The following sentence illustrates which definition of the word retribution?
the court decided that the sentence was fair retribution for the crime committed
retsrisbustion (re-tra-by-shan) n. 1: something justly deserved, repayment. 2: something given or demanded in reparation
especially punishment. (middle english retribucioun, from old french retribution, from latin retribuere, to pay back]

in this passage from chapter 6 of "animal farm", by george orwell, what the author is ridiculing in this passage is the frivolity of some rules.

clover, the mare, believes she remembers that the fourth commandment forbade sleeping in beds because it was something that humans did. snowball, napoleon, and the pigs are brain-workers who look after the welfare of the farm. they are the obvious leaders because they are smart, and so they are entitled to eat the best food and sleep in beds. it is squealer, who says these lines making the difference between sleeping with sheets, what humans do, and sleeping in beds, what pigs do. the unwillingness to question authority makes the oppressed to obey without thinking.

i would believe it would be b., the author wants to draw the reader deeper into the experience

ashley is the antecedent of the story/sentence