The Significance of the Brown Chest

What is the “brown chest” filled with?

• Food and cooking utensils

• Old clothes, papers, and family keepsakes

• Gold and treasure

• Gardening tools

Why is the chest important to the narrator’s family?

• It holds their family’s history and memories

• It contains valuable jewelry

• It was given by the government

• It belonged to a neighbor

At what age does the boy first notice the chest?

• 5 years old

• 7 years old

• 10 years old

• 13 years old

What item shocks the boy when he looks inside the chest at age thirteen?

• His old report cards and drawings

• His grandfather’s military uniform

• His mother’s wedding dress

• His baby shoes

What smell does the chest give off?

• Dust and mold

• Sweetish, deep cedar smell

• Paint and varnish

• Fresh flowers

What does the boy’s reaction to his own childhood drawings suggest?

• He is proud of his artistic talent

• He realizes he is part of family history

• He wants to throw them away

• He feels excited about the future

Why does the narrator sometimes avoid looking too deeply into the chest?

• He thinks it is haunted

• He does not want to face his family’s past

• It is locked

• He prefers reading books instead

Which U.S. president is mentioned in the story?

• Lincoln

• Harding

• Roosevelt

• Kennedy

How does the story’s non-linear (fragmented) structure reflect its theme?

• It makes the story confusing

• It mirrors how memory works

• It keeps the reader in suspense

• It shows the author’s dislike of tradition

What does the chest symbolize most clearly?

• Wealth and social class

• Family heritage and continuity

• Childhood games

• Secrets and lies