Ork

Character Analysis

Gifted

What is it about the old, blind dudes in this novel? They seem to turn the weakness of their eyes into a superpower that can overcome the scariest monsters and the most loathsome lords. Ork does something that no one (with the exception of Beowulf) has done: he bests Grendel at his own game.

We all know that it isn't nice to take advantage of people who are more vulnerable than we are, but we've got to admit it: we love that Grendel pretends to be the Great Destroyer of Ork's religious fantasies. It's a classic gag, and hey, at least Grendel's not eating him or cracking his spine.

Amway, Gardner turns the tables on the cynical monster and gives Ork his day in the sun, so to speak. When Ork spontaneously comes up with a fantastic response to Grendel's pop quiz on a bogus god, he seriously damages the monster's resolve and scores a point for humanity.

Ork isn't going to convert Grendel to any belief system; we all know how the Grend feels about the idea of a god. But Ork's shown that human creativity—and, yes, perhaps even naivety—can actually open a doorway out of despair. It's exactly the kind of thing that drives Grendel crazy.

Philosopher

Ork's two great ideas about the sorrows of life—"things fade" and "alternatives exclude" (133)—become catchwords in Grendel's thoughts about existence. And the ideas come back again as Grendel watches the strangers enter the meadhall and encounter the priests. We are indebted to Ork for giving us an awesome new way to think about the showdown between the monster and the hero. The question is: which of the two will exclude the other?

Ironically, if Grendel is the exclusion (that is, if he loses the battle with Beowulf), the priests are in danger (because they need monsters and suffering to make people want their religion)—and Ork gets it. Why plead to a silent god when you can hire a hero to solve your problems? So yes, it means what you think it means: Gardner has placed the priests and the monster on the same team.