In the story "Grendel" by John Gardener trying to find the truth seems to be a big for Grendel. Whether it be listening to the songs of the Shaper or to the wise tales of the Dragon, Grendel doesn't know the truth because his version of what is correct has been shattered after leaving the cave for the first time. I believe that in this story the truth varies from different perspectives as it does in everyday life.
From the perspective of the Shaper one might see that what he sings is basically what his life has been. He sings about the triumphs and history of what he knows. To him these are his truths, because he cannot see anything else. The Shaper can only rely on others for what the truth is when it comes to vision. Therefore his truth is going to come from those who are victorious and he will hear their side of the story, and most likely it will be a mix of truths and lies since many will try to bring more warriors to their cause. It is with these songs that he makes people feel as though what they are doing is okay. He makes it so they don't feel as much guilt for what they have done in these battles.
In contrast, Grendel views things a different way because he sees a bigger picture than the Shaper does. He sees the entire conflict and because of this he has his own twist on how things really have gone.
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