8 points
The author uses the exclamation
"Weasel!" in line 56 without an article
to
clarify what she is seeing by naming it.
convey her trepidation at what the animal
might do
show that this individual weasel embodies
the essence of all weasels.
suggest that she is not sure if it is one or
more than one weasel.

clarify what she is seeing by naming it.

Explanation:

The question is related to the story entitled "Living Like Weasels" by Annie Dillard. It focuses on the connection between human beings and weasels, including their similarities.

The narrator was relaxing on a tree trunk when she spotted a weasel, thus the author used the exclamation "Weasel!" She wanted to clarify that it was indeed a weasel that the narrator was staring at because she hasn't seen any weasel in the wild before.

So, this explains the answer.