Grendel and the Importance of Human Values :: Grendel Essays

Grendel and the Importance of Human Values In Grendel, by John Gardner, there is considerable disquietude, but there are also moments of pleasure as well. The cause of these contrasting feelings is most often Grendel himself. As he changes from a purposeful and almost kind creature to a very cruel monster that scorns hope, we find ourselves feeling both pleased and upset at different times. In this element, though, lies a much greater purpose than simply good literature - it helps the reader understand the importance of human values. Pleasure in the book comes mainly in realizing how much Grendel acts like a human, and how much more rational he is than one would expect for a cruel monster. After seeing the deer in the beginning of the novel, Grendel points out why he kills cows instead of deer: they have more meat and are easier to catch. Although it's not necessarily a pleasant thought, it's somewhat comforting to know that Grendel appears to kill for the practical benefits (food) and not simply for the sake of killing. This is no worse than we might do. He seems especially human-like when he listens to the Shaper's song. Crying, he says that he was "filled with sorrow and tenderness" (44) and that he was "torn apart by poetry" (44). Another moment of pleasure comes as he is talking to the dragon and expresses a sort of hope and purpose. In defending his resolve not to scare humans so much just for fun, Grendel says, "Why shouldn't one change one's ways, improve one's character?" (72). In all the dragon's insist ence that everything is worth nothing, Grendel refuses to believe him. He even says, "Nevertheless, something will come of all this" (74). His hope makes the readers think all the better of him. Even if, at first, Grendel seems almost kind, and the reader is pleased with his character, he soon becomes more and more evil, and his actions bring about a feeling of uneasiness, to say the least. Before, the killing of people for no apparent reason disgusted Grendel. However, when he brings Unferth home, he kills the two guards "so I wouldn't be misunderstood" (90). Later, in probably the most disturbing scene of the book, we see how meaningless killing has become to Grendel. He brutally attacks the queen and is determined to kill her.