Isolation Theme in Grendel :: essays research papers

IsolationHave you ever felt as though youre alone in the gentlemans gentleman, even though you argon not? In the book Grendel, the main character is the last of his species, excluding his draw who might as well be non-existent in the novel. Grendel is a teras who speaks a language very similar to that of the human race he watches approximately constantly. He feels a certain attachment to them throughout the whole novel, exclusively he is unable to become close to any of them due to his terrible form. The humans are terrified of Grendel, and attack him whenever he comes near. He feels all told isolated, as do many people in our world.The story begins with a flash-back into Grendels early years. He is all alone even then, barely he is too young to realize it and fills this void with imaginary friends. He talks about how he entertained himself during his early years motto Crafty-eyed, wicked as an elderly wolf, I would scheme with or haunt my imaginary friends, projectin g the self I meant to become into every gamy corner of the cave and the woods above (17). People in our world may invent imaginary friends also, sometimes for companionship, as part of play, or for other reasons. Imaginary friends can serve as an important character of companionship to some children and even adults, especially if companionship is absent for them in the social world. As an example young children in boarding schools oft develop imaginary friends to cope with extreme stress and separation from their familiar(p) relations (www.phycologytoday.com/z10/fl/mllr.7se.php)Finding a mate is hard for Grendel, especially because hes the last of his species. However, he still has the akin emotions as humans when it comes to love. He first encounters these unfamiliar emotions when Hrothgar is given a wife named Wealtheow. Grendel thinks she is beautiful, and starts to second thought his war on the humans when he contemplates killing Wealtheow, saying to himself It would be meaningless, killing her. As meaningless as letting her live. It would be, for me, mere redundant pleasure, an illusion of order for this one frail, foolish, flicker-flash in the long dull hap of eternity. (108). Even though he is a monster, he still feels the same emotion of love that humans do. Grendel and the humans share a park language, but the humans disgust for, and fear of Grendel precludes any actual meaningful exchange.