In certain literary works, flashbacks serve to deepen the reader's understanding of a character's motivations and emotions. Consider the following passage from a fictional narrative:
"As she stood by the window, rain tapping softly on the glass, Julia's mind wandered back to the summer of 2020. It was the first time she felt truly free, dancing barefoot in the field of wildflowers, her laughter ringing louder than the cicadas. How she longed for those carefree days, before tragedy struck and turned her world upside down."
Which of the following best identifies the function of the flashback in this passage?