Journal 3

Grendel has difficultly when it comes to his relationship with language. In the beginning of the novel Grendel embraces language but has very little capabilities of his own. Grendel believes that language is the key to acceptance and peace. Grendel hears the Shaper and how his words bring peace to the humans and how his words allow him to be accepted into society. By the end of the novel Grendel uses various complicated literary styles. Some of these styles include: arranging text in different forms, writing in others' voices, and writing as if this novel were an epic. In the novel Grendel’s biggest problem with language is that his language isn’t the same as the humans, though he thinks it is. He tries desperately to speak to the humans, but by the end of the novel Grendel realizes the world around him is not as he would wish it to be. He becomes frustrated with humans and the world in general, and stays in his cave. Grendel's speech becomes more simplistic until he cannot even make a grammatically proper last sentence.