“Evil influence is like a nicotine patch, you cannot help but absorb what sticks to you. E.A. Bucchianeri)” This quote, stated by E.A. Bucchianeri in her book, Brushstrokes of a Gadfly, shows that any negative influence given will stick. Bucchianeri conveys her ideas by using an analogy about how nicotine patches are bad, but will always stay with you. This can be compared to the novel Grendel because both show that bad influences can stick forever. In John Gardner’s novel, Grendel, Grendel transforms into a viscous monster influenced by the actions of humankind, this plunge into a world of violence can be deeply related to the multiple attacks by humans and their senseless attacks on one another. In Gardner's novel, Grendel, one significant …show more content…
However, time and time again, the humans reject Grendel's advances and only look to kill him. E.G. Grendel asserts, “I tried to yell. It scared them all out. (Gardner 27)” In this quote, Grendel is stuck and pleads for help from the humans. At first, the humans do offer their support but get scared and attack Grendel when he is only asking for assistance. Over time Grendel sees a recurrence of this due to his multiple attempts to adapt to the human society, however, he is always rejected. Throughout the novel, Grendel, Grendel shows that he is deeply affected by the humans' actions, of which leads him to transform into a terrifying monster. Another reason for Grendel’s transformation into a monster is due to the humans’ ongoing violence towards one another. Throughout the novel, Grendel witnesses the Hrothgar kingdom and other Danish tribes engage in brutal fights filled with senseless violence and destruction. During these skirmishes, Grendel sees how humans are very power-hungry, unwilling to lose a battle, that in his beliefs, will not matter in a hundred years. E.G. Grendel states, “There was nothing to stop the advance of