Grendel, John Gardner Analysis

Grendel, John Gardner Analysis In John Gardners Grendel, he presents Grendel as a truly unique character. Gardner portrays Grendel as a misunderstood, confused yet a complex creature. Whom he humanizes. I feel that by portraying him this way, Gardner shows how there are two sides to each story. This makes him more relatable to the reader. Grendel is monstrous, but not brutish. Grendel is a character who is capable of learning, thinking, feeling emotions and communicating. Personally what attracts me to Grendel is his curiosity. Readers can relate to Grendel in many ways. He knows that his actions are cruel, yet he wants to understand why he persists in them. Grendel has been at war with the Danes and it was twelfth year of his idiotic war (5).Grendel knows that his war with the Danes is a cycle, which involves him killing people but he still continues it. He knows what he is doing is stupid and idiotic because he describes it as idiotic (5). I feel that the reason he still goes on with the war is because he is curious to find out why he does the thing he does .I think he is hoping for an epiphany. Grendel is longing for an answer. The curiosity of Grendel, gives the reader the reasoning behind his attacks and this makes him more understandable to the reader. Like humans Grendel is able to learn quickly. He learns a lot about himself and the world while he is trapped in the tree. While he was up on the tree, Grendel realizes that the whole world is unstable. In other words, he thinks that the world is chaotic and violent. I understood that, finally and absolute, I alone exist (22), Grendel realizes that he is alone in this world. Through the entire novel it has been a learning process for him. During his first encounter he learns that humans are no dull mechanical bull (27) but they were the most dangerous thing (27) he has ever met. His first encounter with humans made him want to learn more about the humans and this is why he watched humans. He would watch them from the eaves of the forest (30), he wanted to know more about humans. He felt a connection with humans, even though they misunderstood him and attacked him. I think he found more of a connection with humans that with his own mother because they had similar traits such as thinki ng, learning and curiosity. I feel that Grendel is an intelligent creature because he is able to use what he has learned from past observations. He knew that the Danes were doomed (53), Grendel has seen people fight each other and destroy each other and he knew that the same fate awaited them. The way that Gardner portrays Grendels rationalization and his ability to learn show how much of a complex character he is. He was able to recognize humans have a similar language. Grendel like humans is also able to feel emotions. This is what separates him from the all the other creatures. When Grendel was stuck in the tree trunk, he bellowed for [his] mother (27). I feel sympathy for Grendel because he reminds me of a child .His behavior is childlike. He is in search of love just like any other child. Grendel is scared just like any child would be. By Gardner humanizing Grendel he is able to draw sympathy towards him. After sparing Unferth, each time he sees him, he roll[s] on the floor with laughter is mocking him (90). Grendel is able to feel and shows that he knows that humans have feeling too because he knows each time he mocks Unferth he knows that it kills him a little on the inside. When Grendel encounters Wealtheow, he describes her as beautiful [and] as innocent as dawn on winter hills (100).Wealtheow tore [him] apart as once the shapers song had done (100).Grendel is moved by her beauty. He had the greatest admiration (144) for her. Grendels ability to think attracts the reader because ability to think separates human from animals. He is a bit of philosopher. He seeks, like an existentialist philosopher, to understand the nature of his being and to bring his nature to completion. He understands that the world was nothing (21).He understands the world is nothing and that a person define meaning to their life. His existential views are also shown when he was tempted to whisper, all of us must sooner or later pass (145). He understands that people are only here for a short period of time. With his encounter with the dragon, he understands the dragon could lie. He was evil enough (71).I feel this shows how complex Grendels thinking ability is. He can synthesize information about the dragon, after meeting with him and uses reasoning to figure out that he couldnt trust the dragon. He doubts the dragon. I feel that this shows his ability to think because doubt is caused by thinking and analyzing information and assessi ng the validity of the information. Finally Grendel is a character who is full of pride. He thinks that he is better than other creature. He considers other creatures as low-life. He wonders why cant these creatures discover a little dignity (6). He thinks he is better than the bull because he has dignity. When he was fighting with Beowulf he thinks he is better than humans. He thinks he can escape him (169).He thinks that he is better than humans. Point of view In John Gardners Grendel, Grendel, both the main character and narrator of the story, narrates the story from a first person point of view. I feel that this adds a personal touch to the story because all the emotions he describes are raw emotions. As I go through Grendels life, I am sympathetic towards him because of his raw emotions. Because it is told from the first person perspective, the emotions described are the same exact emotions Grendel felt. I think the reason Gardner chose to tell it from Grendels point of view because there are always two sides to each story. In the epic, Grendel is portrayed as a simply monster who is plain evil and has no emotions what so ever. Gardner gives a chance for Grendel to tell his side of the story. Grendels first encounter with men, they consider him as a spirit (25).The significance of this experience is not how he encounter men for the first time but how the people reacted towards him. They misunderstood him from the get go. They didnt even try to understand him. At one point they though he was a fungus (24). Gardner uses Grendel to convey the idea that bullies are like monsters in a sense because no one tries to understand them. People jump to conclusions without knowing all the facts like how they classified Grendel as a spirit without having any concrete evidence that proves he is a spirit. Another example is when Grendels mouth moved but nothing would come out (26) and they assume th at Grendel is hungry. Then they mistaken him as an enemy, and the king hurdles an axe towards at [Grendel] (27). I feel bad for Grendel because everyone misunderstands him. Grendel telling the story makes us feel pity towards him which was lacking in the original Beowulf. In the epic Grendel was a monster who was pure evil but in Grendel, he is almost childlike which makes us feel pity towards him. When he was being attacked by humans, he bellowed for his mother (27) just like how a child would call out for his mom when the kid is being picked on. In Beowulf he is portrayed as an evil monster that was fearless and his mind set on killing but in Grendel he admits being afraid of them (79). Grendel being narrated in first person adds a personal touch to the novel. Because the main character narrates the novel, raw emotion is described. Who is better to describe how he feels than Grendel. Throughout the novel, I get to know what exactly what Grendel is feeling and what is going through his mind. For example during his first raid, he felt an unearthly joy (79).Because he describes this as a first person, it feels personal and the emotions see, strong but this would be lost if it was narrated in third person. Being narrated in first person amplifies the emotions. For example after attacking, he decided, meaningless to kill her (110). We know what is going through his head, this amplifies any emotion we have towards Grendel. We would feel differently towards Grendel if it was said through someone else. One thing that is lost through first person point of view is the truth. The facts are clouded because we have a limited perspective. We only see one side of the story, in this case Grendels side on how the events happened. Grendel narrates the story in past tense so his feelings are clouded with how he feels at the moment. For example I have eaten several priests. They sit on the stomach like duck eggs (129).He might have felt differently when he had actually eaten them but reflecting on it, he feels they were like duck eggs. Themes One of the predominate themes in Grendel is the need for community. Throughout the novel, Grendel is in search of community. Grendel desperately tries to fit in a community, but he will always be an outsider. Grendel tries to join the human community when he went to the hall and cried out friend! Friend! (52). He wanted to be part of the human community but he wasnt accepted. The way people reacted towards him was they tried to kill him. He would observe human behavior. Season after season he would watch from the high cliff wall (37) and observe humans and how they fought. Why would he observe humans if he didnt want to be part of their community. He is definitely intrigued by them. At times Grendel would feel alone and ugly (17).Grendel relates being alone to ugliness so he needs companionship to feel good about himself. I feel that Grendel has a need for community is because he doesnt want to be alone. He has no one to talk to. His own mother cant communicate with him. He is in se arch of a companion. He is jealous of the shaper because he has people to talk to (53).Even though he wants companionship with humans he knows he will never fit in. Grendel sees many benefits and flaws with humans. I think Gardner is addressing the benefits and drawbacks of human community through Grendel. One of the benefits he sees with community is teamwork. He called humans Crafty-witted killers that worked in teams (31) He admires their team work. Another benefit he sees of community is how they would listen to each other at meadhall tables (32).The problems that he sees with community is how much they waste. When he came to the hall he say cows in their pens lay burbling blood through their nostrils, with javelin holes in their neck. None had been eaten (33) .Another problem he had seen with communities was war. He observed how the wars began (34)He saw all the destruction of wars. Another predominate theme in Grendel is art. The shaper plays a huge part in this theme. Grendel is so enticed by the shaper that he wanted to part of his stories. He was so enticed that the sharper made him believe that he was part of the dark side (51).He was addicted to shapers story and kept coming back for more. The Shapers songs implant in Grendel a sense of despair and longing for emotional contact. He at first attempts to repent and embrace the ideology of the humans in exchange of acceptance, but when he is rejected he instead decides to fall in to the role which the Shaper had assigned him. His idea of the Shaper changes after his encounter with the dragon. He realizes that the shaper is just like everyone else and that it was all an illusion (62).The way they change the world through the arts in craft is by changing is history. History is told by the victor. Shaper tells people what they want to hear. In the epic Grendel is a character of pure evil with no good intention in his heart that is if he has a heart. Gardner, on the other hand uses a different approach in Grendel. In Grendel, Gardner shows some sign of goodness in him. On act of goodness is when he decides not to kill Unferth. Unferth passes out and Grendel decides to pick him up gently and carried him home (90).He feels pity towards him and decides not to kill him. Another act of goodness is when he decides not to kill. Grendel cannot see himself past the monster that he is. Every time he does something bad he feels guilty, but every time he does something good he feels like a sissy and a bad monster. Grendel is a monster because he accepts his role as a monster. When new people show up he is mad with joy (151) because he now has new people to terrorize. If he didnt accept his role as a monster why would be in his twelfth year. Grendel has different idea of good and evil. To him humans are evil because they would constantly fight each other. He would watch the fighting going on all that summer and begin again the next (36).He sees how fighting leads to destruction. Setting Grendels cave has a both a symbolic and a literal meaning. In his mothers cave large old shapes with smoldering eyes sat watching me. A continuous grumble came out of their mouths; their backs were humped. Then little by little it dawned on me that the eyes that seemed to bore into my body were in fact gazing through (16).When he awakens Grendel describes the cave as dark (23). The caves symbolize darkness and the evil within it. They are associated with each other because darkness can evoke fear and that is what both the caves and monsters do. The cave in this novel can be used in both literal and symbolic ways because a monster, Grendel, lives inside of it. The cave also represents the fact that they are not always evil because Grendel is not portrayed as a completely evil creature. The most interesting thing about Hart to Grendel is the people. He learns about what happens to them when they become angry or when they decide to work together. He is impressed by their organization. Grendel is impressed by how Hrothgar shown them the strength of his organization (37).It is a symbol of how complex the human race can be. What Hart means to them is home. They all gather their and share their lives. It symbolizes their strength to live through all of the things that happen to them. Hart is a place where they can socialize because it was a place where where they would listen to each other.(32) It also symbolizes unity because they can accomplish many things when they work together.   I dont think that Grendel fully understands the physical conditions of the human world because, while he wants to be a part of them, he doesnt know what its like to be part of a community, and just getting information through observation isnt enough when its about culture and tradition. The most striking thing that Grendel finds about the way humans live is their ability to make patterns and create faà §ades over the real world to make it appear the way they want it to. Grendel feels that the physical world is not really there. He feels that Grendel is the only living thing that is truly there and living. He feels like he is the only one that matters at all. Everything else is  just space for him to move around in because he create[s] the whole universe, blink by blink (22).He feels that the world is just one big machine with no thoughts of its own. Only he, Grendel, is truly alive and intelligent.

Knowing and believing – religious knowledge

It’s a changing world, the world of anachronism, the world to look at the future with new faith and where after every minute something or other is added in our daily list. The same is true with Knowledge, which is always changing with the change in time and with the change in the people’s attitude and behavior patterns. The knowledge is not a new concept but has been taking the world by stride since centuries but the most important crust of the knowledge is its speed. In the way the technology is changing very fast, the whole concept of imparting and gaining knowledge is also changing very fast.   There has been a considerable shift from the traditional mode of imparting knowledge to the whole new range of knowledge of inventions and studies for the growth and over all development in every sphere of socio-economic, political, religious trends etc. From agricultural to industrial and from social to religious to bestow the knowledge, there are always experts and new range of knowledge expertise in the complexities of new technologies is taking place and in this bid of newness, our desire to know more keep on increasing. There has also been complete change in the receptive capacity of the people towards this knowledge basis expertise. For e.g. Challenge and resistance to dominant technologies, some post modernists see these approaches and the knowledge revolution as more political and democratic whereas risk social theories focus upon the anxieties that are created through the plethora of information that people receive about possible dangers especially in relation to environmental degradation. This knowledge revolution has led to transformation of politics from the traditional political systems and strategies, which have proved incapable of taking contemporary risks and dangers. (Thompson & Woodward _____:122) The knowledge of experts in relation to religion has always captured and dominated the life of people since centuries. The religious minded people have always considered the religious discourse as a norm of the society and followed their traits but now comparatively less number of people are focusing their attention towards the religion and the religion tenets. The reason is simple; the increase in trend towards the knowledge of materialistic world and the worldly pleasures since industrial revolution dug its deep roots in the soil. The pursuit of the scientific journey has superceded the quest for religious knowledge, which Rubert Murdoch has amply explained in the Newsweek for 12th July 1999, Is God Dead?   In the, Open the doors — and where are the people, the study was conducted to amplify the trend of Roman Catholic Bastions in Italy and Ireland. Surveys in the United Kingdom brought out certain facts whereby 75 per cent of the people in Britain have faith in Super Natural powers, but according to the opinion polls, there has been downfall of the belief in God from 45 per cent in 1947 to 37 percent in 1987. The Mass observation survey in 1947 showed that there had been a wide spread belief in God but not among Orthodox Christian lines. (Thompson & Woodward   ________ :52) This amplifies that people are least inclined in attaining the religious knowledge. The most important reason being the explosion of the private bodies into the religion posing questions and defying the conventions of the traditional religious beliefs held by the people with utmost generosity and faith. The other most important cause is the popularity or secularization so profoundly spread by the leaders of the Modern age and basically of secular functions which were earlier performed by the welfare bodies like religious, education and state which were taken over by the state. (Thompson & Woodward _____ :44) Moreover, fun and leisure activities have profoundly replaced the organized form of religious activities. And the third reason is the change and shift of the religious thoughts towards more research and thinking over science and other related field of studies. (Thompson & Woodward _______ :44) Karen Armstrong, in one of the articles in the accompanying article to Fredrick Nietsche, says that since 1970s, religion has once again entered in the domain of the society in such a manner that was being considered as impossible. â€Å"The Iranian revolution was a grand success in the Middle East and at the same time the moral majority and the right of the Christians captured the emotions and the mood of the people endeavored to bring back God in the public life whereas ultra orthodox Jews as well as Zionists have also strived to bring religion back in the lives of Isreali people. With this it is amply true that no Government can deny religion. The assassinations of Anwar Sidat in Egypt and of Yitzhat Rabin in Isreal are reminders of lethal danger of some forms of modern faith.† (Thompson & Woodward _______ :44). Though this statement is a proven fact that it is the knowledge for religion that is gaining momentum in almost all over the world but when it comes to Science, the knowledge for religious quest takes a back seat. The simplest reason is that the religious knowledge is only based on faith and as said by Ken Thompson & Kate Woodward â€Å"Truths Believed†; on the other hand the scientific knowledge is based on the investigations, discoveries and research. To reveal and prove the authenticity and belief in their respective domains, there was a public controversy in the nineteenth century. In the debate that followed in 1860 at Oxford, scientist T.H Huxley said that, â€Å"I would rather be descended from an Ape than a bishop†. (Thompson & Woodward _______ :45) But not all scientists disagreed with the evolution of God. Charles Darwin in his â€Å"Origin of Species† in 1859 has faith in the God but not in the religion. (Thompson & Woodward _______ :45) The diversities in the scientific world like in Natural Sciences, there is a common belief among many that Science are related to religion. For e.g. Teil Hard De Chardin, a Jesuit priest and Paleontologist, in 1950s integrated biological and spiritual evolution in a theory of cosmogenesis, which was the blend of science, theology and poetry. Social Scientists tried to take a middle path emphasizing on the fact that without religious beliefs, there is no spiritual growth and satisfaction but they too defy the orthodox religious tenets believing in the religious thoughts and ideologies. Gender also plays the most important role in posing the question regarding the aspect whether the knowledge of experts in the religious tenets became more or less important in the contemporary society or not? People also tend to believe that Science has provided us with various answers to the questions but there is no answer as far as questions on morality and emotional aspects of our lives are concerned. This has been answered in the New Age beliefs in which large and large number of people are turning their faith towards spiritual powers like in alternative medicines and green issues to meditation and therapy as a form of ancient knowledge like Alchemy, astrology, myth, dream work, Earth mysteries, Fang Sui. (Thompson & Woodward ______:62) Some believe that these new age beliefs are taking secular dimensions and have taken shape after the combination of scientific and pseudo scientific ideas and provides moral meaning to our lives, but the science and scientists have no answer to moral meaning. As a result, gap is always left between new age phenomenon on spirituality and scientific thoughts and knowledge. It is amply true that though Science is posing challenge to the religion and religious tenets yet the religious knowledge is still finding its place in this modernization and high technological world though the essence and the way of the religious teachings is changing with the change in time. Religious knowledge has been imparted to the public in totally different way and in different form than the scientific knowledge. Religion is a revelatory knowledge whereas Science is an empirical proof and this makes religion more challenging while confronting this scientific knowledge. In the United Kingdom itself, the change in the form and status of religious knowledge has produced uncertainties and different new opportunities. Women are defying the age-old religious conventions of patriarchal hierarchies to produce their own concept of spirituality. Then the muti-faith societies are opening new chapters to define their own religious thoughts and conceptions on spirituality. Over and above, the new age knowledge is also raising questions on established religious norms; Gender and ethnicity are also shaping the religious thoughts and perspectives. (Thompson & Woodward ______ :72) The effects of these new approaches are being seen and felt everywhere and in every sphere of our lives. Whenever we are confronted with any issue to find out truth, we are embroiled with different aspects towards the true knowledge. We have diverted from factual realization towards feelings. In this sense, it is amply true that though importance is being given to the knowledge of experts in the contemporary world but the trend, form and way of thinking have changed. Reference List Surname, Initial(s). Date. Title. Edition. Place of Publication: Publisher Thompson K. & Woodward K. ______ Knowing and Believing: Religious Knowledge.         

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Equal Pay Among Men And Women - 1882 Words

Equal Pay among Men and Women Introduction It has been severally said that women earn less than men in their lifetime. According to (Rubery, et al, 320) in the past few years, women working full time have been earning around eighty percent of what men earn. There is a twenty percent difference. The fact that the difference is for both men and women who work full time discards any explanations based on more women working as part timers which pay less. Does this mean that women choose to work the less paying jobs? This gap has however been narrowing down as years have passed down. Among the younger workers, the gap is much smaller. A hypothetical woman is required to work until mid-April to earn what a man earns in a year if she did the†¦show more content†¦During the World War I, the United States Employment Service printed a list of works that were supposed to be done by women, as men were to join the war. These jobs were initially for men, but men had to be encouraged to join jobs that supported the war. After thes e jobs had been designated for women, it was expected that the men would quit. As the women were doing the jobs done by men, the National War Labor Board decided that they were to be paid the same. During this period, the equal pay motion was championed by both males and females. Men feared that after the war, the management would retain the women if they did the same work as men. After the war, the fight for equal pay was less active. In 1947, Lewis Schwellenbach, the Secretary of Labor, tried to enact an equal salary amendment bill. He based on the argument that the women paid the same as men for services. Women paid the same for food and rent. Thus, it was right to pay them equally as men. He did not succeed in the bill, but in 1963, President John F. Kennedy approved the Equal Pay Law (DuBose Renalia, 445). 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