Answer:
the narrator feels an overwhelming responsibility to meet society's expectations
The correct answer is the second option. When the muskrat dove into the sea, we can infer that he reached the bottom, since his hand held a "tiny speck of earth" upon resurfacing. However, the muskrat likely did not have enough time or oxygen to swim all the way back up, and so instead held on to the dirt and drowned, allowing the body to float back to the surface. In this way, he sacrificed his own life, knowing that the dirt he procured would "make the earth grow."
In Edgar Allan Poe's short story The Fall of the House of Usher, Roderick Usher writes his childhood friend a letter informing his friend about his illness. Roderick's sister is also ill and he is worried about her, as well. He developed an abnormal behavior and started to think that the mansion they live controls him and it will eventually bring his end. As we can observe, Usher is physically and mentally ill and wants a help from his childhood friend. The correct answer is C.
