Read the passage. Excerpt from "The Man to Send Rain Clouds" by Leslie Marmon Silko

The priest turned away from Leon and looked out the window at the patio full of shadows and the dining-room windows of the nuns' cloister across the patio. The curtains were heavy, and the light from within faintly penetrated; it was impossible to see the nuns inside eating supper. "Why didn't you tell me he was dead? I could have brought the Last Rites anyway."

Leon smiled. "It wasn't necessary, Father."

The priest stared down at his scuffed brown loafers and the worn hem of his cassock. "For a Christian burial it was necessary."

His voice was distant, and Leon thought that his blue eyes looked tired. Refer to Explorations in Literature for a complete version of this story.

How does the word choice in this excerpt affect the meaning?

A) The word choice in the passage develops the setting and lets readers know that this story takes place in New Mexico.

B) The word choice in the passage, including words like shadows and impossible, illustrates the animosity that Leon feels toward the priest.

C) Words like distant and heavy emphasize the distance between Leon and the priest and illustrate how little the priest understands Leon’s culture.

D) Words like Christian and priest develop the idea that religion is an essential part of Leon’s life.