“Grendel is at first tempted to accept these values, but because he’s rebuffed--since he’s funny looking and scary (but all of us are freaks in certain ways, and if one gives up because people different from oneself at first reject you, everything’s hopeless)--Grendel inclines to deny all values as ‘lies.’” (Gardner). …show more content…
This relates to the isolation because as one is rejected from society, they will begin to believe that everything is impairable. In addition, Gardner’s use of vocabulary correlates to his argument on nihilistic point of views. Because nihilism is the belief that nothing has meaning in life, he argues through word choice in his letter that, “Grendel gives up all hope and faith...perhaps at last he’s found someone who can kill him and end his stupid, pointless, and loveless existence” (Gardner). His use of the word “pointless” represents the nihilistic argument that if one is rejected from society then nothing has meaning. Therefore, Gardner’s argument through word choice shows the reader that isolation results in hopeless thoughts and