Two wires dangled from the heart of the machine and gently danced in the breeze. I knotted their frayed ends together with the wires that sprouted off the reed, just as I’d always pictured. Down below, the crowd cackled like a gang of birds.

Question

“Quiet down,” someone said. “Let’s see how crazy this boy really is.”

—The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind,
William Kamkwamba

What idea does this middle section help to develop?

Building the windmill involved the whole community.
The author did not understand the technical requirements of building a windmill.
No one believed that the boy could build a windmill.
It was a nice breezy day when the boy first operated the windmill.

Answer 1

The middle section helps to develop the idea that no one believed that the boy could build a windmill. The reaction of the crowd, with their cackling and the comment about seeing how "crazy this boy really is," suggests skepticism and doubt regarding the boy's ability to successfully build the windmill.