Journal #5

What is Grendel’s attitude toward language? How does it change throughout the novel?  [This cannot be completed until Gardner’s book is finished. Reminder: Keep up with the chart I gave you on Grendel’s language development.]

Throughout the novel Grendel, John Gardner relates the other side to the story of Grendel, the beast from the epic poem Beowulf.  In the story, Grendel’s language evolves and becomes more and more sophisticated as he gains knowledge and contact with the human world.  As Grendel spends more time observing and interacting with the humans, he picked up on their linguistic techniques and developed the skills and structure of the human language, incorporating it into his everyday speech.  In the beginning of the novel, Grendel has no linguistic structure at all, using only simple noises and gestures to communicate.  However, once Grendel is introduced to the Shaper, he develops a respect for the poetic nature of the human language.  Grendel sees the shaper as an “artist,” molding his people’s history with beautiful, intricate words.  Grendel also finds linguistic inspiration in Unferth, who uses his words to convince and persuade his thanes and followers.  Similarly to the Shaper, Unferth changes truth and mood with his language at the funeral, shifting the atmosphere from grieving to celebrating.

Throughout the course of Grendel’s encounters with the humans, the reader comes to know that Grendel can understand and speak the human language, although one does not witness him actually conversing with humans.  While observing the humans, Grendel often admires and despises the Shaper’s languages, realizing the power he possesses to spin lies and change history through his eloquent words.  Despite his comments on the Shaper and even Unferth at times, Grendel does not acknowledge his own advancement in language.  The reader becomes aware of Grendel’s linguistic developments only through the change in his syntax and writing style and he continues his story.  However, the reader also gains insight when Grendel implies that, even though he despises the Shaper at times, he envies his linguistic skills and wants to have that kind of power and influence.  He also starts to show off his language in chapter six when he refers to himself in poetic third term names such as “Ruiner of Meadhalls, Wrecker of Kings!”  This is one of the first examples the reader sees of Grendel actually speaking with humans.

Towards the end of the novel, Grendel’s language becomes even more advanced.  One major example of this is when Grendel writes an entire chapter in the form of a play.  He also demonstrates his linguistic skills by setting up characters’ speeches and monologues.  In addition, Grendel starts to write in poetry.  His poetic skills are seen when he writes about Hrothgar in phrases such as “Grendel is crazy O, O, O! Thinks old Hrothger makes it snow!” and “Grendel is crazy O, O, O! Thinks old Hrothger makes it snow!”  However, the ultimate display of Grendel’s improvement of language is when he speaks with Unferth, who actually understands and carries on a conversation.  This event proves that Grendel has so evolved that he could communicate with the humans, no longer being isolated in his world of silence.