(A.) because the traveler speaks in this poem as if this is something he hasn't stumbled on but a story that he knows and it would be surprising if he had happened upon the broken statue on his own.
Answer: Providing commentary, separate from the narrative, which illustrates the wastefulness that occurred during the Great Depression.
In this excerpt, Steinbeck provides commentary on the reality of the Great Depression. This is separate from the narrative, and serves to provide more information on the setting and the plot. The excerpt describes the wastefulness that occurred during this time period. Despite the poverty and hunger that was common at the time, the oranges were sprayed with kerosene so that people were not able to pick them up themselves for free.
