CHECK MY ANSWER PLEASE

Read the passage.

excerpt from The Alchemist by Paul Coelho

The hills of Andalusia were only two hours away, but there was an entire desert between him and the Pyramids. Yet the boy felt that there was another way to regard his situation: he was actually two hours closer to his treasure… the fact that the two hours had stretched into an entire year didn't matter.

Why does the author describe how long and how far the boy has traveled in the story?

a. By describing the desert and pyramids, the passage allows the reader to see how far the boy has come.

(my answer) b. The passage expresses how far the boy has come—and how far he still has to go to realize his dream.

c. By showing how close he is to his goal, the passage reinforces the boy’s endless enthusiasm and faith in his destiny.

d. The passage reflects the boy’s despair at being so far away from home—and for being gone so long.

The answer is indeed B. The author in this excerpt includes several details that allow us to place the boy in a particular time and place. We know that the boy is closer to his treasure, but that he still has a very long way to go. We understand this when the author tells us that he was two hours away from his goal, but that the two hours will stretch an entire year.