Peyton Farquhar was a well-to-do planter, of an old and highly respected Alabama family. Being a slave owner and like other slave owners a politician he was naturally an original secessionist and ardently devoted to the Southern cause. Circumstances of an imperious nature, which it is unnecessary to relate here, had prevented him from taking service with the gallant army that had fought the disastrous campaigns ending with the fall of Corinth, and he chafed under the inglorious restraint, longing for the release of his energies, the larger life of the soldier, the opportunity for distinction.
Which best describes the effect of this narration?
A. It introduces the reader to the man being executed, Farquhar.
B. It describes why Farquhar is being punished.
C. It helps the reader understand Farquhar’s motivation for escaping.
D. It tricks the reader into thinking that Farquhar survives.