Because she does not understand the American rules of chess
The correct option is C) “Valerie's petite frame was the complete opposite of her larger-than-life personality.” Direct characterization is a literary device in which the author describes the personality and physical traits of a character by using adjectives or phrases in a direct way.
In the example C, the author directly indicates the character physical trait (petite frame) and compares it to her personality (larger-than-life personality).
The other options do not describe directly the personality or physical characteristics of characters.
Her passionate love of art influenced my decision to take an art course.
Influenced- Inspired, impact, to affect.
Hope this helped! :D