Read the following excerpt from the story:
Only a few weeks ago, he, Mac, and the other workers had been sitting happily around the table in the Greersons’ kitchen, listening to Petey Coltrain and playing poker with hardly a care in the world. And now--now one of his friends was trying to strangle another.
The purpose of including this in the story is to -
A. to remind the readers of the beginning of the story.
B. emphasize how the conflict has escalated throughout the story.
C. to explain who Petey Coltrain is and his significance to the conflict.
D. Understand how the characters are feeling.
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