Milana Kravets PD6
Blog #3
Modern Mythology 2024
On March 4th, when I stepped into my Mythology class, I arrived with a surface-level interpretation of our assigned homework chapter on the novel Grendel. However, after class finished, I had gained great insight into the story’s intricacies and left with a deeper breakdown of the whole plot.
Our classwork assignment that day specifically struck me, compared to our other previous class discussions and activities. That day, we were instructed to pick out our favorite quote from Chapter 7 and then annotate and analyze a classmate’s quote. What seemed at first to be a simple, straightforward “Do Now” task, proved to advance and help me better comprehend Grendel’s overall inner conflict. The quote that I selected was, “I have not committed the ultimate act of nihilism: I have not killed the queen”. Throughout the chapters, Grendel battles with his ideas on nihilism and existentialism by listening to the Shaper's and the Dragon’s contrasting views on the meaning of life. By choosing not to kill the queen, he defies his alleged role in society as a monstrous creature, whose only purpose in the universe is marked by violence and destruction. His decision highlights the idea that he still recognizes moral boundaries and has some restraint left in him, which opposes the nihilistic philosophy. I believe this quote advances the plot to a significant extent and genuinely changed my understanding of Grendel.
As I presumed, I was not the only reader affected by Grendel’s personal decision in this chapter. Upon exchanging quotes, I noticed my classmate’s quote was quite similar to mine; it read: “I changed my mind. It would be meaningless, killing her. As meaningless as letting her live. It would be, for me, mere pointless pleasure, an illusion of order for this one frail, foolish flicker-flash in the long dull fall of eternity”. As a high school senior who has been annotating texts since middle school, the act of annotating has once again proven to be of remarkable benefit. Annotating this quote helped me grasp the reasoning behind Grendel’s development and shift in views. This quote portrays his existential realization with the idea that killing Wealtheow would not fulfill or satisfy his life, advancing his complex character.
Grendel continues to confront his supposed inherent nature in subsequent chapters. Particularly, in Chapter 9, Grendel assumes the role of the King of all Gods when conversing with Ork. This chapter depicts the first time Grendel was viewed beyond his status as a monster and instead, as an individual treated with recognition and respect. His temporary power and authority from acting as a divine figure illustrates to the readers that he is not merely a mindless character and is capable of intelligence and wit. Furthermore, it shows that prejudice against him is often established due to his physical appearance. Due to Ork’s blindness, visual bias is eliminated and allows for purposeful dialogue and interaction between the two characters. Even though their conversation was brief, the interaction with Ork elevates Grendel’s character and even prompts Grendel to challenge his perception of himself, truly prevailing his humanity amidst his surface-level image.
Analyzing these chapters helped me recognize similar patterns in our society today. Prejudice and snap judgements occur daily, which leads to people not truly understanding each other. First impressions are quickly made based on various factors, such as appearance, culture, race, economic status, and established reputation. Princeton researchers have even concluded that individuals can make valid judgments of others within 1/10 of a second. Often, people will not take the time to acknowledge and learn about a person’s background, complexities, and personal experiences when initially meeting them. In Grendel, Ork's blindness urges readers to see past looks and consider the humanity of others. This implies that genuine understanding and compassion require a readiness to interact with others at a deeper level. In essence, the chapter highlights the value of empathy and causes readers to reevaluate themselves and others. Similarly, my perception of Grendel was transformed. At first, I believed he was an evil monster, but after studying more about him and seeing how he interacted with Ork, I consider him as more complex and reasonable than previously assumed. Outside of the novel, I began to consider how others might perceive me upon first encounters and how my judgment of others, even close friends, has substantially changed after getting to know them better.
Just as Grendel experienced discrimination and intolerance, leading to his isolation from the world around him and ever-changing existential and nihilistic beliefs, our society is filled with a sense of division, conflict, and violence fueled by prejudice. Gardner’s work essentially serves as a reflection of the complexities of the world we inhabit and causes us, the readers, to reassess our life choices. Furthermore, Grendel's determination to find meaning in his life is similar to our efforts to create change and challenge the roles in society for the betterment and unity of civilization and the development of our purpose on this planet. Ultimately, Gardner’s Grendel not only represents a classic tale of a so-called monster but also provides a lens through which readers can comprehend and address social issues prevalent in the world today.
Source:
The Trustees of Princeton University. (n.d.). Snap judgments decide a face’s character, psychologist finds. Princeton University. https://www.princeton.edu/news/2006/08/22/snap-judgments-decide-faces-character-psychologist-finds
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