They were Japanese citizen
Right before the Great Depression, people were living this life of luxury in the Roaring 20s. Consider the look in the woman's face. How does the nostalgia read in her eyes, her body language, and so on. You can connect this feeling of nostalgia with the quote about the marigolds reflecting "the strangest times." Consider how the speaker portrays this feeling of nostalgia or the memory of what once had been.
The last one...
there are not enough bicycles for the residents of the kilbarchan home for boys.
Answer:
The reaction question is a personal thing. I would say: "I am surprised that Martha wants to be dishonest just because she finds her assignment difficult."
John conveys a positive message: he believes that Martha is smart enough to do her assignments without cheating.
Martha conveys a negative message: she wants to cheat on her assignments because she thinks they are difficult.
They can change the background or the set up of the play to change the mood