Grendel is a novel by John Gardner which in many ways is a parody of the epic poem Beowulf. Grendel talks about the different things that Anglo-Saxons held dear and mocks them. In Beowulf there is very much Anglo-Saxon society due to the fact that Beowulf was written around the Anglo-Saxon culture. Grendel exposes the brutal and vicious nature of what Anglo-Saxons believed to be the purpose of their life and the idea of heroism. Within Beowulf, heroism is seen in the hero Beowulf, but Grendel mocks and ridicules those who embody traits of heroism. Unferth is defined as an Anglo-Saxon hero, but Grendel humiliates Unferth by throwing apples during his boast. Grendel spares Unferth in each killing spree as a sign of humiliation to the trait of heroism. The Dragon who influences Grendel into a nihilist state of mind does a great job of pushing Grendel towards his cruel, nihilistic nature. Red Horse finally influences Hrothulf to embark on a rebellion, claiming it is heroic in a sense. In Beowulf, Beowulf is the embodiment of an Anglo-Saxon hero, however in Grendel; Beowulf is an average man who boasts of truly false feats that seem impossible. In all, Grendel is a great humiliation of the Anglo-Saxon culture and what they felt was important to life.
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