Journal Five.

Topic: 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 believe Gardner made the decision to use Grendel as a narrator because we do not learn much about him from “Beowulf;” except the fact that he is the target of Beowulf and Hrothgar. By making Grendel the narrator, we get a view from the perspective of the monster as to why Grendel did what he did in “Beowulf”, and his thought process. By Grendel becoming the narrator we enter into his inner thoughts, as well as what appears to be the truth behind Hrothgar, Hrothgar’s hall, and the fighter (Beowulf) that comes to conquer Grendel. We lack a lot of information about the character of Grendel in the poem “Beowulf”. From “Beowulf”, all we learn is that he is a very strong monster conquering Hrothgar’s hall. By making Grendel the narrator we now have insight to that missing element of who Grendel actually is.

Because Grendel is a monster, a lonely, secluded monster, the story is told from a violent nature. Although he initially has the intent to want to change, it is his nature to want to kill things. Grendel’s status as a monster also results in him being very lonely and unable to communicate with humans. Since Grendel is so lonely, he tends to interact and talk more with himself than with the humans. Because of this factor, most of “Grendel” is told from a psychotic point of view.  In general, because Grendel is the monster and is avoided by many, “Grendel” becomes somewhat of a one-man show, because of this lack of communication between him and humans.