GRENDELENGLISH IIIMS. KUCINSKI

CHANGING PERSPECTIVES

a look at the novel Grendel by John Gardener

BEOWULF TO GRENDELBeowulf

• Little motivation for Grendel’s action

• Little background/history about Grendel

• Little perspective given from Grendel’s point of view

Grendel

• Fills in the gaps for us

•Grendel says he is a mammal and he thinks his mother has some human in her

•Gives Grendel a voice- he talks, reasons, feels, and expresses emotional pain

WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT• Grendel is struggling to find meaning for his existence

• He is also looking for meaning of the men who he is intimately connected with (the Danes)

•The novel is an opposing view to the Beowulf’s poet’s admiring description of the Geats and the Danes

HISTORICAL FACTORS

• Gardner wrote the novel around the time of the Vietnam War (1955-1975)

• American’s vision of itself was noble, on the side of freedom and democracy, and against repression and communism

STRUCTURE• 12 Chapters- Five are the actual story (1, 9-12)- The rest are backgrounds and flashbacks

• Background establishes

-Danish history- Character- The Feud between Grendel & Hrothgar

GRENDEL’S PERSPECTIVE

• Through the flashbacks:- Older Grendel looks back at his younger self to understand his motives

• A confession - Grendel is confessing to the reader- Refuses forgiveness because of his belief that everything is an accident and nothing matters.

GRENDEL’S “ISMS”• Solipsism: - The belief in the self as the only reality- The belief that the only thing somebody can be sure of is that he/she exists- The true knowledge of anything else is impossible

•Nihilism: - The belief that life is pointless and human values are worthless- The belief that there is no objective truth

THEMES• The nature of language (and stories) and its power to create and destroy worlds

• The struggle between good and evil is often an oversimplification (more behind the story)

• The consequences of isolation

• How we define “Hero” or good

• How we judge the “Villain” or evil

POST-MODERNISM • Post Modernism in literature has developed since the 1960’s

• A literary movement that accepts the fragmented nature of human existence

• The recognition of Me over We

• Challenges the traditional and accepts views of the truth, ethics, and beauty

• The view considers that truth, ethics, and beauty are rooted in the individual

THE ANTIHERO

• A post-modern archetype

• They are not a set character like the Hero or the Villain

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ANTIHERO• The Antihero is complex and fractured, often mirroring the society they live in

• The Antihero is someone with some of the qualities of a villain (such as brutality, cynicism, ruthlessness) but the soul or motivations of a conventional hero

• Generally feels helpless in a world which they have no control over

• While sometimes they might be courageous or strong, it is on their own terms and is inconsistent

CHARACTERISTICS CONTINUED…

• Usually accepts and sometimes celebrates their position as an outcast

• For the Antihero there is no clean resolution of conflict

• Often, they ignore the rules/consequences imposed by society

CHARACTERISTICS CONTINUED…• Rejects societal values, and is unconcerned with political establishment

• Has their own codes of rules or ethics

• May be crude, a failure, dishonest, or angry

• Often feels “the end justifies the means”

• They are rarely pleasant, but they are relatable

EXAMPLES OF THE ANTIHEROAN ANTI-HERO IS TYPICALLY CLUMSY, UNSOLICITED, AND UNSKILLED AND HAS BOTH GOOD AND BAD QUALITIES.

• Holden Caulfield

• Grendel

• Batman

• Sherlock Holmes

• Shrek

• Peter Griffin

• Dexter

• Catwoman

• Wolverine

THE RISE OF THE ANTI-HERO QUESTIONS 1. Define in your own words “the anti-hero”.

2. What historical events influenced the anti-hero?

3. What purpose does the anti-hero serve?

WRITING ASSIGNMENT

Choose 2 characters from popular culture today (TV, movies, cartoons, novels, etc) that fit the definition and traits of an anti-hero.

❖ Tell me about each character (pretend that I don’t know the character at all)

❖ Explain elements of their personality/behavior that makes each an anti-hero

❖ Be prepared to share your responses!

DEXTER MORGAN- Serial Killer- Father- Cop

Who is Dexter Morgan? He is a cop, specifically a blood splatter analyst. Dexter became who he is for two main reasons. First of all, he witnessed the murder of his mother at the age of three. Orphaned, he is adopted by one of the police officers that arrive on scene, Detective Harry Morgan. He is the step-father to Astor and Cody and father of Lily. He can be described as a lone wolf. Oh yeah and he’s a serial killer.

What makes Dexter Morgan an anti-hero? Dexter is an anti-hero because he is a serial killer BUT he only kills people that the cops have never been able to catch or don’t want to go after. He only kills guilty people and those that deserve to die. Although he is not completely sane, he is very systematic in his approach to prevent being caught and ensure that he has his man. Dexter gets many of his leads from his work as a blood-splatter analyst for the Miami police department, often looking into cold cases and doing research of his own to determine guilt. Once proof has been found, Dexter kills his victim and disposes of the body without leaving a trace. It is obvious that Dexter is an emotionally and mentally twisted individual. These do not make him a villain though. Antihero is a more appropriate term to describe him. His actions are not moral, but they are heroic. He risks his life to kill those that have escaped the system and deserve to be punished.

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