A discussion of the novel, "Grendel", which is a retelling of the Anglo-Saxon epic "Beowulf", from the perspective of the antagonist.
Written in 2008; 1,736 words; 3 sources; APA; $ 56.95
Paper Summary:
The paper discusses that the novel, "Grendel", is a retelling of the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf from the perspective of the antagonist i.e. Grendel. The paper says that the 1971 novel by John Gardner follows the life of Grendel but at the same time attempts to construct a deeper subtext by tackling issues such as the quest for meaning in the world, the purpose of man, and the fight between good and evil. The paper further states that the philosophical content of Grendel is undeniable; Grendel follows the changes that occur inside of him, and in doing so, formulates intelligent commentaries as to the two main perspectives on the world and the purpose of humanity, determinism and existentialism. The paper also states Grendel's war on mankind is waged as a result of his encounter with the dragon whose nihilistic view deeply influences Grendel. Grendel now feels enraged by the romantic view that the Danes have on the world, and their history of braveness and courage. The paper asserts the thesis that Grendel is an existentialist who tries to provide meaning to his life in an environment that is hostile to him.
From the Paper:
"Grendel is an existentialist who tries to derive meaning from the world around him. Gardner himself explained, "What Grendel does is take, one by one, the great heroic ideals of mankind since the beginning and make a case for these values by setting up alternatives in an ironic set of monster values. I hate Existentialism." (Morace; Van Spanckeren: 67). Grendel starts out as a nihilist for whom everything is meaningless and devoid of real value. However, he yearns for meaning. His revolt is interior because he does not see himself as important since he in only an animal. Moreover, he gets angry at the sky for "ignoring" him. This is a stage of deep confusion for Grendel who is torn between his feeling that nothing is truly of importance in the world, and the awareness that no matter how many men he kills, he cannot break their spirits as they continue to rebuilt their castle. His inability to destroy their faith and morale angers him."
We have thousands of high-quality term papers, research papers, essays, book reports and dissertations on every topic. At AcaDemon, you can download those term papers to help you write yours! You can be sure that the term paper, essay, book report or research paper you download are top-quality, competitively priced and high-level work.
This Free Term Paper Abstract is a part of our Term Paper Library.Here you can purchase research papers, examples of essays, academic dissertations, articles, notes, analytical papers, book reports, stories and poems. We have thousands of persuasive, point-of-view, narrative, critical, compare and contrast and other types of essays in our Library. You can also find here Term papers on ""Grendel " by John Gardner", Essays on ""Grendel " by John Gardner", Research papers on ""Grendel " by John Gardner", Student papers on ""Grendel " by John Gardner", Book reports on ""Grendel " by John Gardner", Dissertation on ""Grendel " by John Gardner", Thesis on ""Grendel " by John Gardner", Summary of paper on ""Grendel " by John Gardner", Articles written on ""Grendel " by John Gardner".
Look for more research papers, essays and book reports on