Final answer:
The elder brother’s conflict in the story is an internal struggle with self-doubt exacerbated by external pressures from Mr. Bixby and others.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer is that the conflict in the story revolves around the elder brother's apprehension and self-doubt which is incited by Mr. Bixby's intention to make him nervous. As the elder brother faces this internal conflict, he begins to second-guess his ability to run the crossing, a task he was initially confident about.
This reflects an internal struggle within the character, which is heightened by the external pressures put on him. To address the conflict, the elder brother likely had to confront his insecurities and external influences to overcome his challenges.
An important theme of the story is the aspect of doubling and conflict, with an inciting incident that fuels the narrative. The conflict is both an internal battle within the protagonist and an external struggle with the circumstances imposed by other characters, highlighting the importance of conflict as a driving force in storytelling.
This use of conflict closely ties into the narrative's structure, as it is introduced during the exposition, builds up throughout the rising action, culminates in the climax, and is resolved in the falling action.
The correct answer is option Conflict.
In the story, the conflict arises from the strained relationship between the narrator and his brother, Sonny. The narrator misunderstands and misrepresents Sonny, judging him based on his choices and actions without truly understanding him.
The conflict is resolved when the elder brother attends Sonny's concert at the end of the story, showing support and acceptance.
Two supporting details from the passage that underline the elder brother's address of the conflict are:
"But when he saw Sonny’s face smiling at the piano he held his breath, as though he had raised his hand to his mouth to dam back what he had been about to say."
"And I felt suddenly, in a rush of old memories, that I was out of school again, my cap and gown at home, my daddy standing in our living room in the parsonage, looking over my graduation diploma and asking me if I really wanted to be a schoolteacher."