Question

Read the passage from A Doll’s House.

Nora: Good gracious, can't you understand? There was no old gentleman at all; it was only something that I used to sit here and imagine, when I couldn't think of any way of procuring money. But it's all the same now; the tiresome old person can stay where he is, as far as I am concerned; I don't care about him or his will either, for I am free from care now. [Jumps up.] My goodness, it's delightful to think of, Christine! Free from care! To be able to be free from care, quite free from care; to be able to play and romp with the children; to be able to keep the house beautifully and have everything just as Torvald likes it! And, think of it, soon the spring will come and the big blue sky! Perhaps we shall be able to take a little trip—perhaps I shall see the sea again! Oh, it's a wonderful thing to be alive and be happy. [A bell is heard in the hall.]

How does the author use Nora to explore a social issue?

by exploring the benefits of living with no debt
by showing that living debt-free is impossible
by highlighting how easy it is to borrow money
by showing that happiness consists of more than living debt-free

Answer 1

by showing that happiness consists of more than living debt-free

Nora's exuberance about being "free from care" highlights money's role in easing worries, but the author uses her character to suggest that true fulfillment involves more—identity, autonomy, and meaningful relationships—not just the absence of debt.