Question

Which two sentences in this excerpt from John Updike's "The Brown Chest" reflect the main character’s uneasiness with his family history?

The lid on its brown had patches of yellow freckles. The hinges were small and black, and there was a keyhole that had no key. All this made the chest, simple in shape as it was, strange, and ancient, and almost frightening. And when he, or the grown-up with him, lifted the lid of the chest, an amazing smell rushed out—deeply sweet and musty, of mothballs and cedar, but that wasn't all of it. The smell seemed also to belong to the contents--lace tablecloths and wool blankets on top, but much more underneath. The full contents of the chest never came quite clear, perhaps because he didn't want to know. His parents' college diplomas seemed to be under the blankets, and other documents going back still farther, having to do with his grandparents, their marriage, or the marriage of someone beyond even them. There was a folded old piece of paper with drawn-on hearts and designs and words in German. His mother had once tried to explain the paper to him, but he hadn't wanted to listen.

Answer 1

The two sentences in this excerpt that reflect the main character's uneasiness with his family history are:

1) The full contents of the chest never came quite clear, perhaps because he didn't want to know.

and

2) His mother had once tried to explain the paper to him, but he hadn't wanted to listen.

Both sentences show that the main character, as a child, is not interested in the chest and its contents, because to him the family heirloom represents death and decay, so his family history, which is locked in that chest, makes him uneasy. As the story progresses (and the character grows), his view of the chest changes and varies, until he understands its importance.

Answer 2

Answer: 1 & 2

Explanation: