Grendel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Grendel - Essay Example An epic, which generically narrates human features such as morality, beauty, courage, and unconditional love, was invented by mankind to suffice the need for clarity. One of the most celebrated Anglo-Saxon epics is an account of the perilous adventures and incredible battles with monsters of the legendary king Beowulf. Yet, this human-centered view of the world which was manifested by Beowulf’s almost superhuman abilities and talents was reversed by an acclaimed fictional author, John Gardner; this reversal was done by means of placing Grendel, the monster in the epic as the rational and intuitive protagonist instead of the idealistic human image of Beowulf in his own version entitled Grendel. Suffering from a gruesome childhood accident, Gardner’s affected psychological state manifested its brilliance through his continual production of grotesque fictional literary pieces during his lifetime. Grendel is absolutely not a feel-good work of art but a elaborate literary st yle that uses abstract philosophical notions of both irrational non-human and rational human existences to reinforce the underlying themes of the story, which are the two faces of mankind in the mercy of historical progression and the evolution of humanity from barbarism to a civilization ruled by esteemed morale and social order. Emerging from these points of view, this paper will argue that Grendel was the symbolical figure in the narrative that embodied the primitive instincts of mankind, yet triumphantly achieved a higher understanding of essential human values through assuming a position as an outside observer of the human world. Moreover, Grendel as a monster was an allegory to represent the inevitable engagement of every individual in discerning the blatant conflict between â€Å"what is† and â€Å"what ought to be†, and to transform themselves to rational beings capable of creating institutions such as religion, and ideologies that could serve as their protecti on from both the