GRENDEL
John Gardner
JOHN GARDNER
(1933 – 1982)
• Born in New York on July
21, 1933.
• His father was a dairy
farmer and Presbyterian
preacher; his mother an
English teacher.
• Nicknamed “Budd”(Welsh
for “poet”)
GARDNER’S YOUTH
• Gardner attended public school and worked on his
father's farm.
• In April 1945, his younger brother Gilbert was killed in
an accident with a small tractor.
• 1977 short story "Redemption"
EARLY CAREER
• In 1953, he married Joan
Louise Patterson
• They wrote several novels
• Gardner was a professor of
English in the late 60’s early
70’s specializing in medieval
literature
THE NOVEL, GRENDEL
• Began work on the novel in 1969
• Completed in April of 1970; published in 1971
• Instant national recognition
• The novel is an account of Grendel’s thoughts
and feelings
THE NOVEL, GRENDEL
• The missing 12 years
• Hrothgar serves as Grendel’s foil charater (opposite)
• The author’s tone is sympathetic- it is the story of a
teenager seeking acceptance , meaning and identity
and trying to find his place in the world
• He experiences frustration when no one can
understand him
THE NOVEL, GRENDEL
• Grendel observes a
group of people called
Scylding (Danes) and
observes their
development as
humans- he wants to
be a part of these
people they isolate
him and therefore he
wants to terrify them
THE NOVEL, GRENDEL
• Grendel is torn
between his hatred
for humanity and
his admiration of
them
THE NOVEL, GRENDEL
• The book has a
deeper meaning than
monster vs. humanit’s underlying
message is about the
“Counter-Culture
Revolution” which
took place in the
1960’s
THE NOVEL, GRENDEL
• These “hippies” tried to
change the viewpoint of
society- people became
more liberated
• They believed in something
called nihilism- the
viewpoint that traditional
values and beliefs are
meaningless
STRUCTURE
• 12 chapters: Twelve years of
Grendel’s raids and 12 zodiacs
• Not chronological: Flashbacks,
Allusions, Foreshadowing
• Tense: Present tense
– Flashbacks of events leading up to this
12th year (when the Danes are at war
with Grendel)
• Each chapter presents a different
branch of philosophy
The Characters

Grendel--intelligent,
sensitive, immature
monster. He’s curious,
seeks answers; becomes
cynical, hollow brutal
creature

The dragon-A bitter,
omniscient old beast. He
can see all of time. His life
is pointless. He steals and
protects huge amounts of
gold. Nothing has meaning
for him. He resents the
universe.

Beowulf--Leader of the
Geats. He is fearless,
supernaturally strong
and confident. He
represents the natural
reflex against chaos
and emptiness. He is
the ultimate hero, the
ultimate answer.

The Shaper--Hrothgar’s
chosen harper, a blind and
fragile old man. The shaper
is gifted and his music
inspires the thanes. Grendel
is excluded, so he grows to
both hate and adore the old
man.

Hrothgar--Leader of the
Danes. In youth, he was
ambitious and clever. He
brought order to the land.
He created a great
kingdom. Representing all
mankind, he’s the focus of
Grendel’s rage.

Wealtheow--The queen,
beautiful, sad, and young.
She was given to
Hrothgar and he thinks
her beauty is wasted on
him, an old man. She is
one of Grendel’s ties to
humankind. He both loves
and hates her.

Unferth--A half-hero.
He attempts to kill
Grendel but fails.
Grendel will not kill
Unferth, and amuses
himself by denying
him martyrdom.
When the other
thanes scorn him,
Unferth loses selfrespect.

Hrothulf--Hrothgar’s
nephew, a young, sullen
man of great ambition.
He seeks the crown, and
knows the only way to
through revolution. His
words and ideas are
ahead of his time. He is a
socialist.

Red Horse--Hrothulf’s
counselor. He is an old
bitter peasant who
preaches violence for
violence’ sake. He
believes all political
systems are evil. He is
an anarchist. He,too,
seems out of place.
THEMES
• Artists in Society and the Power
of Art
• The Importance of Language
• Nihilism
• Death
• Heroism—a moral force
• The Struggle Between Good and
Evil--MORALITY
Artists in Society and the Power of Art
• Grendel has a weakness for poetry. A
would-be artist, Grendel strives to escape
his baseness. While kings unite countries
politically, they could not do so w/o the
courage and selflessness of individuals
who have been inspired by the poets to
accomplish great deeds.
The Importance of Language
• Grendel’s inarticulate mother shows
importance of development of language in
civilization. Language is the only thing
that gives meaning in an otherwise
meaningless universe. Language is the
only way humans can break through the
wall that isolates them from others and
from a world of meaning. The wall, then,
is a recurring image. The most pathetic
character is Grendel’s mother, confined to
her dark cave, picking through bones—
total linguistic isolation.
Nihilism
• Gardner uses the dragon to express the
•
philosophy that there is no meaning, no purpose
to existence. To Grendel, the solipsist (one who
believes in nothing but the self,) killing others
means nothing. Red Horse preaches total
anarchy, a result perhaps of nihilism where
violence for its own sake rules.
Poetry/art is one’s defense against nihilism:
Grendel is driven back to poetry. Once having
destroyed the mead hall in chapter 6 Grendel
realizes that now “as never before I was alone.”
He recognizes that “physical destruction is finite”
that anarchy and violence are futile is seeking a
meaning for existence.
Heroism
• Heroism is a moral force that enables a
society to advance, by elevating the minor
character of Unferth to major one and one
who plays foil to Grendel, Gardner says
much about the hero. Death is
insignificant to the hero if it brings the
chance for immortality. The hero sees
beyond what is possible and so furthers
civilization. He creates meaning through
his acts of heroism.
The Struggle Between Good and Evil-MORALITY
• Good Vs Evil = morality vs. immorality. This struggle
•
occurs within Grendel and between characters. If
Grendel is evil, then Beowulf (ultimate good, nonnihilist). Beowulf comes and preaches the gospel of
death and rebirth. It is through creation, imagination,
and inspiration that one may kill evil and achieve
immortality—even if heroic acts only live through poetry
and song.
Other characters also represent “good” or “moral”
values. Wealtheow (comforting old men to whom she
has sacrificed all personal comfort: peace keeper
between warring kingdoms) and even Hrothgar (forces
of society against anarchy) and Unferth are forces of
morality.