The austere room, grim and poorly lighted, reflected the personality of the stern doctor. what words the reader to understand the word austere?

The words that help the reader to understand the word austere are Grim, Poorly lighted, stern

Explanation:

The definition of austere is a place or a person that is extremely too simple to point of not being pleasant to the sight, it could make reference to a place or a person that is poorly attractive and maybe a little depressing, all the words that help to understand the meaning of the word are synonyms of it.

the symbol of the grandfather's heritage in this excerpt from "the medicine bag,” is the beaded bolo tie.

a bolo tie is a cord fastened around the neck with an ornamental clasp which is worn as a necktie. they have been used by native american tribes such as hopi, navajo, zuni, and puebloans since the mid-20th century.

therefore, the fact that the grandfather is wearing a bolo tie refers to his heritage as native american.