Option D is the correct answer. The first paragraph reflects on how Akira approached Chie to ask for her daughter’s hand in marriage. In these lines, the narrator is wondering whether Chie would have been more likely to say yes to Akira’s proposal if Akira had followed tradition: “Akira came directly, breaking all tradition. Was that it? Had he followed form—had he asked his mother to speak to his father to approach a go-between—would Chie have been more receptive?” Thus, the main purpose of the first paragraph is to examine why Chie reacted a certain way to Akira’s proposal.
Option A is incorrect because the first paragraph describes only one aspect of Japanese culture (marriage proposals) but not the culture as a whole.
Option B is incorrect because the first paragraph implies a criticism of Akira’s individual marriage proposal but not the entire tradition of Japanese marriage proposals.
Option C is incorrect because the narrator does not question a suggestion.