Question

read the excerpt from act 2 of a dolls house. 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. nora: sadly is that it? rank: i was determined you should know it before i went away, and there will never be a better opportunity than this. now you know it, nora. and now you know, too, that you can trust me as you would trust no one else. nora: rises, deliberately and quietly let me pass. rank: makes room for her to pass him, but sits still nora! which statement best describes the way this interaction affects the plot? nora and doctor rank have to find a way to hide their love for each other from helmer. doctor rank’s admission of love prolongs the suspense because now nora cannot ask him for help. nora and doctor rank have to keep the extent of his illness a secret from helmer later. now that doctor rank has expressed his love for nora, he can no longer come to the house.

Explanation:

In A Doll's House, Nora is in desperate need of help to resolve her financial secret from Helmer. Doctor Rank's admission of romantic love creates a barrier: Nora can no longer ask him for assistance without risking misinterpretation or compromising her position, which extends the suspense of whether she can solve her crisis before her secret is exposed. The other options are incorrect: there is no indication Nora loves Rank back, their interaction does not center on hiding his illness, and Rank does not state he will stop visiting the house.

Answer:

Doctor Rank's admission of love prolongs the suspense because now Nora cannot ask him for help.