Read the following excerpt from "the pedestrian" by ray bradbury:
the street was silent and long and empty, with only his shadow moving like the shadow of a hawk in midcountry. if he closed his eyes and stood very still, frozen, he could imagine himself upon the center of a plain, a wintry, windless arizona desert with no house in a thousand miles, and only dry river beds, the streets, for company.
which statement best explains how the setting affects the meaning of the story?
a. the empty streets suggest that something is terribly wrong with society.
b. the character's thoughts about arizona suggest that he prefers the cold, snowy weather.
c. the motif of water and ice conveys the character's shifting feelings about being alone.
d. the reference to "dry river beds" conveys a feeling of nostalgia for the wild west.