Read the excerpt from act 1 of A Doll’s House. Mrs. Linde: Yes, but your father gave you the necessary funds. Nora: [smiling] Yes, that is what Torvald and all the others think, but— Mrs. Linde: But— Nora: Papa didn't give us a shilling. It was I who procured the money. Mrs. Linde: You? All that large sum? Nora: Two hundred and fifty pounds. What do you think of that? Mrs. Linde: But, Nora, how could you possibly do it? Did you win a prize in the Lottery? Nora: [contemptuously] In the Lottery? There would have been no credit in that. Mrs. Linde: But where did you get it from, then? Nora: [humming and smiling with an air of mystery]. Hm, hm! Aha! Mrs. Linde: Because you couldn't have borrowed it. Nora: Couldn't I? Why not? Mrs. Linde: No, a wife cannot borrow without her husband's consent. Nora: [tossing her head] Oh, if it is a wife who has any head for business—a wife who has the wit to be a little bit clever— How does this excerpt best develop the theme that society places limits on the roles of women?
Answer
A
As a woman, Nora cannot borrow money, but she does so behind her husband’s back in order to save him.
B
As a woman, Nora is supposed to be flawless, so she must hide from her husband any mistake she makes.
C
As a woman, Nora cannot discuss money with men, so she does not reveal her actions to her husband.
D
As a woman, Nora is supposed to do whatever it takes to save her husband, but she cannot act alone.
Explanation
Mrs. Linde says that a wife cannot borrow money without her husband’s consent, showing how society restricts women’s financial independence. Nora reveals that she obtained the money herself and kept this from Torvald, despite using it to help him. This makes C correct: Nora secretly borrows money to save her husband, acting against the limits placed on women.
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