I think the answer is the second one
The diction of Steinbeck here in apparently describing the dustbowl conditions of the Dirty Thirties is speaking of "tenant men" or presumably men who were tenant farmers perhaps who were allowed to live on the land in return for working it and that they "scuffed" their way home indicates that the dust was so thick they had to scuff but also perhaps that since they could barely make a living under the poor agricultural conditions they did not walk confidently but scuffed.
Answer:
The most likely reason is A - Wherever eris went, conflict followed.
Explanation:
Why? Because Eris the Greek Goddess of Discord and Strife
There are many two syllable words whose meaning can change depending on which syllable is stressed. For example, when the stress is on the second syllable of the word “desert” (deSERT), it is a verb meaning to abandon.