Journal #10

Why do you think Gardner made the decision to use Grendel as a narrator? How does Grendel’s status as a monster affect the way he tells the story?

I think Gardner made the decision to use Grendel as a narrator because it provides a different and interesting point of view to the plot of Beowulf. It allows readers to see the story of Grendel and Beowulf from a completely different judgment. Because Grendel is a monster, he provides a different approach to everything that men can’ see. Grendel’s being a monster affects the way he tells his story by adding an element of realism, in a sense. Man is so caught up in the heroism of everything, they are blinded from reality. Grendel, not being concerned with heroism, sees everything as it is. He is an outcast and observes everything from afar – man, animals, how everything works. He is able to look at the world itself unbiased.