Chapter 5

Important Quotes Explained:

"“Nevertheless, something will come of all this,” I said."

These are the last words that Grendel and the dragon say to each other before Chapter 5 ends. The dragon continues to hover over Grendel's life throughout the remainder of the book, although their direct interaction has come to an end. Grendel gets to witness the full essence of time as the dragon perceives it, as it stretches out toward both its beginning and its conclusion. According to the dragon, time is akin to a black hole, eventually annihilating the universe. The whole history of humanity seems like a fleeting flash in the great expanse of time.

"Some evil inside myself pushed out into the trees. I knew what I knew, the mindless, mechanical bruteness of things, and when the harper's lure drew my mind away to hopeful dreams, the dark of what was and always was reached out and snatched at my feet." (Gardner 54)

If you can overthrow a monster who eats humans, then you know your behavior is really questionable. Early on in the book, Grendel observes astutely that humans are dangerous. And the reason they're terrifying is that despite their capacity for thought and planning, they utilize it to harm, murder, and waste resources. Grendel points out that this is a uniquely human evil because no savage animal would engage in such behavior.

"My knowledge of the future does not cause the future. It merely sees it, exactly as creatures at your low level recall things past. And even if, say, I interfere—burn up somebody's meadhall, for instance, whether because I just feel like it or because some supplicant asked me to—even then I do not change the future, I merely do what I saw from the beginning... Let's say it's settled then. So much for free will and intercession!" (Gardner 63)

Grendel bears numerous lifelong scars from his initial childhood accident. It's his first encounter with the apathy of the cosmos, and the only thing he can do to lessen the psychological trauma of the event is to come up with a philosophy that addresses it. It indicates a rather strong sense of self-determination in this instance—others exist only if and when he perceives them. That stone across from you? If Grendel stubs his toe on it, then it's only a rock. When you consider it, it's actually a pretty effective protective mechanism.

"The essence of life is to be found in the frustrations of established order. The universe refuses the deadening influence of complete conformity." (67)

Here, Baby Grendel is truly experiencing a philosophical awakening. He's having a few. He first feels that there is no point to existence or pain. Then, quite fittingly for a juvenile being, he registers as a solipsist. According to this concept, the mind that sees physical objects is the only entity that gives them existence. Maybe it's a way for the imprisoned monster to protect himself, giving him a feeling of control over his unfortunate circumstances.

"In a billion billion billion years, everything will have come and gone several times, in various forms. Even I will be gone. A certain man will absurdly kill me. A terrible pity—loss of a remarkable form of life. Conservationists will how." He chuckled. "Meaningless, however..." (70)

Although the dragon rambles on endlessly, this is the most coherent he ever gets. His belief that the universe and everything living inside it grows through a sequence of accidents and disasters is evident. The dragon believes that it's a way of life. He cautions Grendel against considering himself to be especially significant or predestined. Each of us is really a "pointless accident."

"Pick an apocalypse, any apocalypse. A sea of black oil and dead things. No wind. No light. Nothing stirring, not even an ant, a spider. A silent universe. Such is the end of the flicker of time, the brief, hot fuse of events and ideas set off, accidentally, and snuffed out, accidentally, by man. Not a real ending of course, nor even a beginning. Mere ripple in Time's stream." (71)

In contrast to the dragon's (ironic, we know) calm demeanor, Grendel comes across as a whiny, emotional wreck. But keep in mind that, despite the dragon's ability to speak objectively about the most basic aspects of life, Gardner makes it rather evident that this might not be the wisest course of action. The dragon can only sit on a pile of gold and count it, after all.