The wide playgrounds were swarming with boys. all were shouting and the prefects urged them on with strong cries. the evening air was pale and chilly and after every charge and thud of the footballers the greasy leather orb flew like a heavy bird through the grey light. he kept on the fringe of his line, out of sight of his prefect, out of the reach of the rude feet, feigning to run now and then. he felt his body small and weak amid the throng of the players and his eyes were weak and watery. rody kickham was not like that: he would be captain of the third line all the fellows said.

what aspect of this excerpt most clearly marks it as a work of modernism?
a. it focuses on a main character who is the antithesis of a traditional hero.
b. it jumps from one topic to another without making any attempt to connect them.
c. it presents the topic of competition from two completely different perspectives.
d. it observes human nature through athletics rather than academics.