"the children behaved very appropriately at the mall." what does the "very" modify? verb adverb or adjective

Very modifies appropriately which is an ADVERB.

Explanation:

Adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs; they can indicate many things like degree, condition, time, place frequency, manner, and reason, and some of them have the “-ly” ending like “quickly.”

“Very” is an adverb indicating the degree or the intensity of the word “appropriately,” which is also an adverb because it indicates the manner the children behaved; furthermore, it has the “-ly” ending, characteristic of some adverbs.

adjective

Explanation:

b : the uninhabited house represents the narrator's feeling of emptiness.

c: the blind street symbolizes the aimless and drab life on north richmond street.

d: the consciousness of decent lives symbolizes a comparison of neighbors' lives.