Reimagining Grendel: Subversion, Catharsis, and Mythic Transformation in Suniti Namjoshi’s Aditi and Her Friends Meet Grendel

Abstract

The figure monster in fantasy literature especially in children’s literature has persisted across myth, folklore, fable and placed in one of the most enduring archetypes which highlights fear, danger, disorder, violence and the unknown edges of human psychology. From ancient epics to modern literature fantasies, the monstrous characters in general performed as a symbolic storehouse of vilence, bloodshed, collective anxieties, social tensions, and moral hierchies. Yet, contemporary young adult (YA) literature increasingly challenges this inherited stereotypical tradition. The monster characteristic which is once fixed as the absolute antagonist, in this paper undergoes a striking re-evaluation, re-visioning process through subversion, and psychological interiority. S. Namjoshi works beyond the boundaries.Her works are related to global connotations, displacement and transformation is the base of Suniti Namjoshi’s Aditi and Her Friends Meet Grendel. The writer here juxtaposes the legendary tale of Grendel where the famously brutal creature from Beowulf is reimagined not as a monstrous terror but as a complex, emotionally vulnerable child capable of transformation through empathy, catharsis, and re-education which brings anthropocentrism and broadens the horizon by blending myth and modernity. Namjoshi explores the interconnectedness between the human world and the mythic world in almost each of her work. This paper deeply elucidates the process by which Namjoshi subverts the inherited myth of Grendel, reframes monstrosity within a pedagogical and psychological way which is suitable for young adults. The writer also aligns her narrative with postmodern feminist storytelling that dismantles rigid binaries between hero and villain, human and monster, self and other. The Paper will thus endeavour to critique the discourse on displacement by analysing the parallels between mythic and modern characters, highlighting the shared vulnerabilities across human and non-human species.