We lived in the country, in the middle of an alfalfa field; we had no immediate access to bobbie brooks sweaters. i went to school in the hand-me-downs of a cousin three years older. she had excellent fashion sense, but during the three-year lag her every sleek outfit turned to a pumpkin. … my black lace-up oxfords, which my parents perceived to have orthopedic value, carried their own weight in the spectacle.

judging from the diction in the excerpt, what is the implicit meaning kingsolver is conveying?

a) living on a farm is a hard way of life.
b) kingsolver’s parents were an embarrassment.
c) kingsolver’s unfashionable clothes and shoes made her feel like she stuck out like a freak in a circus.
d) kingsolver’s unfashionable clothes and shoes made her look poor.