In Rope, which task had the wife planned to do since morning?

In Rope, which task had the wife planned to do since morning?

• A. Wash the dishes
• B. Put the mattresses outside
• C. Mend the clothes
• D. Set the table

Answer: (D)

The question hinges on recognizing premeditated, deliberate preparation in the scene. When the text notes that the wife had planned to set the table since morning, it signals she organized the space well in advance to shape how the moment would unfold. Setting the table is a purposeful, outward-facing act that frames the day around a specific meal or reception, showing she anticipated and prepared for a particular occasion from early on. That level of forward planning is less suggested by the other tasks—washing dishes, mending clothes, or moving mattresses outside—which are either routine, spontaneous actions, or not tied to creating a prepared domestic moment. So the act of setting the table fits as the best answer because it embodies deliberate preparation carried out over the morning.

The question hinges on recognizing premeditated, deliberate preparation in the scene. When the text notes that the wife had planned to set the table since morning, it signals she organized the space well in advance to shape how the moment would unfold. Setting the table is a purposeful, outward-facing act that frames the day around a specific meal or reception, showing she anticipated and prepared for a particular occasion from early on. That level of forward planning is less suggested by the other tasks—washing dishes, mending clothes, or moving mattresses outside—which are either routine, spontaneous actions, or not tied to creating a prepared domestic moment. So the act of setting the table fits as the best answer because it embodies deliberate preparation carried out over the morning.