Analysis Of The Dragon In The Novel 'Grendel' By John Gardner

Words: 354
Pages: 2
Open Document
In John Gardner’s novel Grendel, the Dragon encourages the reader to ponder the relativity of life and the obscurity of emotion, pushing people to question the power of their own, potentially futile, existence. The dragon acknowledges the insignificance of life when he refers to a lifetime as only a short, yet simple “swirl in the stream of time” (70). Typically, human beings tend to view their lives through a solipsistic lens, believing that one’s own life is superior to others. With this, humans gain a sense of false comfort and inflated worth. Furthermore, water connotes life and rebirth; the cyclical component in this instance is the swirls, which represent the constant cycle of life. The cycle where one dies and is replaced with a new
Show More

Related Documents: Analysis Of The Dragon In The Novel 'Grendel' By John Gardner

Nihilism In Grendel

In the novel, Grendel, by John Gardner, the main character, Grendel undergoes very important philosophical changes. Even though humans see Grendel as nothing more than a mindless beast, his philosophical development throughout the book shines a light on his true intelligence. Grendel’s starting philosophy is existentialism but it changes to nihilism after he meets the dragon. At the beginning of the story, Grendel feels isolated because he realizes that he is unique; there is no one like him. Another…

Words 506 - Pages 3

Evil In Grendel Research Paper

Javier A. Frausto Ms. Herrera English 4 AP December 7, 2015 Evil in Grendel There is no right definition of what can be constituted as “evil”. Philosophers from all over the world have struggled to understand the concept since ancient times, which has led to the creation of a variety of theories surrounding it, some of which contradict each other. Despite the multiple theories on it, most philosophers agree that evil is real, and it is present all around the globe. Barbarity has always been a central…

Words 1087 - Pages 5