Question

read the passage from a dolls house. helmer calls out from his room. is that my little lark twittering out there? nora busy opening some of the parcels. yes, it is! helmer: is it my little squirrel bustling about? nora: yes! helmer: when did my squirrel come home? nora: just now. puts the bag of macaroons into her pocket and wipes her mouth. come in here, torvald, and see what i have bought. helmer: dont disturb me. a little later, he opens the door and looks into the room, pen in hand. bought, did you say? all these things? has my little spendthrift been wasting money again? how do the stage directions in brackets affect the meaning of the text? they tell the reader that torvald opens his door only when he realizes that nora has spent money. they tell the reader that torvald uses pet names for nora and treats her like a child. they show the reader that torvald thinks that nora bought too much. they show the reader that torvald prefers his pets over his wife.

Explanation:

Stage directions like "calls out from his room" and "busy opening some of the parcels" provide context. Helmer's pet names ("little lark", "little squirrel", "little spendthrift") infantilize Nora. The stage directions enhance this by showing his detached yet patronizing behavior (e.g., "Don't disturb me" then opening the door with a pen - a symbol of his authority).

Answer:

They tell the reader that Torvald uses pet names for Nora and treats her like a child.