandish beast, but in reality is a misconceived individual…

hunting for a living, killing prey to keep themselves alive. On the other hand, humans desire more than the bare minimum to survive. Humans are more complex creatures who can comprehend more emotions such as love and regret. In the book Grendel by John Gardner, the title character and beast, Grendel encounters an internal situation that causes him to question the fine line that differentiates man and monster. Grendel lived life knowing nothing but the woods and the animals before encountering…

Grendel the Wicked The balance of evil and good is often spoken of and debated over when it comes to great books of literature and even human nature itself. Should one strive to be good over evil? What is good and evil? The book Grendel by John Gardner brings this to the attention of the reader, contemplating whether Grendel is a truly evil being, an enemy of the people, or a good being, a victim of the people. While the conversation could be debated either way, Grendel’s actions and…