Grendel : A Modern Myth by Justin

Grendel : A Modern Myth by Justin - February 2015 Scholarship Essay

Grendel is a novel by John Gardner, written in the 1970s. It is a retelling of the oldest known story in the English language, Beowulf. In that story, Beowulf kills the monster Grendel, who had been attacking the keep of King Hrothgar for many years. Grendel is the story told from Grendel's perspective, how he became a monster. Grendel starts out as just an ugly "monster" (in appearance) who is curious about humans. When they attack him for being a hideous monster, after no provocation at all, and a conversation with a misanthropic dragon, decides that the humans who abused him are the real monsters, and decides to kill them all.

In my opinion, this story is of critical importance in the modern world we live in, where bullied kids have on many occasions decided to arm themselves and massacre their tormenters (or more often, innocent people who did them no wrong). A story from the perspective of such a "person" (Grendel is still a hideous non-human creature), showing their mindset, how all they ever wanted was to be appreciated for who they are instead of made into a social outcast for it, could make some people second guess their decision to bully the socially awkward kid.

In addition, Grendel is essentially an Old English style prose poem that is written in modern English (with odd diction and some strange, rarely-used words thrown in to demonstrate that Grendel isn't quite human). It is a way to expose modern people to the writing style of Beowulf, which is a story that is studied quite frequently in high school, and is a window into the changes in the writing of prose since the Norman Conquest, a way to help preserve the legacy of our cultural ancestors.

In conclusion, Grendel is a rare book that has both enough interesting content (interesting characters, fantastic action sequences, and the absolutely terrifying description of being on the receiving end of a beatdown from the oldest hero in the English language) to keep students engaged while also having the framework to deliver a message that is necessary in modern society.