Throughout the novel these literary techniques help Gardener to establish the idea of an already corrupt mind, collapsing around the edges. LitCharts Teacher Editions. 6. This is the case with the monster, Grendel, in Beowulf, by John Gardner. Grendel Quotes. Grendel feels excluded from humans in general, because he cannot understand them. Maybe it's a huge bug of some sort; or perhaps it looks almost human. Grendel, written by John Gardner, though, offers a more nuanced depiction of the beast by describing the events in Beowulf through Grendel's narration. Quote 2: "Bulls do such things, though they don't even know that the calves they defend are theirs." After his long fight with the demon, he is in pain and agony, but was still able to fight off the beast. Jealousy and Isolation in Beowulf When one has been excluded from a group for a long time, it can often lead to feelings of contempt, and a need for revenge. And in the contest between good and evil, Grendel is shown to be an insignificant demon from hell, compared to the power and goodness of God. 129 likes. tags: disappointment, experience, life, love, maturity. He terrorizes them out of jealousy and is also cain’s descendant. Chapter 2, pg. Chapter 1, pg. Grendel cannot relate to his mother, whom he considers little more than a brute beast, nor can he make himself understood by the humans he encounters, even though he understands their speech. Chapter 2, pg. Scop to reader about Grendel. Lines 774-781: Beowulf’s wrestling contest with Grendel wreaks more destruction than anyone had ever thought possible. Grendel is a perpetual outsider, looking for a place to belong. But I have lived, And now I do not sleep.” ― John Gardner, Grendel. Existential Philosophy in John Gardner's Grendel. Throughout the story, Grendel adopts various romantic characteristics and beliefs including isolation, individualism, and mysticism. Isolation. Grendel is a novel driven by the main character's sense of isolation. Quote 3: "I create the whole universe, blink by blink." Explore 272 Loneliness Quotes by authors including Henry Rollins, Woody Allen, and Maya Angelou at BrainyQuote. Lines 974-978: This describe Beowulf after he had killed Grendel. By mentioning Cain and the Lord, the narrator adds a Christian overlay to the context. In John Gardeners Grendel Kennings, existentialism and metaphor are used to highlight Grendle’s isolation and clearly establish a central idea that isolating one’s self leads to self destruction. 22 20. Quote 1: "Not that I fool myself with thoughts that I'm more noble." Significance- The theme of isolation and exclusion is evident by Grendel’s rampages on Heorot. Grendel Quotes Showing 1-30 of 66 “When I was a child I truly loved: Unthinking love as calm and deep As the North Sea. Opening Scene.