What is the definition of brute in this sentence?

“there were no stars either, in this blackest of nights, and miguel’s desert steed began to stumble blindly as the brute force overcame him.”

a. strong and unreasoning

b. mean or violent person

Which excerpts from the war of the worldseffectively use setting to provide a contrast to the horror of the plot? (select all that apply.)the war of the worldshe remained standing at the edge of the pit that the thing had made for itself, staring at its strange appearance, astonished chiefly at its unusual shape and colour, and dimly perceiving even then some evidence of design in its arrival. the early morning was wonderfully still, and the sun, just clearing the pine trees towards weybridge, was already warm.they shouted consolation and promises, and went off back to the town again to get . one can imagine them, covered with sand, excited and disordered, running up the little street in the bright sunlight just as the shop folks were taking down their shutters and people were opening their bedroom windows.it was glaringly hot, not a cloud in the sky nor a breath of wind, and the only shadow was that of the few scattered pine trees. the burning heather had been extinguished, but the level ground towards ottershaw was blackened as far as one could see, and still giving off vertical streamers of smoke.an enormous hole had been made by the impact of the projectile, and the sand and gravel had been flung violently in every direction over the heath, forming heaps visible a mile and a half away. the heather was on fire eastward, and a thin blue smoke rose against the dawn.