Answer:
C. Steinbeck is introducing conflict to the story to help advance the plot.
Explanation:
In this passage, we see that Steinbeck introduces conflict in order to move the plot along. We learn that Curley suspects that his wife is being unfaithful, and that this makes him extremely mad. We can guess that this conflict will escalate when Curley finds Slim and his wife, and this conflict will most likely lead to an unhappy outcome. Adding conflict to a story is one of the most common and most effective ways in which an author might move the plot of a story along.
