Grendel: Does The Universe Have Any Inherent Meaning?
1143 Words5 Pages
Grendel’s Questions In Grendel by John Gardner, there are many central questions mentioned throughout. However, the question “Does the universe have any inherent meaning?” stands out quite significantly due to the fact that it was mentioned by some of the most influential people and creatures in Grendel’s life. Grendel agonizes over the answer to this question the entire novel, wondering whether the dragon’s nihilism or the shaper’s teleology is the answer to the question he has been asking himself since the beginning, “Who and what is he?”
Grendel’s view of the world at the beginning of his life is teleological. He is naive about the world since he has never had anyone to communicate with except his mother who cannot speak any kind of language. While in the outside world and away from the sanctuary of his cave Grendel gets stuck and is attacked by a bull. Grendel goes through a life changing thought process. Being attacked by the bull caused him to realize that he is something different because the world is the same as the bull - mechanical and unfeeling. Afterwards, Grendel is found by humans who seem to share a common language and thought process with him. He goes onto watch Hrothgar’s people so he can find their meaning.…show more content… He had just watched in awe as one man changes the truth then twists it into something of his own making. Grendel upon hearing this became very panicked, saying that “they, who knew the truth, remembered it his way - and so did I.” (Gardner 43) Grendel, realizing that the Shaper can change the perceptions of the people around him flees because he fears the man’s power. However, the real reason for his fear is because the Shaper was able to get him to believe it too. While running Grendel stops because of the split that goes through his mind, this is him coming to the realization that he is not like