Choose the best reason du Maurier includes Nat's comment to his wife, "We'd be better off in the old days," in her short story, "The Birds."

In Daphne Du Maurier's short story, "The Birds," Nat's
comment seems to point to the first answer, "Nat's comment foreshadows coming
events."

Nat says:

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"We'd be better off in the old days . . . . when
the women baked twice a week, and had pilchards salted, and there was food for a family
to last a siege, if need
be."

I believe this is
foreshadowing. This is not a comment that refers in any way to a "woman's place" within
the home. Nat's wife will not be predicting what is going to take place, as
Nat is the observant one who is concerned about the birds when no
one else sees the threat. And this is not how an author, generally, presents the setting
to the reader. There is usually description of the location or a mood, not conversations
such as this one...in general.

Knowing how the plot unfolds
the story, one can understand how this would be foreshadowing. The first night, the
birds attack ferociously; Nat eventually has to go out to get provisions (though because
the birds are "full," they don't bother him). He travels to the Triggs' farm to do so,
and finds the Triggs, and Jim (the hired hand) dead.

At
first, Nat's comment is spoken with the idea of how much easier he believes life was in
"the old days" by not having to run out for provisions as they do now. After the bird
attack, his comment is more meaningful: he is fearful to go out,
but must. If they were living as people did in the past, they would not have to face the
deadly birds because they would not have to leave the house for
supplies.