What does the stage symbolize in the stories of Evelyn and Bismillah Khan?

Correct answer: A place to prove ability and give prestige to art

The governing idea is the stage as a public space where disciplined preparation becomes visible achievement. For Evelyn, performing before an audience demonstrated that her hearing impairment did not prevent musical excellence; the stage became an opportunity to communicate ability rather than a reminder of limitation. For Bismillah Khan, public performance helped move the shehnai beyond its earlier restricted associations and gave it prestige in serious music. Thus option A is correct because it includes both the performer’s self-realisation and the instrument’s cultural elevation. B describes the opposite effect, while C and D ignore the artistic and symbolic purpose of performance.