John Gardner’s Grendel follows the philosophical evolution of a socially isolated creature, a monster. Despite the humanistic characteristics that dominate his inner being, Grendel simply cannot escape his innate monstrosity. As he attempts to understand this personal struggle between good and evil, Grendel essentially destroys himself. ... With the loss of his soul comes a sense of utter boredom and indignation; symbolically, Grendel dies long before his body fails him. ...
The two extremes from which Grendel has to choose exist in the dragon – whose Nihilistic tendencies represent the chaos and evil – and Beowulf – whose honor and nobility represent goodness and perfection. Grendel’s visit with the dragon in chapter five symbolizes his first contact with nihilism, or the belief that nothing has meaning and that life is a long series of accidents (and is in itself an accident).
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