Option 1: Contemptuous -> The passage shows self-reflection and regret, not scorn or disdain toward others.
Option 2: Mournful -> The passage is filled with deep sorrow, regret, and grief over unfulfilled dreams, repeated failures, and a life marked by disappointment—phrases like "empty hole," "bitter shred," and "bitterest of all" convey profound sadness.
Option 3: Satirical -> There is no humor, irony, or exaggeration used to criticize; the tone is genuinely sorrowful and introspective.
Option 4: Disillusioned -> While disillusionment is present, the dominant emotion is not just disappointment in discoveries, but rather a deep, grief-stricken mourning over a lifetime of defeats.
Hence, Option 2: Mournful -> The character grieves over his failures, unfulfilled ambitions, inherited weakness, and the "empty hole" within him, expressing profound sorrow about a life that has brought only defeat and disappointment -> correct