The correct answer is A. Setting
Step-by-step explanation:
This excerpt focuses on describing the back yard where the main character is. This includes details such as "covered in late afternoon sunlight" or "The tulips were bright slashes of color". This means the purpose of this paragraph is to explain to the reader the location where the actions of the story took place. In literature, this element is known as setting and refers to the context of the story including the physical location and its features. Thus, the correct answer is A.