Grendel by John Gardner

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Description:

A modern novel inspired by an ancient story, Grendel is told from the point of view of the first monster killed by Beowulf. It clarifies aspects of Beowulf—including allusions to other Scandinavian legends, Grendel’s possible motives for feuding with the Danish king, and an interesting explanation about Unferth—and emphasizes that Grendel is wrong: the world is not meaningless. Reading Grendel along with Beowulf provides an excellent opportunity to observe how an author can influence a reader’s sympathies and judgments by the viewpoint of the narrator of the story.

Activities:

Students identify key themes, analyze the story structure, and compare the effects of point of view. They also examine elements of style: poetry, kennings, images, symbols, and black humor.

Supplementary materials include essay topics, a crossword puzzle, and objective tests with answer keys.

Ethical Values: