Answer:
b. It seemed to me as if nothing would or could ever be known.
Explanation:
In the text, the narrator seemed optimistic about learning until this line.
Often times it's a comma.
Or brackets.
Answer:
I'm gonna say A, because you didn't list the story. Next time, listing the story or paragraph would make it easier.
It allows the reader to see how the character came to be who he or she is currently, it creates realism in the text, it creates tension between the narrator and the character, etc.