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Post by pjharris on Aug 18, 2013 23:07:24 GMT
There's a quote that I often think about while reading and it's by F. Scott Fitzgerald, "You don't write because you want to say something, you write because you have something to say." As I read this book, with that quote in mind, I've tried to figure out just what it is that Gardner had to say. Not what Grendel thinks about any character, not what another character tells us about Grendel, but, through this story, what is Gardner trying to tell us?
I want you guys to give me your opinions on either Gardner's message (either one overall or a small one given by just part of the text) or something you learned while reading. I don't think there is one correct answer so have at it!  |
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Post by shannonfender on Aug 19, 2013 11:05:21 GMT
With respect to the entirety of the text, I feel that Gardner's message is fairly plain. As you know, Grendel is based off of the epic Beowulf, which depicts Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon as barbaric and purely evil. In Grendel, John Gardner reverses the perspective of the epic poem and shows an alternative viewpoint through the eyes of Grendel. By doing this, Gardner exposes Grendel's complexities and struggles against himself and humanity in order to reveal the multiply layers of reality. Through this approach, we learn more about the source of Grendel's anguish, and we learn that he is not a mindless killer.
Likewise, by shifting the perspective to an outsider observing the human world, Gardner promotes some introspective analysis on our part. Grendel questions many aspects of our society-most noticably our obsession with heroes, religion, and mead. Granted, these messages were perhaps more applicable in a time where heroes were celebrated and wine flowed like water in the cups of men, but this idea of shifting our perspective and taking a good look at our society and our values is an important message to take from this book.
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Post by samwerner on Aug 20, 2013 0:36:10 GMT
Gardner seems to use Grendel as a way to point out flaws and habits about the human race. Beyond giving us an insight into human interaction, Gardner actually is able to critique the human race by using Grendel as a type of middle man. It reminds me of the 17th and 18th in a way, when the intellectuals often wrote new ideas by creating stories and characters in order to avoid persecution. Gardner isn't in fear of persecution, but does make it interesting to see from the outside.
Another important part about using Grendel is that, at least personally, I am weirdly more interested and willing to listen and analyze what Grendel has to say than if Gardner just wrote a novel about his own revelations about the human race. Adding a little element of entertainment makes his revelations perk the readers' interest.
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