Compare and Contrasting Two Monster Stories (Essay Sample)

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Compare and Contrasting Two Monster Stories
A monster is a mythological animal with a ferocious, physical appearance; it can either be partly animal and partly human. Examples of monster stories are Grendel and Frankenstein. Frankenstein is a story written by Mary Shelley. It is about the monstrous creature that was created and abandoned by its creator. After being abandoned, Frankenstein tries to integrate with the society, but he is completely rejected. On the other hand, Grendel is a story written by John Gardner. The story is about a monstrous character that battles to have a meaning in life and live like the rest of the people. He was confused about his identity, and this made him seek friendship from the people around him, but they rejected him and sent him away because of his hideous physical appearance. Grendel and Frankenstein are stories that best explain the monster theory. The monsters in the story are considered as hideous animals that invade the society.
The two monsters Grendel and Frankenstein had a different situation, but both shared similar qualities and faced the same problems. First, they were both hideous creatures and this made them different from the rest of the people. Secondly, both Grendel and Frankenstein were bitter creatures who felt lonely and need company, which they could never find. They both were seeking friends in order to escape from their loneliness, but they only got enemies who hated them and even planned to kill them. All they wanted was to live a life like the rest of the people lived, but they were rejected by the people around them. In addition, they were hideous, and for this reason, no one wanted to move closer to them however much they tried to be friendly. Grendel lived alone with his mother in an isolated place because he was not like the other people in the society. Comparably, after Victor created Frankenstein, he left him all alone wandering in the world without any help, and this made him feel lonely. The monsters were alienated because the people considered them as the undesirables of the community because of their monstrous looks. All they wanted was to integrate with the human society; by they were rejected and sent away. Grendel and Frankenstein were alienated from the society because of their hideous looks, and this made them vengeful to all human beings around them. They were bitter because they could not stand the rejection they received from the people they wanted to be close to.
Grendel and Frankenstein were not like the rest of the people, and that is why the society ostracized their kind. Grendel lived in a harsh climate, and this made everyone fear him in addition to hating him. According to Gardner, Grendel lived in a cave that was surrounded by snakes (50). In addition, he could not communicate with the humans despite the fact that they shared a similar language, and humans saw him as an ugly beast who could not communicate. Just like Grendel, Frankenstein lived in a society that despised him because of his hideous looks and this made the monster frustrated about his real identity. The monster hated himself and was lonely, and this is evident when he says "I was alone. I remembered Adam’s supplication to his creator, but where was mine? He abandoned me and in the bitterness of my heart, I cursed him" (Shelley 131).
The monsters turned violent because of the people’s abhorrence for them. They were seeking to assimilate into the society, but they faced rejection and hatred and this turned them into real monsters. Grendel was dreaming of associating with King Hrothgar’s warriors and he even went to the mead hall to listen to Hrothgar stories and the heroism of the thanes, but he is turned back by the people and this makes him a vengeful creature. Hrothgar even tried to kill him at some point by chopping him out of a tree, "The king (Hrothgar) snatches an ax from the man beside him and, without any warning, he hurls it at Grendel" and from them he decided to wreak havoc to their homes (Gardner 27). On the other hand, Frankenstein was able to save a young girl fr...