Roslyn Marshall
Mr. Lerma
English 1B
1 December 2014
Word Count: 3,399 Grendel: A Symbol for the Unknown
In the history of human civilization, stories have always had an educative role. In the literary works of fiction, authors use diverse images and symbols in order to trigger a particular reaction from the audience. Some authors, however, use traditional images in new contexts challenging the audience's perception of those iconic characters. Authors often argue that characters can have different meanings and symbolism in different cultures and different times. The best example of these new meanings is seen through the writing about iconic monsters in different time periods. From the analysis’ of Beowulf and Grendel: The Truth Behind England’s Oldest Legend by John Grigsby and Grendel by John Gardner, the character of Grendel in both books is the symbolic meaning of how society is afraid of the unknown. When people are confronted with an unfamiliar circumstance, it is human nature to twist the unknown into something frightening and unacceptable. …show more content…
That is why the original Beowulf tale Grendel is very different from the one described by Gardner and Grigsby. While the common sense would argue that the eating flesh monster of the dark ages has very little to offer the contemporary audience, the reality is that the character of Grendel became quite popular in the modern culture (Farrell 934). Jennifer Farrell argues: “Part of Grendel’s allure is the fact that he remains a mystery. His past is