Question

it was confusing and frightening, not in a way i could untangle. 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.
—grendel,
john gardner
how is grendel characterized in this passage?
○ he is brave, aggressive, and arrogant.
○ he is shy, needy, and embarrassed.
○ he is confused, cautious, and easily upset.
○ he is angry, violent, and cruel.

Explanation:

• Analyze the passage: The text says "It was confusing and frightening, not in a way I could untangle" (shows confusion), "I was safe in my tree" (shows caution), and "I was sickened" (shows being easily upset).
• Eliminate other options:
• "Brave, aggressive, arrogant" doesn't match as he's in a tree and confused, not brave/aggressive.
• "Shy, needy, embarrassed" has no evidence of shyness/neediness.
• "Angry, violent, cruel" is wrong as he's sickened by the killing, not violent.

Answer:

He is confused, cautious, and easily upset.