The answer is:
to develop a contrast between the two sons of Madame Lebrun.
In the excerpts from "The Awakening," the author Kate Chopin makes reference to Madame Lebrun's two sons, Robert and Victor. She describes a scene in which Robert offers his mother some soup, goes into the kitchen and brings it to her with a few crackers. On the other hand, Chopin provides an account of Robert's brother, Victor, whose bad temper and stubbornness makes his mother furious.
Answer:
The reaction question is a personal thing. I would say: "I am surprised that Martha wants to be dishonest just because she finds her assignment difficult."
John conveys a positive message: he believes that Martha is smart enough to do her assignments without cheating.
Martha conveys a negative message: she wants to cheat on her assignments because she thinks they are difficult.
