Thursday, October 2, 2008
Grendel -- a Modern Monster
What do you think of Grendel now?! He clearly has some identity problems and existential angst (more on that in a minute). Before you go too much further you may want to check out the discussion on my friend's blog at www.advancedlitsur.blogspot.com. Look at the posted question about whether people are inherently good or evil. What does Grendel think? Is Grendel evil or simply confused? By what is he confused? Why does he behave the way he does?
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13 comments:
After reading the first four chapters I'd say that at first Grendel didn't really think humans were evil. However, he seems to have changed his mind after his first encounter with Hrothgar and his men. I think that Grendel is more confused than evil. To me he seems to be confused with his life in general. I feel that this, along with him having no one to talk to (besides his 'mute' mother) causes him to behave the way that he does.
I think that Grendel is basically good but just does not know how to behave because he does not have any interactions with people. He is very lonely and can't even talk with his mom. Grendel is just confused because he does not know why people do things and why they try to attack him. Grendel behaves the way he does because he has no friends and no one really loves him.
I think Grendel is confused and he handles his confusion in a negative and evil way. His feelings are ignored by everyone except his mother. I don't think Grendel was born with an evil spirit, but since people always look over him his anger built up inside him causing him to act out in an evil manner. I think all Grendel wants is to be accepted by others, but when denied acceptance, he realizes he is alone, and he turns this into anger and blames others. Grendel wants to find meaning in his life but when people ignore him he acts out in anger.
I think Grendel feels that people are naturally good because at first he is at peace with the humans but only attacks them because Hrothgar assaults him with an axe. Grendel is not evil but is confused because he does not know what is considered to be good or bad. No one has ever told him what the difference between good and evil are so he perceives things differently than the humans. He behaves the way he does because he feels left out and just longs for attention from wither his mother or from the townspeople.
I don't think that Grendel is evil or morally bad, he just does not understand the difference between right and wrong. He is often isolated and secluded from others and has little contact with humans, so therefore is unable to learn. His mother avoids him and Grendel is unable to go to her in search of guidance. He acts out and behaves in this terrible manner because he looks for approval and a sense of belonging with others and his mother. Grendel is often confused by what is going on around him and why others attack him.
I think that grendel acts evil because of his confusion. He does not really know how else to handle the situation of human life around him. He has no one to love him or confort him and his mom isnt really there for him. Like in humans, a prson that lacks good parental figures and friends usually turns out to do bad things. I feel the same way about Grendel. I think that he is naturally good but because of his circumstances, his mother, or lack of mother, and his confusion, he acts in evil ways.
i think that in the beginning Grendel thought that humans were neither goor nor evil, he was jsut indifferent about them becuase hadnt previously come into contact with them. If Grendel had had a better first contact with humans, I thin kthat he wouldve become friends with them, becuase Grendel is not inherently bad. He was like a child in a way, easily manipulated. If a child has racist parents, the nthe child will probably become a racist.....Same with Grendel, he was easily manipulated by his surroundings.
m1012 -- a lack of communication is an important theme and I think you're right -- he doesn't know how to behave because he has no interaction with others to base his own behavior on. He's creating his existence out of a vacuum, out of nothingness, a very existential idea.
displayname has discovered an important truth -- Grendel is easily manipulated because he has no real moral compass (as you point out).
I think that Grendel really does not have many feelings towards humans to begin with. But he finally gets sick of them. After Grendel has a run in with the humans he begins to watch them and he develops a dislike towards them. He cannot stand the way they act. This is because he is watching from a distance and he really is making generalizations. With these generalizations he dislikes all humans.
Grendel is not inherently good or bad. What we determine to be good or bad behavior is often determined by society and interaction with others, which Grendel lacks. Thus, he has no standards by which to judge his actions, so he is confused. The only thing he can communicate with and get a sense of right and wrong from is the dragon, who puts him on the wrong path. Grendel understands increasingly throughout the novel that his actions are deemed evil and vile by the humans, but his hate and jealousy towards them only increases his behavior. I believe he attacks them not so much out of spite but because he wants to make his existence known and this is the easiest and most effective way he can do that.
I agree he attacks to "make his existence known" and would add to give his life some purpose and direction. The question I would raise is why he chooses to believe the dragon instead of the Shaper. And what does Beowulf represent to him in all of this?
i dont think that Grendal is evil at all i just think he is lonely and confused. His Mother is not attentive at all, and he is left to take care of himself because she is never there when he needs her. Grendel is not evil he is simply just misunderstood.
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