Explanation:
The correct answer is D. Conflict escalates because students look outside and see that the garden is unfinished. The setting influences the plot by providing the specific conditions in which events take place. In this case, the unfinished garden serves as a symbol of the tension and disagreement that the students feel. Because they can see the unfinished work, their emotions are heightened and they begin to argue more intensely. Without the unfinished garden, the conflict might not have escalated as it did.
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