Popular Culture Review Vol. 11, No. 1, February 2000 | Page 109
Grendel, Geisel, and the Grinch
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fingers convey the calculating attitude of this enemy. Correspondences can be found
in the Beowulf-pocVs description of Grendel, who has steely claws (984-87a) and
out of whose eyes shines forth “a light unfair, most like a flame” (726b-27) as he
“laughs” in his mind (730b) in anticipation of committing his detestable deed.
Devilish as he is though, the Grinch pales in comparison to Grendel in
terms of the evil intended or the crimes actually committed. Grendel is a killer, a
demon — a cannibalistic enemy of both God and man. He is a damned descendant
of Cain for whom there is no hope of redemption and for whom the poet will allow
no pity. In contrast, the Grinch is guilty of lesser offenses: thievery of goods, not
men; lying to little Cindy-Lou Who; and perhaps cruelty to animals (his dog Max
and the mouses in the Whos' houses). Furthermore, we can sense from the very
start that the Grinch has a degree of goodness in him: he has a heart, but it’s “two
sizes too small.” Implicit in this phrasing is the potential for growth — that the
heart may develop and the Grinch become a better, kinder being. Indeed, this turns
out to be the case, as the Grinch eventually learns something about the true meaning
of Christmas and his heart grows “three sizes.” A reformed individual, he returns
the stolen goods and is welcomed to the feast, where he actually becomes the guest
of honor, carving the roast at the community table.
A lthough G rendel — because o f his condem ned situation and
uncompromisingly hostile nature (154b-56) — can never share in the festivities at
Heorot, what Geisel’s Grinch learns is the very lesson that the Beowulf-poet is
stressing in his story, but i