Boast Pt. 1

Boast Pt. 2

Parody of Beowulf

Grendel is a parody of Beowulf because Grendel is somewhat comedic, and has an interest in poetry. Grendel also tries to shake free of the typical idea of a monster, and embraces music and the arts. In chapters 7 and 8, Grendel tries to be poetic, but fails gloomily. Finally in Chapter 12, as Beowulf fights Grendel, Grendel succeeds at writing lines poetically. Even though the book covers similar themes such as heroes and villains, religion, morals, and art, the novel is very different from the original Beowulf. Beowulf was an original epic told in a serious manner. But in Grendel, Grendel often questions his existence and the meaning of life, and tries to fight against his purpose as a monster.

Gardner's Decision

John Gardner made the decision to use Grendel as a narrator because he wanted to point out to his readers that there are always two sides to a story. Also, Gardner wanted to create sympathy for the character of Grendel. Grendel remains outside of the society of humans, but constantly observes their actions. His ideas of life do not match those of the humans, allowing Grendel a separate point of view. His status as a monster affects the way he tells the story because his thoughts do not coincide with the humans, making his side of the story different from theirs.