The Grinch Who Stole Herot
Once upon a time many years ago there lived a monster in a cave. He was a hideous beast with green fur and yellow teeth. The townspeople feared him and would never approach his cave, he in turn would never venture out to the town for he new he was not wanted and didn't like the people much anyhow. There was one particular day of the year that he couldn't stand, and on this day he vowed to ruin the towsnfolk's fun, for if he could not have any, why should they. This story should sound somewhat familiar, it is the story of the Grinch, but it seems to have a lot in common with Beowulf, in specific Grendel. Both Characters were outcasts from society, symbolic of a displaced people, and even though Grendel is portrayed as an evil monster, he is not just a simple killer. His is a tale of loss, sorrow, resistance, and death, and has been seen in cultures throughout the centuries. Grendel's tale of displacement stems back to the time of Adam and Eve and their children Cain and Able. When Cain killed Able, God "banished him far from mankind". Grendel is a descendant of Cain, so he shares Cain's banishment. He is displaced not only from whatever land or wealth he would have if he were "human" but he is also displaced from God. It is this
This is the main reason Grendel is a symbol of displaced peoples. Like other displaced peoples, he has nowhere that is a refuge to him, because he has been removed from his home, or in Grendel's case, the love of the Lord. That's why Grendel, "driven by evil desire and swollen with rage", worked so hard at attempting to destroy Herot. Throughout the text, references are made to Grendel as "the walker in darkness". He is a bane to all those that live under Hrothgar's rule. loss of human emotion that causes Grendel to destroy. Grendel is not only banished from God's light, but from the light in general. The text refers to him as a "creature deprived of joy", and also refers to Grendel's dwelling as "his joyless home". This kind of imagery further shows how displaced Grendel has become. Grendels sorrow is derivative from his banishment from the light as well as his appearance as a monster. It is the reasons for his actions that were the same as the Grinch's. Grendel has been cheated out of one thing that God could not take away, and that was the joy of life. Grendel was the first in a class of outsiders, he was one of the fellows that just didn't fit in, and was never given the opportunity to show his true worth, or at least share in the joy that surrounded him. He has been banished from the light, and now the people are going to banish him from all human contact. And like any race that has lost its land or home, he fought back, if not to get back in the light, then to at least make sure no one else can enjoy it.
Common topics in this essay:
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Able God,
,
Lord Grendel,
Rudolf Grendel,
Grendel Characters,
Herot Grendel's,
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Eve Grendel,
Grendel God,
displaced people,
adam eve,
home joy,
displaced peoples,
god's light,
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symbol displaced,
grendel symbol displaced,
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Acceptance Essays
