9/16/04

Is Man a Monster"

Sometimes, when different views on subjects are presented, it is difficult to decide on whom to believe. No two people who witness an event will have exactly the same story, but will add misconceptions and views of their own. This is the case when comparing the literary works Grendel, by John Gardner, and Beowulf, the earliest example of Anglo-Saxon literature. The view that differentiates the most between the two accounts is the idea of who exhibits the characteristics of a monster. Grendel is the obvious choice because he has sharp teeth and is covered in fur, but humans show many of the qualities that they speak ill of found in the character Grendel. In Beowulf, Grendel is described as a mindless murderer, pure evil out to destroy mankind. In the novel Grendel, however, humans are the monsters because they kill each other...