Question

read the excerpt from grendel.
i was safe in my tree, and the men who fought were nothing to me, except of course that they talked in something akin to my language, which meant that we were, incredibly, related. i was sickened, if only at the waste of it: all they killed—cows, horses, men—they left to rot or burn. i sacked all i could and tried to store it, but my mother would growl and make faces because of the stink.
how is grendel characterized in this excerpt?
○ he is weak and easily disgusted by dead animals.
○ he is careful and respectful of animal life.
○ he is cruel and disobedient to his mother’s wishes.
○ he is considerate and mindful of the fighting men.

Explanation:

• Analyze each option:
• Option 1: The excerpt says Grendel was sickened by the waste of killed beings (cows, horses, men), not that he is weak or disgusted by dead animals. Eliminate.
• Option 2: He is sickened by the waste of animal (and human) life, and tries to save what is killed (sacked all he could and tried to store it), showing care and respect for animal life. This fits.
• Option 3: There's no mention of him being cruel or disobedient to his mother. His mother growls at the stink, but he was trying to save the killed things, not disobeying. Eliminate.
• Option 4: The excerpt says "the men who fought were nothing to me" except for the language relation, so he's not mindful of the fighting men. Eliminate.

Answer:

B. He is careful and respectful of animal life.