Hello. You did not present the excerpt to which this question refers, and you did not present the answer options. This makes your question impossible to answer. However, I will try to help you in the best possible way.
The central idea of a text is the main subject to which the text is addressing. It is the theme to which the author wishes to pass on reflection and reasoning. You will only be able to identify this idea with a complete reading of the passage to which your question refers, but you will be able to identify these ideas by the subject that the characters are addressing in their actions and speeches.
Answer: She was reluctant to define anything remotely resembling a national character because " it was a mongrel nation." There were so many different ethnic groups that had merged into one. This made it difficult and sometimes pointless to make just one group "entirely American."
This would be true because she only tried one pair of the jeans, and it could have been the way she washed them.
Laurie was misbehaving at home. Jackson learned that there was in fact no Charles and that Laurie had been the one pulling the pranks that he blamed on "Charles"
