Robert was not waiting for her in the little parlor. he was nowhere at hand. the house was empty. but he had scrawled on a piece of paper that lay in the lamplight: "i love you. good-by—because i love you." what significant idea, presented throughout the novel, does robert’s final departure and note highlight? edna is ultimately alone in her rebirth. edna needs to find solace in her children. edna will never be truly loved by anyone. edna should not have forsaken her family.

How does the author use the character of the nurse to develop the social issue of gender inequality? the nurse’s willingness to take care of nora when nora was little demonstrates a woman’s ability to do difficult work. the nurse’s need to give up a child in order to have a job demonstrates a woman’s inability to support herself. the fact that the nurse’s child wrote to her as a young girl and as an adult demonstrates a woman’s ability to keep friends forever. the nurse’s assurance to nora that her children ask for her often demonstrates women’s role in health care.