Final answer:
The speaker's family tells the story every year to honor and remember the event, despite its outward appearance of nothing happening, suggesting a deep internal significance and need for narrative processing. Option a.
Step-by-step explanation:
The stanza from "Incident" suggests a story of an event that, while seemingly having no immediate or visible consequences ('Nothing really happened'), is of profound significance to the speaker and their family.
The dichotomy between the absence of external urgency ('the men left quietly') and the ritual of retelling ('We tell the story every year') speaks to the incident's internal impact and the importance of not forgetting. Repeating the story becomes a means of honoring the event and its lasting effect on the community or individual.
When the speaker admits to retelling another story 'for myself,' it indicates a personal catharsis or need to process the event through narrative. The 'rhythm and frame' he finds in storytelling suggests the imposition of structure and meaning onto chaotic or troubling experiences.
Therefore, option a) To remember and honor the event is the most appropriate answer, as it aligns with the overall theme of acknowledging and commemorating an impactful event, even if it is marked by outward quietness or inaction.
Option a.