82 pages • 2 hours read
John GardnerA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Summary
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Character Analysis
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
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Analyze Gardner’s use of humor. How does it enhance the pathos of Grendel’s experience? How does it detract from the emotion?
Describe Grendel’s relationship with his mother. How might a psychoanalytic reading of the novel as a whole interpret this relationship?
Some scholars consider Grendel a postmodern masterpiece. Consider the characteristics of postmodernism, and evaluate this statement.