Grendel Review A Brief overview of the novel; themes; main concepts; & big points

Chapter Reviews Chapter 1: 12 year war humans gaining dignity etc “blind prejudice”--talking about deer but ppl in general too (man hating him w/o knowing him) Scaring ppl used to give him pride but now just lonely

Chapter Review cont. Chapters 2-3 Words are Grendel’s escape--barrier for protection from the reality that he is creating whole world is mechanical chaos--stupidly imposing hope & fear on undeserving ppl He creates (blink-blink) meaning that only he truly exists Grendel is the lack in the universe--the void that ppl will always strive for but never reach

Chapter Review cont. Chapters 2-3 Hrothgar--throwing his ax Nothing to stop the advance of man (against nature) Remember that Grendel created nature Grendel becomes the force to stop him His nemesis=the Shaper unreality “fire that is more dangerous than real fire” Romantic idealism is more dangerous than reality

Chapter Review cont. Chapter 4 Shaper--reshaping the world to fit dreams Grendel, however, wants the shaper’s tale to be reality even if he is the cursed race--force reality on man by using their dreams & ideals as his medium

Chapter Review cont. Chapter 5--the DRAGON Knowledge is not cause--recollection does not CAUSE an accident Accidents happen w/o knowledge or w/ knowledge Idea is that accidents will happen w/o being created by any being (Grendel, man etc are all accidents w/o knowledge) Man--creates theories w/o making connections; creating same mistakes over and over again This causes their insanity Grendel--improves man by scaring “life” into them However--if he doesn’t push then something else will; man is Grendel’s cause for existence

Chapter Review cont. Chapter 6--Unferth Agrees that songs are trash--romantic ideal of a hero is stupid BUT he still goes along w/ man b/c he wants to fit in--wants that heroes death Grendel never kills him b/c he understands reality

Chapter Review cont. Chapter 7--progression into insanity for Grendel (switching from 1st to 3rd person pt of view) Wiltheo--the wife of Hrothgar lives within the falsehood but she sees reality; comes to Herot for an ideal--only sees it as a duty not an ideal Chapter 8 Snapshots of reality--Hrothulf--danger for the ppl but they choose not to see it Similar to how Grendel is not dangerous but b/c of his looks they hate him whereas Hrothulf is dangerous but b/c he looks normal they are not afraid of him

Chapter Review cont. Chapter 9 Something coming “Religion is sick” the priest of the King of Gods limitations “ultimate irrationality; concrete actuality” Actual=created; involves death (so God is merely created in the minds & dreams of man) Things fade, alternatives exclude: God is limited and excludes creation from reality of this

Chapter Review cont. Chapter 10 Shaper is dying Working up nerve to die b/c when he dies so will their hopes & dreams thinking about one’s actions is illogical & wastes time b/c you cannot have that time back It wastes the now

Chapter Review cont. Chapter 11 Beowulf finally coming Grendel’s humor--apple fight; mocking coast guard; war humor; bloody humor Tedium is the worst pain (the waiting) Order is theoretical=man made Beowulf--scares Grendel b/c he is more insane than Grendel; believes the lies Irony: Grendel is “fate” but Beowulf can shape

Chapter Review cont. Chapter 12 Beowulf whispering--creating Grendel into man’s reality (which is dreams)--shapes the unreality This way he could kill the “monster” “Nothing made remains. Now man remembers”--his curse on man; remembering what they could have had Why must Grendel die? man made the decision to go w/ fantasy over reality Picked man’s unconnected; unrealistic dreams over reality Grendel’s death is accident--entire existence was to teach reality but failed b/c of man’s decision For Gardiner: going w/ religion & believing in God when reality/experience/etc. tells us differently

Chapter Review cont.