Personality In Grendel's Existential Intuition

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Grendel’s Existential Intuition People across the world seek out an understanding of life. Many turn to religion, a sanctuary for meaning and philosophies; however, people lose faith due to their own insecurities, starting a new search, ultimately leading to existential philosophies. Dictionary.com defines existentialism as “a modern philosophical movement stressing the importance of personal experience and responsibility and the demands that they make on the individual, who is seen as a free agent in a deterministic and seemingly meaningless universe.” Grendel is an ideal example of an existential character in the novel Grendel by John Gardner, who mocks every creature that he encounters, amused by their “stupid” actions, and later attempting…show more content…
Grendel believes that he is superior than any simple animal, “I have half a mind to admire his bottomless stupidity” (139). He does not understand the meaning of the goat’s attempts to climb the mountain. Grendel constantly shouts the to the goat to reason with it, “hey goat!” I yelled down. “There’s nothing here. Go back” (139), yet the goat continues to climb, although proven it hears Grendel. This encounter is similar to the beginning when he has a instance with the ram, using his horrifying nature to scare it away.The goat believes it has a purpose, so it climbs the cliff without rest. This is also another example of nature ignoring…show more content…
Soon his anger takes the best of him, “you’ve had a fair warning now,” I yelled at him. I’m enraged now” (139). His existential beliefs are pushing him to attack the goat without reason, “I tip up a boulder, and let it fall thundering down at him” (139). The goat notices Grendel the entire encounter and completely ignores him. It climbs the cliff instinctively, attempting to dodge Grendel’s attacks, “he keeps on climbing, mindless, mechanical, because it is the business of goats to climb” (140). “I smile, threatened by an animal already dead, still climbing” (140). Grendel states that the reasoning of the goat is that it is its business to climb. His evil nature takes over when he is angered. He sings his praise of it, “The air is sweet with the scent of his blood” (140). Grendel still does not know why he commits these actions, yet he finds them satisfying to his being. Therefore Grendel is an exemplary choice of an existential character in the novel Grendel, based on the character of the same name. Grendel’s fight with nature only augments his hatred of others, causing a deeper and darker evil to be born. He turns to loneliness as a refuge when no one listens to him, as the goat did and before the humans. Because of his immaturity and misunderstanding of life, he becomes enraged, killing and/or eating anything that is in his way, finding solace after smelling or tasting
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