Comparing Innocence in Grendel, Neil Young and Portrait of a Lady Essay

Fall from purity in Grendel, Neil Young and depiction of a Lady According to the Bible, God created man unclouded and innocent, oblivious to good and evil. The serpent of evil lured them to the tree of knowledge, however, and its fruit proved too more than of a temptation. With a bite, their eyes... were opened, and the course of their lives, and the lives of mankind, were changed (Gen. 6-7, 22). Whether or not integrity accepts the Christian concept of creation, countless works of art are patterned on this trace of the fall from innocence. The novel Grendel by magic trick Gardner shows us a side of the beast the epic Beowulf never considered - the child-like innocence before the brutality. The song Country daughter by Neil Young is a subtle commentary on the effect the sexual revolution had upon one woman. In addition, The Portrait of a Lady, a have by Jane Campion, an adaptation of Henry Jamess novel, shows the downward spiral of a headstrong American girl in the late 1 800s. These three distinct pieces cut a swath through the art world, representing an established author, a innovative musician, and a feminist filmmaker, yet central to their relevance is one theme the fall from innocence. Innocence? In Grendel? Grendel is a monster, right? Wrong, in the eyes of John Gardner. Taking the role of the Shaper, Gardner makes us see Grendel as an ostracized person, one so lonely he relishes the thought of acceptance, even though the idiocy of their society repulses him at times (Milosh 221). He is just a nave teenager, searching for his role in life. In The Portrait of a Lady (POAL), Isabel is searching as well, traveling where her caprice leads her. Youre drifting off to some great mistake, her friend Henriett... ... Gardner, John. Grendel. Vintage Books, 1989. Kneubuhl, James P. write interview. 12 April 1998. Milosh, Joseph. John Gardners Grendel Sources and Analogues. Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Dedria Bryfonski. Vol. 10. Detroit Gale Research, 1979. 221-222. Portrait of a Lady, The. Dir. Jane Campion. Gramercy, 1996. The portrait of a lady production notes. Online Available http//www.hollywood.com/movies/portrait/text/1.html, April 13, 1998. Strehle, Susan. John Gardners Novels statement and the Alien. Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Dedria Bryfonski. Vol. 10. Detroit Gale Research, 1979. 218 -219. Travirca, Chet. Written interview. 12 April 1998. Young, Neil. Country Girl. Perf. Young, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and graham flour Nash. Dj vu. Atlantic, 1970. Comparing Innocence in Grendel, Neil Young and Portrait of a Lady EssayFall from Innocence in Grendel, Neil Young and Portrait of a Lady According to the Bible, God created man pure and innocent, oblivious to good and evil. The serpent of evil lured them to the tree of knowledge, however, and its fruit proved too much of a temptation. With a bite, their eyes... were opened, and the course of their lives, and the li ves of mankind, were changed (Gen. 6-7, 22). Whether or not one accepts the Christian concept of creation, countless works of art are patterned on this account of the fall from innocence. The novel Grendel by John Gardner shows us a side of the beast the epic Beowulf never considered - the child-like innocence before the brutality. The song Country Girl by Neil Young is a subtle commentary on the effect the sexual revolution had upon one woman. In addition, The Portrait of a Lady, a film by Jane Campion, an adaptation of Henry Jamess novel, shows the downward spiral of a headstrong American girl in the late 1800s. These three distinct pieces cut a swath through the art world, representing an established author, a modern musician, and a feminist filmmaker, yet central to their relevance is one theme the fall from innocence. Innocence? In Grendel? Grendel is a monster, right? Wrong, in the eyes of John Gardner. Taking the role of the Shaper, Gardner makes us see Grendel as an ostrac ized person, one so lonely he relishes the thought of acceptance, even though the idiocy of their society repulses him at times (Milosh 221). He is just a nave teenager, searching for his role in life. In The Portrait of a Lady (POAL), Isabel is searching as well, traveling where her caprice leads her. Youre drifting off to some great mistake, her friend Henriett... ... Gardner, John. Grendel. Vintage Books, 1989. Kneubuhl, James P. Written interview. 12 April 1998. Milosh, Joseph. John Gardners Grendel Sources and Analogues. Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Dedria Bryfonski. Vol. 10. Detroit Gale Research, 1979. 221-222. Portrait of a Lady, The. Dir. Jane Campion. Gramercy, 1996. The portrait of a lady production notes. Online Available http//www.hollywood.com/movies/portrait/text/1.html, April 13, 1998. Strehle, Susan. John Gardners Novels Affirmation and the Alien. Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Dedria Bryfonski. Vol. 10. Detroit Gale Research, 1979. 218 -2 19. Travirca, Chet. Written interview. 12 April 1998. Young, Neil. Country Girl. Perf. Young, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash. Dj vu. Atlantic, 1970.