Question

Read the excerpt from The Land. I recall one time in particular when I was about nine or so and I was reading beside a creek on my daddy's land, and Mitchell came up from behind me and just whopped me on the head. For no reason. Just whopped me on the head! Course I jumped up mad. "What ya do that for?" I cried. Paul asks Mitchell, “What ya do that for?” because he wants to know his conflict. context. influence. motivation.

Answer 1

Answer: His motivation.

The Land is a novel by African American author Mildred D. Taylor, published in 2001. It is the fifth and final book of the Logan Family saga.

In this excerpt, Paul asks “What ya do that for?,” which is intended as a way to discover the reasons for Mitchell to hit him in the head. "Motivation" refers to the purpose we want to achieve by performing some action.

Answer 2

Paul asks Mitchell, "What ya do that for?" because he wants to know his motivation.

Paul wants to know Mitchell's reason for behaving in such an ill manner (i.e. whopping his head). Being motivated to do something means something else brought, made or triggered him to act in such a way.