Read the excerpt from “Broken Chain.” Alfonso sat on the porch trying to push his crooked teeth to where he thought they belonged. He hated the way he looked. Last week he did fifty sit-ups a day, thinking that he would burn those already apparent ripples on his stomach to even deeper ripples.

Why does the author focus so much on Alfonso’s appearance?

to introduce the theme of wanting more
to suggest an image with vivid, strong verbs
to make a comparison using a simile
to create descriptive language using a metaphor