Comparing Spiritual Growth in Gardeners Grendel and Hesses Siddhartha

Spiritual Growth in Gardeners Grendel and Hesses Siddhartha A mythical beast who finds meaning in sidesplitting and a questioning wanderer who cannot find meaning in being both John Gardeners Grendel and Hermann Hesses Siddhartha grow and develop unearthlyly, yet their authors use vastly contrary styles to convey these changes. John Gardners revolutionary style is not encompassed by a single genre instead, he mixes first-person narrative and several different literary styles to leave the Ruiner of Meadhalls a unique voice. The use of first-person narrative is essential to convey Grendels spiritual growth. Were it not for Grendels often self-deprecatory tone, which varies from mocking - big shaggy monster wild and earnest, bent like a priest at his prayers (72) - to bitter and cynical - I, Grendel, was the dark side. The terrible race that God cursed (51) - Grendel would be impossible to revive to. Even Grendels bouts of insanity - &x20(whispering, whispering. Grendel has it occurred to you my dear that you are crazy?) are easily understood. Grendel varies from the simple, childish tone of Why cant I have someone to talk to? The Shaper has nation to talk to (53) to the dense philosophical metaphors and complex diction of Grendels conversation with the dragon. Gardener gives Grendel a purposefully guileless voice to illustrate both the monsters feelings of lost early days as well as his progression into a more sentient being. I think I was half prepared, in my dark, demented state, to see God, beard and gray as geometry, scowling down at me, shaking his bloodless finger. (53) The nihilistic dragon disagrees with Grendels humanization, regarding men scornfully a... ...orld, not to despise it, not for us to hate each other, but to be able to regard the world and ourselves and all beings with love, admiration, and respect. (147) Siddhartha progresses from an aloof and slightly arrogant youth, not unlike young Grendel, to a wise, satisfied man. The central difference between John Gardeners Grendel and Hermann Hesses Siddhartha, both stories of spiritual growth and development, is not thematic. Instead, vast differences in tone and language make the apologetic monster easy to empathize with and the soul-searching wanderer simple and detached. Despite their stylistic differences, both works stand alone as examples of philosophical and spiritual evolution. Works Cited Gardner, John. Grendel. 1971 rpt. New York Vintage Books, 1989. Hesse, Herman. Siddhartha. Dover Publications, 1998.