Journal 3: What is Grendel’s attitude toward language?

              In the beginning of Grendel, his language is very primitive. His vocabulary consisted of grunts and moans. He lived in linguistic isolation, in a cave with his mother. This linguistic isolation leads to emotional loneliness and frustration. Grendel soon sees language as an escape. When he starts to venture out of the cave he will mimic the language of the humans, making him feel less alone. Grendel begins trying to speak with humans but is sadden and angered when he is misunderstood, this deepens his feeling of loneliness and frustration. He is trapped in his own head not allowed to express his feeling to others.

                After hearing the Shaper’s epic poetry Grendel wants to be a part of their world. Grendel is willing to be an evil character as long as he is accepted. In the novel he is alone but desperately tries to be with the humans, as he watches and observes them, and at least be in the stories and literature. Slowly, throughout the story he will begin to understand the language the humans speak, therefore being able to speak it himself. The reader will see Grendel using verses, lines and brackets in his speech. He speaks from his own consciousness and ties the story in a modern sense.