Grendel can't stay away - he is addicted to poetry. And to his role in the story.
20 comments:
Vivi
said...
Grendel is still a child, in a sense. He seems so sad, his screams are those of pleas. He's addicted to the order of words, the song that enchants his belief in truth. He is amazed at the Shaper's super power and can't help but be called into the music, into the lies of humanity. John Gardner finally points out that the Shaper shapes history, shapes the belief of humanity, past, present, and future. Grendel looks at this Shaper's power and see's a god in human form. Who else can create such an aura of such calmness and flow that the words move like water, slowly turning into truth. As Grendel looks at human lovers, I catch the sense that he is jealous. He's so lonely, and humans have so many to love. His loneliness is only covered by his hate for mankind so blatantly. He does appreciate their capacity for understanding though. He wouldn't feel so alone. The harp is mmagic. Grendel is still as sensitive as a child. He wants to get along with them, be friends, even temporarily, but they hate him so much. Their destruction will be their own.
I feel worse for Grendel in this chapter than any other so far. The idea that his attacks on Hrothgar's hall start off as a desperate attempt to communicate with the men, barging down the door and yelling "Friend! Friend!" and being responded to with a bunch of axe wielding Danes is really sad. It makes it far more understandable for him to retaliate as well. It's also interesting just how soon after the fact the shaper can begin to change the past. The night after Grendel's first raid he is already singing a heavily fictionalized version of it which the men completely buy. -Charlie
Poor Grendel. He tries to make friends and he ends up with a bunch of pointy sticks in him for his trouble... If that was it he could just leave and never mind the humans again, but he gets addicted to the Shaper's stories. So he just does like a creeper and hangs around the mead hall. By doing that he hears the extremely inaccurate version of Grendel's "attack" on the mead hall. Which makes Grendel realize that the Shaper changes peoples conceptions of what happened in the past, and what will happen in the future. So the Shaper is like a time traveler, so the Shaper equals DOCTOR WHO! 8D (nerd attack!)
Grendel's entire world is being torn apart, then rebuilt by the words of the Shaper. He seems like he's trying to convince himself that the shaper is wrong, but in doing so, making himself believe everything he said. The shaper told of Cain, the father of all monsters. Grendel knew that wasn't true, but the shapers words seemed to have an effect on him like they did all the men. He wants to believe what the shaper says. He wants it, and it scares him. He seems like all he wants are friends. His failed attempts to befriend the humans seemed to make him truly believe the shaper, and he flies into a rage at the humans.
Grendel is addicted. He's addicted to the feelings he gets when he listens to the Shaper. The feeling that he had a purpose and a meaning, even if he has to be the bad guy. The feeling that the world is beautiful and humans are mighty, even though he knows it's all lies. The feeling that the future could be great and things can change, even though he sees the true mechanical way the world is. Grendel wants these lies to be true because they're positive. He doesn't want the world to be some pointless, meaningless place. He wants it to be like the fairy tales. This reminds me of a kid learning that the Tooth Fairy doesn't exist and Santa Claus isn't real. Grendel is like an adult, wanting to believe what children do... When Grendel is "converted" to believe he is evil, I think it was really touching when he started crying and burst into the hall. He was saying things like "Mercy! Peace!" Then he just got on his knees and cried, "Friend! Friend!" I think Grendel didn't want to be cursed or evil. He just wanted to be friends and have someone to talk to. I felt really bad for Grendel during this part especially because he seemed so heartbroken and defeated...
In this chapter I like how Grandal, or John Gardner, just got straight to the point of the crab thing.:) That was cool. Haha. I also like how he really emphasizes that the Shaper, kinda is the one who built the halls and everything. Hrothgar wouldn't be where he was then if it hadn't been for the Shaper. He mad him great! It's cool how the Shaper also shaper also shapes Grendal.... Though it isn't that cool for Grandal, since he now becomes the scary and crazy monster that Hrothgar and his city has to deal with.... But now Grendal feels like now he's found his reason for being alive. It's very scary that the Shaper can also project and shape the future... He can essentially make anything happen... And that's very scary that that power is in one persons hands... Especially a person who lies as long as he gets paid.
I enjoyed seeing John Gardner exxaggerate the power of the shaper even more. He shapes Hrothgar and his glory. He twists and turns the meaningless stories of the past into epic poems. He even shapes the possibilities of the future by the telling of his tales. Grendel even becomes convinced he is an evil demon from the shaper singing of the evil Grendel. He thinks that he is evil so he can give himself a purpose. I feel bad for Grendel feeling even worse, knowing that his death at the hands of men is imminent. He knows his time is coming. He then sulks in his own loneliness. Very sad indeed. At least Grendel begins to sense the dragon's presence so that he will have a companion.
In this chapter you start to connect with Grendel and become more aware of why he is so depressed and the way he looks at human nature. The way that Grendel looks at humans is basically the way we think of monsters, their strange creatures that aren’t capable to understand what is really happening. Grendel is second guessing himself on the stories of the shaper and almost driving himself crazy. Its like Grendel doesn’t know what to believe.
I liked how it was just straight to the Cancer symbol. There was no hesitation or hiding of it. John Gardner just went ahead and got it out of the way so he was able to continue with what he wanted to write about. I really liked how the Shaper became so much more than just someone who told stories. He became someone who changed everything. He made the king what he is and he shaped what people believe. I feel bad for poor Grendel because he is jealous of the humans but also believes that they are not as smart as he is. Grendel just wants someone to talk to and love </3 :'(
In this chapter Grendel realizes the differences between him and the humans. He can really notice the differences between their languages. I can also tell that he is extremely sad and feels distant from everyone. I can tell that Grendel looks up at the shaper is extremely interested with him. Grendel is confused on everything that is going on around him.
In this chapter you really start to understand Grendel better than in the any of the other chapters and in this chapter I also felt sad sometimes for Grendel. The author of the book, John Gardner also point out many thing about Grendel that were not know before that would make him be looked upon different. The Shaper also tells more stories in this chapter.
I find that the world Grendel lives in is so naive because of all the lies they are fed, and they eat it all up. I find it amazing that the shaper has so much power within himself without even noticing it. He is changing the world with his songs that are filled with lies. Lies being told over and over again can leave you to question whether it's the truth or not. Eventually you slowly believe the lies, even though in the back of your tea, you know it's not the truth. Moreover, I think that Grendel is a lot more miserable in this chapter so far because of all the internal debating going though his mind. With this in mind, it must also be stressful to talk to only yourself and not being able to communicate with others.
I feel bad for Grendel. The shaper is really screwing him over with his words, because Grendel thinks of him as a god. I guess that you could refer The shaper as "god-like", because he shapes the beliefs of past, present and future. this chapter also makes him understand the difference between the humans and himself. Even though he is trying to be the friendly one to the humans, he will always be taken as the "horrible Monster."
In this chapter, Grendel finds both purpose and loneliness. It was interesting that the story of Grendel packed so much into one chapter. When he discovers his meaning as the bad guy, he is filled with a sense of hope. However on the other hand he is filled with a sense of loneliness when he realizes that Hrothgar has "people to talk to." A similar dilemma was also present upon the entrance of the "Shaper" to the story. Grendel finds himself fighting his own mind and trying to decipher the truth. This, was obviously a direct stab at today's society, and how we view events and people in the past as well as the present.
In this chapter, I was interested by how Grendel makes a big point about how the Shaper has a lot of power that influences how people perceive things. I find it a little bit odd how Grendel keeps pointing out how the things that the Shaper says are lies. I find it odd because Grendel can point this stuff out, but the humans can’t. I am just curious why the humans understand the truth. I guess you could say that they believe it because they want to believe that stuff. For example, when the Shaper talks about Hrothgar, the people may want to believe that Hrothgar is some great man and a hero rather than just view Hrothgar as someone that actually is not such a great man and a hero.
Grendel is so affected by the Shaper's verbal power that it brings him to charge into Hrothgar's hall begging for friendship. In my opinion, as well as showing just how deeply connected to poetry he is, this also gives insight into how lonely Grendel must be. The Shaper's lies give him a sense of purpose; they make him feel like he belongs somewhere in the story of the world.
His attempts to communicate with the humans bring about death instead of comfort, and this is the start of Grendel's belief that he really is destined to be the monster.
In this chapter Grendel finds Out from the shaper that he has a role in life and he is not just a useless hunk of fur. Theres a problem though, he didn't find this out by himself, the Shaper assigned it to him. This just prove how powerful the shapers words are. Grendel is now confused whether or not he should follow what the Shaper said or totally ignore it. I think that Grendel is more scared in this chapter than in the one in which he is a baby. Now that he is able to fully understand the context in which the humans speak and is able to know that they are arrogant and foolish, he knows that true pain is not physical but mental.
I feel really sad for Grendel! Grendel is desperate to talk to the humans and to try to be their friend. The way in which he tried to connect with them probably wasn't the best, but he's a monster! (He doesn't really pay attention to human manners that much.) The Shaper makes me really mad. He's telling all these lies and everyone else just believes them because they want it to be true. Grendel is infuriated by this and yet, he can't stop listening. I am eager to read more.
Although the Shaper is telling/singing lies they still seem to have a heavy impact on his life, they give him purpose, meaning, however horrible role is. You can feel his connection with the Shaper's poetry, obviously because he himself is a poet.
20 comments:
Grendel is still a child, in a sense. He seems so sad, his screams are those of pleas. He's addicted to the order of words, the song that enchants his belief in truth. He is amazed at the Shaper's super power and can't help but be called into the music, into the lies of humanity. John Gardner finally points out that the Shaper shapes history, shapes the belief of humanity, past, present, and future.
Grendel looks at this Shaper's power and see's a god in human form. Who else can create such an aura of such calmness and flow that the words move like water, slowly turning into truth.
As Grendel looks at human lovers, I catch the sense that he is jealous. He's so lonely, and humans have so many to love. His loneliness is only covered by his hate for mankind so blatantly. He does appreciate their capacity for understanding though. He wouldn't feel so alone.
The harp is mmagic.
Grendel is still as sensitive as a child.
He wants to get along with them, be friends, even temporarily, but they hate him so much. Their destruction will be their own.
I feel worse for Grendel in this chapter than any other so far. The idea that his attacks on Hrothgar's hall start off as a desperate attempt to communicate with the men, barging down the door and yelling "Friend! Friend!" and being responded to with a bunch of axe wielding Danes is really sad. It makes it far more understandable for him to retaliate as well.
It's also interesting just how soon after the fact the shaper can begin to change the past. The night after Grendel's first raid he is already singing a heavily fictionalized version of it which the men completely buy.
-Charlie
Poor Grendel. He tries to make friends and he ends up with a bunch of pointy sticks in him for his trouble... If that was it he could just leave and never mind the humans again, but he gets addicted to the Shaper's stories. So he just does like a creeper and hangs around the mead hall. By doing that he hears the extremely inaccurate version of Grendel's "attack" on the mead hall. Which makes Grendel realize that the Shaper changes peoples conceptions of what happened in the past, and what will happen in the future. So the Shaper is like a time traveler, so the Shaper equals DOCTOR WHO! 8D (nerd attack!)
Grendel's entire world is being torn apart, then rebuilt by the words of the Shaper. He seems like he's trying to convince himself that the shaper is wrong, but in doing so, making himself believe everything he said. The shaper told of Cain, the father of all monsters. Grendel knew that wasn't true, but the shapers words seemed to have an effect on him like they did all the men. He wants to believe what the shaper says. He wants it, and it scares him. He seems like all he wants are friends. His failed attempts to befriend the humans seemed to make him truly believe the shaper, and he flies into a rage at the humans.
-William
Test
Grendel is addicted. He's addicted to the feelings he gets when he listens to the Shaper. The feeling that he had a purpose and a meaning, even if he has to be the bad guy. The feeling that the world is beautiful and humans are mighty, even though he knows it's all lies. The feeling that the future could be great and things can change, even though he sees the true mechanical way the world is. Grendel wants these lies to be true because they're positive. He doesn't want the world to be some pointless, meaningless place. He wants it to be like the fairy tales. This reminds me of a kid learning that the Tooth Fairy doesn't exist and Santa Claus isn't real. Grendel is like an adult, wanting to believe what children do...
When Grendel is "converted" to believe he is evil, I think it was really touching when he started crying and burst into the hall. He was saying things like "Mercy! Peace!" Then he just got on his knees and cried, "Friend! Friend!" I think Grendel didn't want to be cursed or evil. He just wanted to be friends and have someone to talk to. I felt really bad for Grendel during this part especially because he seemed so heartbroken and defeated...
In this chapter I like how Grandal, or John Gardner, just got straight to the point of the crab thing.:) That was cool. Haha. I also like how he really emphasizes that the Shaper, kinda is the one who built the halls and everything. Hrothgar wouldn't be where he was then if it hadn't been for the Shaper. He mad him great! It's cool how the Shaper also shaper also shapes Grendal.... Though it isn't that cool for Grandal, since he now becomes the scary and crazy monster that Hrothgar and his city has to deal with.... But now Grendal feels like now he's found his reason for being alive. It's very scary that the Shaper can also project and shape the future... He can essentially make anything happen... And that's very scary that that power is in one persons hands... Especially a person who lies as long as he gets paid.
I enjoyed seeing John Gardner exxaggerate the power of the shaper even more. He shapes Hrothgar and his glory. He twists and turns the meaningless stories of the past into epic poems. He even shapes the possibilities of the future by the telling of his tales. Grendel even becomes convinced he is an evil demon from the shaper singing of the evil Grendel. He thinks that he is evil so he can give himself a purpose. I feel bad for Grendel feeling even worse, knowing that his death at the hands of men is imminent. He knows his time is coming. He then sulks in his own loneliness. Very sad indeed. At least Grendel begins to sense the dragon's presence so that he will have a companion.
In this chapter you start to connect with Grendel and become more aware of why he is so depressed and the way he looks at human nature. The way that Grendel looks at humans is basically the way we think of monsters, their strange creatures that aren’t capable to understand what is really happening. Grendel is second guessing himself on the stories of the shaper and almost driving himself crazy. Its like Grendel doesn’t know what to believe.
I liked how it was just straight to the Cancer symbol. There was no hesitation or hiding of it. John Gardner just went ahead and got it out of the way so he was able to continue with what he wanted to write about. I really liked how the Shaper became so much more than just someone who told stories. He became someone who changed everything. He made the king what he is and he shaped what people believe. I feel bad for poor Grendel because he is jealous of the humans but also believes that they are not as smart as he is. Grendel just wants someone to talk to and love </3 :'(
In this chapter Grendel realizes the differences between him and the humans. He can really notice the differences between their languages. I can also tell that he is extremely sad and feels distant from everyone. I can tell that Grendel looks up at the shaper is extremely interested with him. Grendel is confused on everything that is going on around him.
In this chapter you really start to understand Grendel better than in the any of the other chapters and in this chapter I also felt sad sometimes for Grendel. The author of the book, John Gardner also point out many thing about Grendel that were not know before that would make him be looked upon different. The Shaper also tells more stories in this chapter.
I find that the world Grendel lives in is so naive because of all the lies they are fed, and they eat it all up. I find it amazing that the shaper has so much power within himself without even noticing it. He is changing the world with his songs that are filled with lies. Lies being told over and over again can leave you to question whether it's the truth or not. Eventually you slowly believe the lies, even though in the back of your tea, you know it's not the truth. Moreover, I think that Grendel is a lot more miserable in this chapter so far because of all the internal debating going though his mind. With this in mind, it must also be stressful to talk to only yourself and not being able to communicate with others.
I feel bad for Grendel. The shaper is really screwing him over with his words, because Grendel thinks of him as a god. I guess that you could refer The shaper as "god-like", because he shapes the beliefs of past, present and future. this chapter also makes him understand the difference between the humans and himself. Even though he is trying to be the friendly one to the humans, he will always be taken as the "horrible Monster."
In this chapter, Grendel finds both purpose and loneliness. It was interesting that the story of Grendel packed so much into one chapter. When he discovers his meaning as the bad guy, he is filled with a sense of hope. However on the other hand he is filled with a sense of loneliness when he realizes that Hrothgar has "people to talk to."
A similar dilemma was also present upon the entrance of the "Shaper" to the story. Grendel finds himself fighting his own mind and trying to decipher the truth. This, was obviously a direct stab at today's society, and how we view events and people in the past as well as the present.
In this chapter, I was interested by how Grendel makes a big point about how the Shaper has a lot of power that influences how people perceive things. I find it a little bit odd how Grendel keeps pointing out how the things that the Shaper says are lies. I find it odd because Grendel can point this stuff out, but the humans can’t. I am just curious why the humans understand the truth. I guess you could say that they believe it because they want to believe that stuff. For example, when the Shaper talks about Hrothgar, the people may want to believe that Hrothgar is some great man and a hero rather than just view Hrothgar as someone that actually is not such a great man and a hero.
Grendel is so affected by the Shaper's verbal power that it brings him to charge into Hrothgar's hall begging for friendship. In my opinion, as well as showing just how deeply connected to poetry he is, this also gives insight into how lonely Grendel must be. The Shaper's lies give him a sense of purpose; they make him feel like he belongs somewhere in the story of the world.
His attempts to communicate with the humans bring about death instead of comfort, and this is the start of Grendel's belief that he really is destined to be the monster.
In this chapter Grendel finds Out from the shaper that he has a role in life and he is not just a useless hunk of fur. Theres a problem though, he didn't find this out by himself, the Shaper assigned it to him. This just prove how powerful the shapers words are. Grendel is now confused whether or not he should follow what the Shaper said or totally ignore it. I think that Grendel is more scared in this chapter than in the one in which he is a baby. Now that he is able to fully understand the context in which the humans speak and is able to know that they are arrogant and foolish, he knows that true pain is not physical but mental.
I feel really sad for Grendel! Grendel is desperate to talk to the humans and to try to be their friend. The way in which he tried to connect with them probably wasn't the best, but he's a monster! (He doesn't really pay attention to human manners that much.) The Shaper makes me really mad. He's telling all these lies and everyone else just believes them because they want it to be true. Grendel is infuriated by this and yet, he can't stop listening.
I am eager to read more.
Although the Shaper is telling/singing lies they still seem to have a heavy impact on his life, they give him purpose, meaning, however horrible role is. You can feel his connection with the Shaper's poetry, obviously because he himself is a poet.
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