Question

read the excerpt from act 2 of a dolls house.
rank: the bigger a thing it is the better. i cant
conceive what it is you mean. do tell me. havent i
your confidence?
nora: more than anyone else. i know you are my
truest and best friend, and so i will tell you what it is.
well, doctor rank, it is something you must help me
to prevent. you know how devotedly, how
inexpressibly deeply torvald loves me; he would never
for a moment hesitate to give his life for me.
rank: leaning towards her nora—do you think he is
the only one—?
nora with a slight start the only one—?
rank: the only one who would gladly give his life for
your sake
what inference does this excerpt best support?
○ nora realizes that she can no longer ask doctor
rank for help because he is in love with her.
○ nora realizes that she can trust only doctor rank
because he has confessed his love for her.
○ doctor rank is willing to risk his life for nora
because he wants to compete with helmer.
○ doctor rank has confessed his love because he
thinks that doing so will help her with her problem.

Explanation:

1. Analyze the excerpt: Nora is about to ask Doctor Rank for help, emphasizing Helmer's devotion. Rank then implies he would also give his life for her, making Nora react with surprise ("a slight start").
2. Evaluate options:

• Option B is incorrect: Nora does not state she can only trust Rank, and he has not yet confessed his love explicitly in this excerpt.
• Option C is incorrect: There is no mention of Rank wanting to compete with Helmer.
• Option D is incorrect: Rank does not confess his love in this excerpt, nor does he link any potential confession to helping Nora with her problem.
• Option A is correct: Nora's surprised reaction to Rank's implication shows she has just realized his romantic feelings, which would make her uncomfortable asking him for help afterward, as accepting help from someone who is in love with her would complicate their relationship and her own sense of boundaries.

Answer:

Nora realizes that she can no longer ask Doctor Rank for help because he is in love with her.