Name:_____________________
Date:_____________________
Class Period:_____________________
A Doll’s House Unit Test
You will have 50 minutes to complete this test. Please write your answer
choices on the line next to the question number unless otherwise indicated. You
may write anywhere you want to on the test, but only those answers written on the
line next to the question number will be counted.
Good luck! 
For questions 1-5, determine whether each sentence is an example of
Direct Characterization (D) or
Indirect Characterization (I).
(1 point each)
____ 1. Mrs. Bennett refused to lend Jane the carriage, in hopes that she would catch a cold
while visiting Netherfield.
____ 2. Mary was dressed in somber colors – grey, black, and dark green.
____ 3. Mr. Darcy, a handsome man by anyone’s standards, was also kind and generous.
____ 4. “I like to spend my spare time thinking of compliments – the ladies love them, you
know,” said Mr. Collins.
____ 5. Elizabeth Bennett is intelligent and outspoken, making her a strong female character.
For questions 6-21, select the best possible response.
(1.5 points each)
____ 6. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of Modern Drama?
A. stage directions
B. realistic settings
C. elevated language
D. breaking the Fourth Wall
____ 7. Why did Nora take a loan from Krogstad?
A. She wanted to give her first child a nice birthday party.
B. She wanted to pay for her husband’s education.
C. She wanted to buy an expensive wedding dress.
D. She wanted to take her sick husband on a trip south.
____ 8. Which specific detail does Krogstad use to blackmail Nora?
A. Nora has not been paying the loan money back on time.
B. Nora forged her father’s signature on the I.O.U.
C. Nora has been stealing money from Torvald to pay off the loan.
D. Nora never sent a copy of the I.O.U. to Krogstad.
____ 9. What sign does Dr. Rank use on his visiting card to indicate that he is about to die?
A. A blue circle
B. A red rose
C. A black cross
D. A yellow star
____ 10. Read the following excerpt from Act I of A Doll’s House:
“NORA: Nonsense! Trying to frighten me like that!—I am not so silly as he thinks . . . And
yet—? No, it's impossible! I did it for love's sake.”
What is the tone of the above excerpt?
A. Agitated
B. Annoyed
C. Confused
D. Hopeful
____ 11. Read the following excerpt from Act 2 of A Doll’s House:
“HELMER: (takes her hands in his) Now, now, now. Don’t get so excited. Where’s my little
songbird, the one I know?”
What is the tone of the above excerpt?
A. Resentful
B. Kind
C. Confused
D. Condescending
____ 12. Read the following excerpt from Act 2 of A Doll’s House:
“MRS. LINDE: (gathers some of her things together) Very well. But I shan’t leave this house
until we’ve talked this matter out.”
This excerpt includes an example of
A. direct characterization
B. stage directions
C. breaking the Fourth Wall
D. exaggerated language
____ 13. With which of the following opinions about the role of women would Torvald Helmer
most likely agree?
A. Women are good at picking out healthy food for themselves and their families.
B. Women intuitively know the best way to take care of their husbands.
C. Women are most attractive when they need a man’s help.
D. Women know how to spend money wisely because they spend so much time
shopping.
____ 14. With which of the following opinions about raising children would Nora Helmer most
likely agree at the end of the play?
A. A mother needs to have a strong sense of self before she can raise her children well.
B. The most important thing a mother can give her children is a cheerful home.
C. Parents should spend as much time as possible with their children.
D. Children always grow up to be just like their parents, no matter how they are raised.
____ 15. With which of the following opinions about work would Mrs. Lind most likely agree?
A. I It is never a good idea to do more than one job; people should focus on a single
career.
B. It is not proper for a woman to work outside the home.
C. It is better to keep all the money you earn for yourself than to spend it on a family.
D. It is better to have a family to work for than to just work for your own gain.
____ 16. Which of the following rights did women in Norway have when A Doll’s House was
published in 1879?
A. The right to vote
B. The right to work as teachers
C. The right to equal status with men in terms of property ownership
D. The right to equal status with men in terms of child custody
____ 17. Which of these events happened most recently in Norway’s Women’s Rights
movement?
A. Married women gained the legal right to be considered independent adults.
B. Unmarried women gained the legal right to be considered independent adults.
C. Women gained equal legal status with men in terms of property ownership.
D. Women gained the right to vote.
____ 18. Why was A Doll’s House considered controversial when it was first published?
A. It was the first play published in Norway to be written by a woman.
B. It focused on an unhappy and dysfunctional modern marriage.
C. It used complicated language that the general public could not understand.
D. It included a character who thought about committing suicide.
____ 19. A “close up” and a “long shot” are examples of which element of film?
A. tone
B. body language
C. field size
D. lighting
____ 20. Imagine that an actress chose to push her shoulders back and look another actor in the
eye while delivering Nora’s line “I’ve never felt so sane and sure in my life.” What tone would
she most likely be trying to convey with this body language?
A. Anger
B. Confidence
C. Confusion
D. Nervousness
____ 21. Mrs. Mallard in “The Story of an Hour” and Nora in A Doll’s House are similar
because both women
A. think that their futures will be better without their husbands.
B. are in trouble with the law because of falsified documents.
C. want their children to grow up with more freedom than they had.
D. die at the end of their respective stories.
Questions 22-24 require short answer responses. Please write in complete sentences!
22)
Write a paragraph in which you explain how the cultural and historical context of A
Doll’s House influenced the action of the play. Which elements of 19th century Norwegian
society influence the characters’ opinions and actions? Remember to use specific examples
from the text to support your answer. (5 points)
23.
Read the following quotations from “The Story of an Hour” and A Doll’s House:
 “And yet she had loved him – sometimes. Often she had not. What did it matter! What could
love, the unsolved mystery, count for in the face of this possession of self-assertion which
she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being!” - “The Story of an Hour”
 “NORA: No; never. I used to think I was. But I haven’t ever been happy … No, I’ve just had
fun. You’ve always been so kind to me. But our house has never been anything but a
playroom… No, Torvald, I don’t love you any longer” – Act III, A Doll’s House
Using these quotations as well as what you know about A Doll’s House and “The Story of
an Hour” from reading and discussing them in class, write a paragraph in which you compare
and contrast Mrs. Mallard’s and Nora Helmer’s views about love. Answer at least two of the
following questions in your response: What causes each character to start thinking about the
importance of love? How important does each character think love is? What, if anything, does
each character decide is more important than love? Use specific examples from the text to
support your answer. (5 points)
24)
Watch the following clip from the film version of A Doll’s House. As you watch, make
notes on the mood of the clip as well as the film techniques used by the actors and the director to
achieve the mood. The clip will be shown twice.
After the final showing of the clip, use your notes to write a well-constructed paragraph
in which you identify the mood of the clip and describe how the film techniques used by the
actors and the director contribute to the mood. You must provide at least one example of an
actor’s technique and one example of the director’s technique to receive full credit. Remember
to explain why the examples you choose contribute to the mood you identify. (7 points)
Notes (1 point):
Paragraph (6 points):