12
QuizMultiple Choice

Characterization in Grendel

Question 12 • *HSA 26-27 English IV A -IC

Read the excerpt from Grendel.Now and then some trivial argument would break out, and one of them would kill another one, and all the others would detach themselves from the killer as neatly as blood clotting, and they’d consider the case and they’d either excuse him, for some reason, or else send him out to the forest to live by stealing from their outlying pens like a wounded fox. At times I would try to befriend the exile, at other times I would try to ignore him, but they were treacherous. In the end, I had to eat them.

Answer
A
jealous
B
compassionate
C
lonely
D
practical

Explanation

The people respond to a killing by deciding whether to excuse the killer or exile him, and the exile is expected to survive by stealing from their pens. Their choices are based on what is useful or workable, rather than on sympathy or jealousy. Therefore, “practical” best describes their attitude.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.

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