Humans come in all forms of good and evil. But Albert fish was all evil with an image of a good person. Albert Fish was a serial killer who delightfully enjoyed consuming the human flesh, or as we know a cannibal. Albert was undeniably alike to the monster Grendel, a fictional character from a poem named Beowulf.
Although both Grendel and Albert didn’t have a happy ending, because they weren’t the prince charming of their story, they could’ve changed for the better but instead went on with what they wanted to fulfill their pleasures to. But like Grendel, Albert not only adored to eat the human flesh, Albert also came from a history of violence, such as as Grendel did too, and they both also at some point were captured and killed for the horrendous crimes that they have committed while being alive.
Grendel and Albert have a few similarities and one of them is that they both come from a history of violence. To take a case in point the author quoted “The almighty … they split into a thousand forms of evil-spirits and fiends, goblins, monsters, giants….” (“Beowulf 23-29”). In other words the author explains how Grendel came to be, he was a descendant from all evil, which means he most likely had a violent history. In the same way that Albert Fish had come from a history of violence. For instance Albert was “sent to the orphanage at the age of five, for financial reasons.
In the orphanage Albert and many of the children were physically abused. He eventually got out of the orphanage but the physical abuse had a negative effect on him even after his mother took him out of the orphanage.” (Petikowsk). This explains why Albert did the things he did, and why albert developed his abnormally desires. Since Albert was exposed to such negativity at a young age, it had a big impact, that he found pleasure and fascination into physical abuse which caused him to be known as one of the many famous serial killers. Both Grendel and Albert had a hository of violence, the cruelty came to them naturally because that was all they knew.
Maybe not for Grendel but Grendel had evil descendants and Albert had a violent childhood, yes they’re not the same scenario but they were both in that type of atmosphere for who knows how long. Not only did their violent history made them who they are but it woke the monster inside them. And this was the beginning of both Grendel and Alberts evil scenarios.
Yes they shared the similarity of having a violent history they also shared the enjoyment and satisfaction of eating a human being. For example when the author quotes: “Grendel snatched at first geat… ripped him apart, cut his body to bits with powerful jaws, drank the blood from his veins and bolted him down, hands and feet; death and Grendel’s great teeth came together, snapping life shut.” (“beowulf 262-268”).
This demonstrates the monster like instinct for eating our mankind, and the way he savored their remains. He not only devoured one person but he murdered and consumed so many human beings. Similarly Albert Fish had an obsession with cannibalism. “This led him to the murder of Gracie Budd. Fish had told her family that he was going to take Gracie to a birthday party, but instead Albert Fish took Gracie to an abandoned barn where he murdered her, he tore her to pieces and even cooked her to devour her for the proximity of 9 days. He even wrote a letter to Gracie’s family on how he murdered and ate Gracie” (“Albert Fish” Crime meusum”).
All in all Albert was fasciantedwith cannibalism, his instinct was very vile and abominable, he wasn’t hesitant when he decided on killing a young child. For this reason, Albert Fish and Grendel are even more alike to each other. Both grendel and Albert share the same delightfulness when it comes to eating a mortal.
Furthermore Grendel and Albert Fish have one more similarity, they also got captured and were eventually got caught and were executed for their deplorable crimes. To take a case in point, when the author tells us “They gaped with no sense of sorrow, felt no regret for his suffering, went tracking his bloody footprints, his beaten and lonely flight, to the edge of the lake where he’d dragged his corpselike way, doomed and already weary of his vanishing life… , heat sucked from his magic veins; … as hell opened to revieve him.” (“Beowulf 363-374”). This gives us the idea of how Grendel was killed by the Beowulf with no remorse. Grendel was defeated on his battle with Beowulf and soon died alone.
He was punished and executed by Beowulf. In a part of the quote stated, the author tells us “hell opened to recieve him”, which in other words indicates that the author is telling us Grendel got what he deserved. Grendel was very malicious and inquitious he had it coming to him after all the houndreds of people Grendel had slaughtered. In comparison Albert Fish had a similar ending, recent findings indicates that Albert got “executed for the murder of Gracie Budd. And on his execution day he admitted to killing and even eating ten other children. Albert Fish later was put into the electric chair where he quoted ‘it will be the supreme thrill, the onoly one i haven’t tried’” (“The Moon Maniac”). Albert died on january 16, 1938 at the Sing Sing prison.
Albert had comitted horrendous crimes like cannibalism and he had also raped many men and children. Albert not only had admitted on his electric chair what he did, he also explained what he did. He later got executed for only Gracie Budd’s case. In the same way both Grendel and Albert Fish were executed, for the monster they had inside them. And for the evil that they had done to many people. Both Grendel and Albert Fish got what they deserved, as harsh it may sound, they both needed to be stopped before they did any more damage and harm to people, and eventually they did get stopped and got done with.
In conclusion both Grendel and Albert had more than gruesome actions, they had brought pain and fear to everyone they met. Many people wouldn’t believe the things Albert did, but they were wretchedly done. He had many people dread him, despise him, and many people also gave their trust to him. He also brought so much pain to his victim’s families and many of his own victims who happened to survive the traumatic experiences Albert had put them through.
And although Grendel was just a fictional character Grendel had also caused so much fear into people, that they were scared to go where he lived. He caused so much damage to the point where the people wanted an end to the destrcuction and ain he was causing, that they wanted to put a stop to it. Both grendel and Albert weren’t only alike, they were both the defenition of evil.
Work Cited
- ¨Albert Fish.¨ Crime museum
- ¨Beowulf.¨ Literature: British Literature. Ed. Janet Allen. Evanston: Holt Mcdougal, 2010. 42-70
- ¨The Moon Maniac¨. History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d.
- Petrikowoski, Nicki Peter, Cannibal serial killers. New York, NY: Enslow, 2016, Print.
