An analysis of the philosophy of Nihilism as it appears in the novel "Grendel" by John Gardner

The first part of this essay refers to the Novel "Grendel" by John Gardner, the latter delves into Nihilism in the real world, and then combines the two. For those that don't know, Grendel was the monster in Beowolf. One of the most prominent themes in the novel Grendel by John Gardner is whether or not virtues such as faith, love, truth, and justice, actually exist, or if they are simply illusions. Baby Grendel; that …

…When most people lie or cheat, they feel a pang of conscience, so the idea of truth and justice also holds true. The problem with nihilism is that, while it may hold true for some people, its very nature extends it to all things, to all people; it envelops the universe. Nihilism fails because ultimately only we can define what constitutes a wall, a tree, a feeling. We decide, individually, what is real for ourselves.