Question

Which passage from Grendel best illustrates the theme "life is meaningless"?

1. I kiss the ice the frozen creeks, I press my ear to it, honoring the water that rattles below, for by water they came (151)
2. Be so kind as to give/ us some advice, old man. We’ve come on a fairly important errand. (154)
3. And yet I address him, whispering, whimpering, whining. "if you win, it’s by mindless chance. Make no mistake".
4. Except in the life of a hero, the whole world’s meaningless. The hero sees values beyond what’s possible. That’s the nature of a hero.

Answer 1

The passage "Except in the life of a hero, the whole world’s meaningless. The hero sees values beyond what’s possible. That’s the nature of a hero." from Grendel best captures the theme that 'life is meaningless' by suggesting that meaning is only found within the heroic pursuit, with the rest of existence being devoid of inherent value.

Step-by-step explanation:

Out of the given excerpts from Grendel, the one that best illustrates the theme "life is meaningless" is:

"Except in the life of a hero, the whole world’s meaningless. The hero sees values beyond what’s possible. That’s the nature of a hero."

This passage conveys a sense of existential emptiness that is aligned with the notion that life lacks inherent meaning or purpose outside of the heroic ideal. It suggests that only in pursuing something beyond the tangible and possible can one find value and meaning, which is otherwise absent in the world. This resonates with the nihilistic perspectives often found in literature exploring existential themes.