Evidence of Existentialist Philosophy In John Gardners Grendel free essay sample

This essay traces the development of Grendels reluctant acceptance of an existentialist philosophy in John Gardners novel. The following essay shows how the central character in Gardners novel, Grendel, moves away from a nihilistic sense of self and toward what eastern philosophies describe as a sense of enlightenment. From the paper: `In his very early days, even the evil, man-eating Grendel was an innocent creature. `I lived those years, as do all young things, in a spell. Like a puppy nipping, playfully growling preparing for battle with wolves` (Gardner 16). It is only when he ventures into the world and gets caught in a tree from which he is unable to escape, that he experiences his first fears that the world is not as he had previously conceived it to be. With his foot stuck in the tree and a bull repeatedly charging, but missing him, Grendel comes to a realization. We will write a custom essay sample on Evidence of Existentialist Philosophy In John Gardners Grendel or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page `I understood that, finally and absolutely, I alone exist. All the rest, I saw, is merely what pushes me or what I push against, blindly . . .` (Gardner 22). It is also during this particular scene that Grendel first comes into contact with men.`