Final answer:
The passage exemplifies rising action as it describes the protagonist's internal conflict, thereby contributing to the development of tension that leads towards the story's climax.
Step-by-step explanation:
The scene described is an example of rising action in literature because it describes an internal conflict. The passage conveys the protagonist’s growing sense of unease and highlights the tension that typically escalates during the rising action of a story. As the character experiences this unfamiliar oppression, it creates a foreboding mood and foreshadows further complications or developments in the narrative arc, leading towards the climax. This internal strife is part of the series of events that develop the conflict and engage readers, making option a) the correct answer.