Journal 6

Gardner may have used Grendel as a narrator in his novel because it gives a different and intriguing viewpoint of the epic poem Beowulf. The poem of Beowulf is narrated by a Christian who simply narrates a story without much character analysis. Grendel’s opinions and views are only vaguely stated in Beowulf, so not much is really known about him. Because of this, Gardner has a lot of room for the development of Grendel as a character. The process in which Grendel develops as a character in the novel is not only parallel with the story, but it also adds an interesting perception of Grendel. The character of Grendel in the novel evolves from a curious child to a fascinating adult with rationality, intelligence, and philosophical views that shape his nature. Furthermore, in John Garnder’s novel Grendel, the status of Grendel a monster greatly affects the way the story is told because unlike a human, monsters are generally pessimistic. Consequently, a monster’s narrative produces a different subjective viewpoint than a human’s viewpoint or an omniscient narrator’s viewpoint. The monster’s viewpoint also exposes the prejudices humans have towards other species in addition to exposing the dark side of society.