Question

read the excerpt from the land.

my daddy shook his head. \paul only rides horses he knows.\

\horses im talking about arent wild or anything,\ said ray sutcliffe. \theyre my own horses, come straight out of alabama, not any of these wild, new-breed western horses. in fact, ive got a fine stallion, a grey, i want to race, a real winner if hes got a good rider on his back. id pay your boy well. id pay you a fee too, on the wager, if i win.\

my daddy smiled. \well, if anybody could ride a horse and win a wager for you, it would be paul here. but i still have to say no. i dont want this boy or the horse getting hurt. like i said, my boy rides only horses he knows. i thank you, sir, though, for the offer.\

this dialogue advances the plot of the story by setting up a conflict between

paul and his father.
paul and robert.
paul and mr. sutcliffe.
paul and mitchell.

Explanation:

Analyze the dialogue and characters

Using the Dialogue Analysis knowledge point, we examine the interaction between the speakers. The excerpt features three main figures mentioned or speaking: Paul's father ("My daddy"), Ray Sutcliffe, and Paul (who is referred to but does not speak here). Ray Sutcliffe is trying to convince Paul's father to let Paul ride his grey stallion in a race, offering to pay both Paul and his father.

Identify the opposing forces

Using the Types of Conflict knowledge point, we look for the disagreement or tension driving the scene. Ray Sutcliffe wants Paul to ride his horse for a wager. Paul's father repeatedly declines the offer, stating, "Paul only rides horses he knows" and "I still have to say no. I don't want this boy or the horse getting hurt."

Determine the specific conflict

Using the Character vs Character knowledge point, we identify who holds these opposing desires. The tension is directly between Paul's father, who is protective and refuses the offer, and Mr. Sutcliffe, who is persistent in trying to hire Paul. Because Paul's father speaks on behalf of Paul and controls whether Paul can ride, this sets up a direct external conflict between Paul's family (represented by his father/Paul's interests) and Mr. Sutcliffe. Looking at the options, the primary conflict being set up by this business proposition and refusal is between Paul (whose participation is the subject of the dispute) and Mr. Sutcliffe.

Answer:

• Paul and his father.
• Paul and Robert.
• Paul and Mr. Sutcliffe. (Correct answer)
• Paul and Mitchell.