Question

read the excerpt from act 3 of a doll’s house.
helmer: before all else, you are a wife and a mother.
nora: i don’t believe that any longer. i believe that before all else i am a reasonable human being, just as you are—or, at all events, that i must try and become one. i know quite well, torvald, that most people would think you right, and that views of that kind are to be found in books; but i can no longer content myself with what most people say, or with what is found in books. i must think over things for myself and get to understand them.
helmer: can you not understand your place in your own home? have you not a reliable guide in such matters as that?—have you no religion?
nora: i am afraid, torvald, i do not exactly know what religion is.
how does nora’s conflict in this excerpt best demonstrate a difference between life in the late 1800s and life today?
○ the conflict demonstrates that women are better suited to be mothers than wives.
○ the conflict demonstrates that women are not inclined to practice a particular religion.
○ the conflict demonstrates that women are expected to remain in the roles assigned to them.
○ the conflict demonstrates that women are not expected to get their education from books.

Explanation:

In late 1800s society, as shown in the excerpt, women were rigidly assigned the roles of wife and mother first, as Helmer asserts. Nora rejects this, prioritizing her identity as an individual human being. This conflict highlights the stark difference from modern times, where women are not confined to such narrow, pre-assigned roles. The other options are incorrect: the text does not compare motherhood vs. wife suitability, focus on religious inclination, or address book-based education expectations for women.

Answer:

The conflict demonstrates that women are expected to remain in the roles assigned to them.