Read the beginning of a narrative about pioneers in the American West:

Maisie winced as her brother sang “Oh! Susanna” yet again. This trip was going to be endless if he didn’t find a new song—and soon.


“Samuel! Please! Enough with the ‘Oh! Susanna.’ I can hardly hear myself think.”


“O, Susanna!” Samuel sang even louder.

What element of effective narratives is this introduction missing?

A.
plot
B.
setting
C.
conflict
D.
characters