In John Gardner's Grendel, the narrator, Grendel, is a dynamic character whose personality, language, and ideas grow as the narrative progresses. He goes on a philosophical journey in his quest for self-knowledge and a purpose in life. He begins as a juvenile, brainless character who doesn't think much about anything. As he is exposed to different characters and events, his philosophies change and expand. Grendel has acquired knowledge of literature, politics, and especially philosophical ideas in the twelve years he observes and interacts with the humans.
Grendel starts as a child with limited world-views in chapter one of Grendel. He develops his vision of the world in chapter one when he commences to venture aboveground. The first philosophy that Grendel follows is solipsism, which is the idea that one's own mind is all that exists. In chapter two, Grendel becomes a solipsist when he states, "I exist, nothing else" (28) while he is hanging from a tree.
In chapter 11, Grendel acknowledges the nihilism of John-Paul Sartre. The dragon tells Grendel that men are isolated individuals in an accidental world without the presence of God. It is up to humans to create their own values. He believes that these values are meaningless outside the individual consciousness. Grendel states several times after being defeated by Beowulf that "it was an accident" (173). His last words were: "Poor Grendel's had an accident. So may you all" (174). Grendel ends the story on with this quote that portrays his evolved philosophy of Sartre's nihilism.
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