Question

read the passage from a dolls house.
nora: really! did a big dog run after you? but it didnt bite you? no, dogs dont bite nice little dolly children. you mustnt look at the parcels, ivar. what are they? ah, i daresay you would like to know. no, no—its something nasty! come, let us have a game! what shall we play at? hide and seek? yes, well play hide and seek. bob shall hide first. must i hide? very well, ill hide first. she and the children laugh and shout, and romp in and out of the room, at last nora hides under the table, the children rush in and out for her, but do not see her; they hear her smothered laughter, run to the table, lift up the cloth and find her. shouts of laughter. she crawls forward and pretends to frighten them. fresh laughter. meanwhile there has been a knock at the hall door, but none of them has noticed it. the door is half opened, and krogstad appears; he waits a little; the game goes on.
how do the stage directions in brackets affect the meaning of the text?
○ they show that nora goes from playing happily with her children to being startled by krogstad, an unwelcome visitor.
○ they show that nora, the children, and krogstad are on the stage at the same time and are communicating with one another.
○ they show that nora has to take care of her children without the help of her husband, torvald, and resents it greatly.
○ they show that krogstad is familiar to the family and is a frequent visitor, so he can walk in without knocking.

Explanation:

The stage directions depict Nora and her children laughing, romping, and playing Hide and Seek joyfully. At the same time, a knock goes unnoticed, and Krogstad enters unobserved while the game continues. This contrast shows Nora's happy play with her children is interrupted by the unexpected, unwelcome arrival of Krogstad. The other options are incorrect: Krogstad is not communicating with them, there is no indication of Nora resenting caring for her children, and the scene does not imply he is a frequent, familiar visitor.

Answer:

A. They show that Nora goes from playing happily with her children to being startled by Krogstad, an unwelcome visitor.