In both Grendel and Beowulf, there is conflict. The conflict is between the themes of light and darkness, paganism versus Christianity, and man versus beast. Grendel, the main character in Grendel and the secondary character in Beowulf, faces external battles but the most important battles take place internally. John Gardener recognized the basis of Grendel's predicament as “his [Grendel's] obstinate attachment to skepticism and cold, hard reason. . .” (Grendel's Geis). While there are many different themes present in both stories, there is one that remains consistent throughout both. This theme is lack of acceptance. Grendel's unacceptance is rooted in his lack of understanding of the world and its functions. Because of all the things that have happened in Grendel's life, he is still perceived as evil, not because he wants to be. It is misunderstood and not accepted. Much of Grendel's evil deeds stem from lack of acceptance, lack of communication, and his ignorance. At the beginning of the novel, we discover that a mysterious creature has attacked Hrothgar, the king of the Danes, and his army. In response to the situation, Hrothgar decides to call Beowulf who happens to his nephew. In this telling of the story Beowulf is the hero of the Danes. He defeats the monster and is his mother. In contrast, in the novel Grendel, Grendel tells the story from his point of view. He describes how he wanted to be friends with humans. In his attempt to communicate he is unsuccessful and finds himself attacked. After attempting to befriend humans several times, he decides to fulfill his plan to be what society "wants" him to be. Grendel is seen as the Other. In the opening chapters of the book, Grend... middle of the paper... understanding why things are happening the way he sees them is due to lack of communication from humans, lack of acceptance from humans and his own ignorance. The three elements took him on a journey that leads to his death. Grendel saw past the religious aspect of the story and tried to erase his name from the records because he wanted to be accepted. In Grendel's mind, humans and himself have much in common. Works Cited Gardner, John. Grendel. New York: Random House, 1971. Print Heaney, Seamus. Beowulf. New York: Farrar, Stratus, Giroux, 2000. PrintLandsack, Carl. Geis of Grendel. The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. Royal Societies of Antiquaries of Ireland. PrintTubbs, Cecil. Grendel-Examining John Gardner's Heteran Values. January 1st 2011 .