The significance of Cynthia and Stan's discussion of a Panama Canal cruise at the beginning of the scene is option B: it suggests Cynthia's desire to escape a stressful situation. The author was trying to create a scene with the underlying motive of showing the hidden stress of the character.
Cynthia and Stan's discussion of a Panama Canal cruise
The above answer is further explained as given below:
• Both the characters discuss about the cruise which helps in portraying the hidden feelings of Cynthia. She wanted to just escape the stressful situation that she was in.
• The rest of the options are incorrect as Cynthia was not taking a birthday cruise with her friends, nor does the scene represent the oppressive heat of the setting.
Therefore, the correct option is B, Cynthia wished to escape a stressful condition.
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