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Tone
Aug 21, 2013 0:42:11 GMT
Post by fionabyrne on Aug 21, 2013 0:42:11 GMT
What are your thoughts on the dialect and voice used in this novel? For example, the humans speak in a formal, medieval dialect while Grendel speaks/thinks in a more modern voice especially when swearing and using profanity. For example, where a human would say "thou" or "art", Grendel uses words more common to this century (i.e. "you're a fucking lunatic" (171)). Why the clash of tones?
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Tone
Aug 26, 2013 6:29:33 GMT
Post by madisonarmst on Aug 26, 2013 6:29:33 GMT
The difference in tone used by Grendel and the humans further shows the gap between them. Although the gap is obvious to readers, it is not always so clear to Grendel himself. This difference is a concrete way for Grendel to see that he is different from the humans that he initially tries to bond with. It's easy to assume that Grendel is more aggressive than the humans because he is a monster and uses threatening language, but Grendel is often misunderstood. For example, when Grendel enters the meadhall, the men attack him, but he simply tries to explain to them that he does not want to harm them and calls them his friends (52). The humans, however, do not understand him and think that he is going to attack him. These miscommunications cause him to become angrier and angrier at the humans, eventually cursing at them out of frusturation. Grendel's change in tone towards the humans shows his changing attitude towards humans as he interacts with them more. As he becomes more aggressive towards the humans, the gap between them--that has always been present--becomes apparent to Grendel. Finally, the difference in dialect between the humans and Grendel is yet another way for him to recognize the differences between himself and the humans.
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