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Post by adamgrace on Aug 20, 2013 19:45:18 GMT
In Grendel the narrative generally skips around chronologically speaking, yet the novel is seemingly structured after the passing seasons of a year. Grendel begins in spring and ends with Grendel's death in winter. During spring flora and fauna appear more abundantly on Earth following winter. Spring is generally a symbol for beginnings or rebirth. Winter, on the other hand, is when the life of Earth disappears and it is commonly a symbol of death. With the obvious seasons (Spring/Winter) out of the way, how does the progression of seasons impact the story/symbolize what is occurring?
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Post by fionabyrne on Aug 20, 2013 20:25:49 GMT
I agree that this theme is very important. To me it seems that that the importance of the progression of the seasons is that they progress. Most often when I see seasons playing a role in various stories the main idea that they communicate is the inevitability of the passing of time. Grendel can decide to leave the humans alone or he can live his life to torment them. While this decision seems like a big deal as he speaks with the dragon, the truth is that the world will keep turning at the same speed, the seasons will continue to change, regardless of anything Grendel does. This seems like an obvious statement but the way in which the author presents the theme makes me think that it is crucial that we see other forces more powerful than Grendel.
As far as what the seasons symbolize, I saw not only death in the winter but an extreme sense of loneliness as well. Gardner writes Grendel’s observations: “The trees are dead. The days are an arrow in a dead man’s chest” (125). Grendel has always been alone but the cold of winter amplifies his loneliness to the point where not even the trees are alive to make him feel less alone. The second phrase of that quote communicates the sentiment of fatigue and resentment as I took it to mean that each winter day that follows the last is another flog of a dead horse. In those words I hear Grendel’s exhaustion. He is already all alone. He has no companions and now not really much to eat because the wolves have frozen and died. The power of the season of winter is that it wears him down by deprivation.
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