Why does the author begin the story in the present, shift to the past, and then finish back in the present? a so that the reader stays engaged and does not get bored b so that the reader learns about the background of the character and is better able to determine his motivations c so that the reader can determine previous external conflicts in the main character's life and therefore better understand the overall theme of the story d so that the reader is engrossed in a complex plot with intricate characters and multiple conflicts.

I'm pretty sure its B. I am not 100% positive, but it sounds correct to me. Please let me know if I am correct or not and I really hope this helps.

a. the scene is structured as a dialogue between two characters in their own informal language.

for me, i'd go with (c) satisfied or (b) overjoyed because if you read it a couple of times, it makes since that it is c or b. it can't b (a) angry because booker was never angry about anything. at the end of the paragraph, booker states, "i think there are not many men in our country who have had the privilege of naming themselves in the way that i " i think that sentence kind of gives away the also, some words in the paragraph can also you like for example, "indulged," "calmly," "perplexity," "privilege," and defining words that you don't know, can you understand more of that paragraph and it can also increase your comprehension. : )

i'm really rally sorry if i'm incorrect, but if i'm hope this ! : )