Kezia's stammering before her father is not merely a speech problem but what?

An outward sign of inner fear and nervousness

The governing concept is that physical or verbal behaviour can reveal an underlying emotional state. Kezia does not stammer in the same way because of playfulness or imitation; she becomes tense when she faces the father whom she considers stern and frightening. Her hesitation and broken speech therefore function as outward signs of fear, nervousness, and insecurity. Option B is correct. Grandmother’s instructions belong to the pin-cushion episode and do not explain the speech difficulty, while Macdonald’s behaviour is unrelated and reassuring rather than frightening. Option A also reverses the emotional tone. Reading the stammer as a symptom of inner anxiety helps explain the distance between father and daughter before the later change.

This is a Class 9 English question. Chapter: The Little Girl. Topic: emotional understanding.