Question

read the excerpt from act 3 of a dolls house
helmer: you have loved me as a wife ought to love her
husband. only you had not sufficient knowledge to
judge of the means you used. but do you suppose you
are any the less dear to me, because you dont
understand how to act on your own responsibility? no,
no; only lean on me; i will advise you and direct you. i
should not be a man if this womanly helplessness did
not just give you a double attractiveness in my eyes.
you must not think anymore about the hard things i
said in my first moment of consternation, when i
thought everything was going to overwhelm me. i have
forgiven you, nora; i swear to you i have forgiven you.
what evidence from the text best supports the theme
that the roles of women are defined by society?
\you have loved me as a wife ought to love her
husband. only you had not sufficient knowledge to
judge of the means you used.\
\but do you suppose you are any the less dear to
me, because you dont understand how to act on
your own responsibility?\
\i will advise you and direct you. i should not be a
man if this womanly helplessness did not just give
you a double attractiveness in my eyes.\
\you must not think anymore about the hard things i
said in my first moment of consternation, when i
thought everything was going to overwhelm me.\

Explanation:

The line "I will advise you and direct you. I should not be a man if this womanly helplessness did not just give you a double attractiveness in my eyes." shows that Helmer expects Nora to be in a submissive, dependent role (as defined by society's view of women at the time) where he can advise and direct her, and her "helplessness" (a trait society often imposed on women) is seen as attractive. This directly relates to the theme that women's roles are defined by society.

Answer:

"I will advise you and direct you. I should not be a man if this womanly helplessness did not just give you a double attractiveness in my eyes."