Question

read the excerpt from act 1 of a dolls house.
helmer: nora! goes up to her and takes her playfully by the ear. the same little featherhead! suppose, now, that i borrowed fifty pounds today, and you spent it all in the christmas week, and then on new year’s eve a slate fell on my head and killed me, and—
nora: putting her hands over his mouth. oh! dont say such horrid things.
helmer: still, suppose that happened, —what then?
nora: if that were to happen, i dont suppose i should care whether i owed money or not.
helmer: yes, but what about the people who had lent it?
nora: they? who would bother about them? i should not know who they were
how does the interaction between helmer and nora advance the plot?
○ nora realizes that helmer will completely disapprove of her having borrowed money, so she has to continue to keep it a secret from him.
○ nora realizes that she and helmer have the same ideas about financial issues, and the conversation brings them closer together later in the play.
○ helmer realizes that nora is more responsible with money than he originally thought, and he trusts her more with finances later in the play.
○ nora realizes that helmer knows a lot more about borrowing and lending, and she will seek his input later when she needs it.

Explanation:

In the excerpt, Helmer reacts with concern about the consequences of unpaid debt if Nora were to die, showing his strict views on financial responsibility. Nora downplays the issue, but this exchange reveals that Helmer would strongly disapprove of her secret debt. This makes Nora aware she must keep her borrowing hidden to avoid his disapproval, which drives the play's central conflict. The other options are incorrect: the pair do not align on financial ideas, Helmer does not view Nora as responsible with money here, and Nora does not seek his input.

Answer:

A. Nora realizes that Helmer will completely disapprove of her having borrowed money, so she has to continue to keep it a secret from him.