A Doll's House - Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906)
A Doll's House (Norwegian: Et dukkehjem; also translated as A Doll House) is a three-act play
in prose by Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21
December 1879, having been published earlier that month.[1] Written in 1879 by Norwegian
playwright Henrik Ibsen, A Doll's House is a three act play about a seemingly typical housewife
who becomes disillusioned and dissatisfied with her condescending husband.
Norwegian playwright and poet Henrik Ibsen (1828 - 1906) created twenty-six plays and a
volume of poetry. He is noted for his nationalistic spirit and for exploring Europe's social
problems during the 1800s. Critics both past and present have praised his realistic approach to
drama and his well-developed characters. He is best known for creating strong female characters
such as Nora Helmer from A Doll's House and Hedda Gabler from the play of the same name. A
Doll's House remains the most frequently studied Ibsen play and with good reason. Although the
play is well over a century old, the characters are still fascinating, the plot is still briskly-paced,
and the themes are still ripe for analysis.
A Doll's House was published on December 4, 1879, and first performed in Copenhagen on
December 21, 1879. The work was considered a publishing event, and the play's initial printing
of 8,000 copies quickly sold out. The play was so controversial that Ibsen was forced to write a
second ending that he called "a barbaric outrage" to be used only when necessary. The
controversy centered around Nora's decision to abandon her children, and in the second ending,
she decides that the children need her more than she needs her freedom. Ibsen believed that
women were best suited to be mothers and wives, but at the same time, he had an eye for
injustice, and Helmer's demeaning treatment of Nora was a common problem. Although he
would later be embraced by feminists, Ibsen was no champion of women's rights; he only dealt
with the problem of women's rights as a facet of the realism within his play. His intention was
not to solve this issue but to illuminate it. Although Ibsen's depiction of Nora realistically
illustrates the issues facing women, his decision in Act III to have her abandon her marriage and
children was lambasted by critics as unrealistic, since according to them, no "real" woman would
ever make that choice.
That Ibsen offered no real solution to Nora's dilemma inflamed critics and readers alike who
were then left to debate the ending ceaselessly. This play established a new genre of modern
drama; prior to A Doll's House, contemporary plays were usually historical romances or
contrived comedy of manners. Ibsen is known as the "father of modern drama" because he
elevated theatre from entertainment to a forum for exposing social problems. Ibsen broke away
from the romantic tradition with his realistic portrayals of individual characters and his focus on
psychological concerns as he sought to portray the real world, especially the position of women
in society.
The play is significant for its critical attitude toward 19th century marriage norms. It aroused
great controversy at the time,[2] as it concludes with the protagonist, Nora, leaving her husband
and children because she wants to discover herself. Ibsen was inspired by the belief that "a
woman cannot be herself in modern society," since it is "an exclusively male society, with laws
made by men and with prosecutors and judges who assess feminine conduct from a masculine
standpoint."[3] Its ideas can also be seen as having a wider application: Michael Meyer argues
that the play's theme is not women's rights, but rather "the need of every individual to find out
the kind of person he or she really is and to strive to become that person."[4] In a speech given to
the Norwegian Association for Women's Rights in 1898, Ibsen insisted that he "must disclaim
the honor of having consciously worked for the women's rights movement," since he wrote
"without any conscious thought of making propaganda," his task having been "the description of
humanity."[5]
In 2006, A Doll's House held the distinction of being the world's most performed play.[6]
UNESCO has inscribed Ibsen's autographed manuscripts of A Doll's House on the Memory of
the World Register in 2001, in recognition of their historical value.[7]
Key Facts
full title · A Doll’s House
author · Henrik Ibsen
type of work · Play
genre · Social Realism, modern prose drama, Naturalistic / realistic problem play, Modern
tragedy
language · Norwegian
time and place written · 1879, Rome and Amalfi, Italy
date of first publication · 1879
Mute
Date premiered
Place premiered
Original language
Nora's Father
21 December 1879
Royal Theatre
in Copenhagen, Denmark
Norwegian
tone · Serious, intense, somber
setting (time) · Presumably around the late 1870s
setting (place)/Locales · Norway. The home of the Helmer family in an unspecified Norwegian
town or city, circa 1879.
protagonist · Nora Helmer
major conflict · Nora’s struggle with Krogstad, who threatens to tell her husband about her past
crime, incites Nora’s journey of self-discovery and provides much of the play’s dramatic
suspense. Nora’s primary struggle, however, is against the selfish, stifling, and oppressive
attitudes of her husband, Torvald, and of the society that he represents.
rising action · Nora’s first conversation with Mrs. Linde; Krogstad’s visit and blackmailing of
Nora; Krogstad’s delivery of the letter that later exposes Nora.
climax · Torvald reads Krogstad’s letter and erupts angrily.
falling action · Nora’s realization that Torvald is devoted not to her but to the idea of her as
someone who depends on him; her decision to abandon him to find independence.
Subject The feminist awakening of a good middle-class wife and mother.
themes · The sacrificial role of women; parental and filial obligations; the unreliability of
appearances
motifs · Nora’s definition of freedom; letters
symbols · The Christmas tree; New Year’s Day
foreshadowing · Nora’s eating of macaroons against Torvald’s wishes foreshadows her later
rebellion against Torvald.
Overview of Henrik Ibsen:
Norwegian playwright and poet Henrik Ibsen (1828 – 1906) created twenty-six plays and a
volume of poetry. He is noted for his nationalistic spirit and for exploring Europe’s social
problems during the 1800s. Critics both past and present have praised his realistic approach to
drama and his well-developed characters. He is best known for creating strong female characters
in dramas such as A Doll's House and Hedda Gabler.
Ibsen's Birth and Childhood:
Henrik Ibsen was born on March 20th, 1828 in Skein, Norway. His wealthy father, Knud Ibsen,
owned several shops including a grocery store. However, after a series of poor financial
decisions, the family was severely in debt by the time Henrik was seven.
The family was forced to move to a small farm house, and then shared a residence in the
crowded home of a family friend. To make matters worse, Knud’s wife grew distant and
dissatisfied with the marriage.
It is therefore no coincidence that the themes of debt, marriage, society, and independence play a
prominent role in many of Henrik's plays.
Creative Perseverance:
In 1853, a small Norwegian theater gave a hopeful young playwright (and part-time pharmacy
assistant) a wonderful opportunity. The Bergen Theatre produced St. John’s Night, Henrik
Ibsen’s first publicly performed play.
It was a whimsical combination of Scandinavian folk tales filled with trolls and fairy creatures. It
was also a miserable disappointment that closed after only one performance. Yet, Ibsen never let
failure deter him. Despite all of his obstacles in his personal and literary life, he rose to become
one of the greatest dramatists of the 19th century.
Early Career:
In 1850, Ibsen failed his entrance exam, dashing hopes of becoming a doctor. His friends
admired his sense of humor and encouraged him to pursue writing as a career.
That same year his first play, Catiline, was rejected by editors, but a generous friend printed a
few hundred copies. Only 40 were sold; the rest of the copies were used as gift wrapping. Still,
he earned the respect of the Bergen Theatre, the company that produced his first works.
Audiences rejected his first three plays, but in 1856 he finally found success with his lyrical saga,
The Feast of Solhaug.
Decorated Playwright:
Prompted by his first success, Ibsen wrote constantly. Many of his earlier plays dealt with a pride
for his homeland, and a desire to maintain Norway’s virtues. Some failed both critically and
financially; others succeeded remarkably.
His artistic endeavors generated several government grants, allowing him enough funds to raise a
family and travel abroad.
In 1869, the King of Norway and Sweden knighted Ibsen. From then on, Ibsen’s career soared,
and his plays became even more serious. Eventually, his writing shifted from poetic folktales to
realistic examinations of controversial social issues.
Ibsen’s Social Commentary:
In 1877, his play, Pillars of Society, extolled the virtues of freedom and truth. Next, his 1879
classic A Doll’s House questioned the suppressed role of women in society. Thirteen years later,
feminist issues were again explored in another hard-hitting drama, Hedda Gabler.
Toward the end of his life, his later plays, The Master Builder (1892) and When We Dead
Awaken (1899), became more self-reflective. Ibsen began contemplating what it meant to
dedicate one's life to art.
What Writer’s Have Said About Henrik Ibsen:
“All of Ibsen is visionary drama… His mastery of inwardness is second only to Shakespeare’s.”
-- Harold Bloom
“Had the gospel of Ibsen been understood and heeded, these fifteen millions might have been
alive now.” -- George Bernard Shaw (Discussing the loss of life during World War I)
“His characters may hate one another or be happy together, but they will generate nobility or
charm.” -- E. M. Forster
Henrik Ibsen’s Death:
From 1900 to 1903 Ibsen suffered several strokes that left him unable to write creatively or speak
clearly. Although his final years were quiet and bedridden, the playwright was not lonely. In
1906 his family and friends were at his bedside when he died in his sleep. He was seventy-eight
years old. His last written words were, “Thanks.”
Quotes from Henrik Ibsen’s Plays:
“The majority is never right. Never, I tell you! That’s one of these lies in society that no free and
intelligent man can help rebelling against. Who are the people that make up the biggest
proportion of the population—the intelligent ones or the fools? I think we can agree it’s the
fools.”
-- from Enemy of the People
“Our home has been nothing but a play-room. I’ve been your doll-wife here, just as at home I
was Papa’s doll-child. And the children have been my dolls in their turn.”
-- from A Doll’s House
“The spirit of truth and the spirit of freedom—these are the pillars of society.”
-- from Pillars of Society
Author Biography
Ibsen was born March 20, 1828, in Skien, Norway, a lumbering town south of Christiania, now
Oslo. He was the second son in a wealthy family that included five other siblings. In 1835,
financial problems forced the family to move to a smaller house in Venstop outside Skien. After
eight years, the family moved back to Skein, and Ibsen moved to Grimstad to study as an
apothecary's assistant. He applied to and was rejected at Christiania University. During the
winter of 1848, Ibsen wrote his first play, Catiline, which was rejected by the Christiania
Theatre; it was finally published in 1850 under the pseudonym Brynjolf Bjarme and generated
little interest. Ibsen's second play, The Burial Mound, was also written under the pseudonym
Brynjolf Bjarme and became the first Ibsen play to be performed when it was presented on
September 26, 1850, at the Christiania Theatre.
In 1851, Ibsen accepted an appointment as an assistant stage manager at the Norwegian Theatre
in Bergen. He was also expected to assist the theatre as a dramatic author, and during his tenure
at Bergen, Ibsen wrote Lady lnger (1855), The Feast at Solhoug (1856), and Olaf Liljekrans
(1857). These early plays were written in verse and drawn from Norse folklore and myths. In
1857, Ibsen was released from his contract at Bergen and accepted a position at the Norwegian
Theatre in Christiania. While there, Ibsen published The Vikings at Helgeland and married
Suzannah Thoresen in 1858. The couple's only child, Sigurd, was born the following year.
By 1860, Ibsen was under attack in the press for a lack of productivity—although he had
published a few poems during this period. When the Christiania Theatre went bankrupt in 1862,
Ibsen was left with no regular income except a temporary position as a literary advisor to the
reorganized Christiania Theatre. Due to a series of small government grants, by 1863 Ibsen was
able to travel in Europe and begin what became an intense period of creativity. During this
period, Ibsen completed The Pretenders (1863) and a dramatic epic poem, "Brand" (1866), which
achieved critical notice; these works were soon followed by Peer Gynt (1867). The first of
Ibsen's prose dramas, The League of Youth, published in 1869, was also the first of his plays to
demonstrate a shift from an emphasis on plot to one of interpersonal relationships. This was
followed by Emperor and Galilean (1873), Ibsen's first work to be translated into English, and
Pillars of Society (1877). A Doll's House (1879), Ghosts (1881), and An Enemy of the People
(1882) are among the last plays included in Ibsen's realism period. Ibsen continued to write of
modern realistic themes in his next plays, but he also relied increasingly on metaphor and
symbolism in The Wild Duck (1884) and Hedda Gabler (1890).
A shift from social concerns to the isolation of the individual marks the next phase of Ibsen's
work. The Master Builder (1892), Little Eyolf (1894), John Gabriel Borkman (1896), and When
We Dead Awaken (1899) all treat the conflicts that arise between art and life, between creativity
and social expectations, and between personal contentment and self deception. These last works
are considered by many critics to be autobiographical. In 1900, Ibsen suffered his first of several
strokes. Ill health ended his writing career, and he died May 23, 1906.
Although Ibsen's audiences may have debated the social problems he depicted, modern critics are
more often interested in the philosophical and psychological elements depicted in his plays and
the ideological debates they generated.
Author/Context
Henrik Johan Ibsen (1828-1906)
Born in the small town of Skien in Southern Norway, Henrik Ibsen was no stranger to social
isolation and self-discovery. As the second son in a large family of six children, Henrik spent his
youth gallivanting the countryside as a child of a wealthy family, for his father found early
success as a merchant. However, his father suffered great financial woes and lost his entire
fortune when Henrik was only seven, forcing the family to move to smaller and more obscure
towns. He left school in 1843 and worked as an apothecary's assistant for seven years in
Grimstad. During his time there, Ibsen began to write. He also fathered his first illegitimate son
by one of the maids at his station.
Ibsen then went to Christiania (which eventually became Oslo) planning to attend the university.
After so many years working as an apprentice, Ibsen intended to pursue and develop the literary
talents he discovered while working with the apothecary. While he never matriculated, Ibsen did
continue to write and he published his first play, Catilina, under the pseudonym of Brynjolf
Bjarme. His second play, The Warrior's Barrow (also known as The Burial Mound), was
produced by the Christiania Theater in 1850. People began to take notice - notably venerated
violinist Ole Buff - who gave Ibsen an in at the National Theater, where he soon found a niche.
Ibsen worked in the theater for years, moving around, and eventually becoming the artistic
director of the Norwegian Theater in Christiania. During his theater years, he married Suzanna
Thoresen and fathered their only child, Sigurd. Together, the Ibsens worked in the theater until it
went bankrupt in 1862, forcing them to leave Norway. Like his father, Henrik Ibsen found
financial success and soon lost it. He spent the next twenty-seven years living in various cities
throughout Europe - in Germany and Italy - until his suffered a terrible stroke in 1900 rendering
him incapable of working as a writer.
Ibsen is known in the literary and theatrical worlds for his contribution to the study of social
isolationism and the study of individualism. His most famous works invariably illustrate strong
women imprisoned by the dictates of society, trapped inside a doll's house, unable to truly find
their own voices. It is this theme that has brought Ibsen international acclaim and respect, with
his plays perpetually produced throughout the world since their initial production over a century
ago.
According to Ibsen scholar James McFarlane, "In the group of plays of which A Doll's House
and Ghosts are the defining achievements, Ibsen's attention was thus chiefly drawn to those
problems stemming from the inhibitions set upon individual freedom and self-realization by
social and institutional forces: by commercial hypocrisy, religious intolerance, political
expediency, and all the accumulated pressures of conventional morality and established
authority."
Although his themes of social isolationism in the 1879 A Doll's House and 1890 Hedda Gabler,
brought his wide acclaim, he has a wide body of theatrical work. It also includes Brand, Emperor
and Galilean, An Enemy of the People, The Wild Duck, The Master Builder , John Gabriel
Borkman, League of Youth, The Lady from the Sea,The Master Builder, Peer Gynt,
Rosmersholm, When We Dead Awaken, and The Wild Duck.
After his stroke in 1900, Ibsen was unable to write, work in the theater, or continue his normal
lifestyle. He died in 1906.
Biography of Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906)
Henrik Johan Ibsen, born in 1828 in Skien, Norway, was the eldest of five children after the early
death of his older brother. His father, Knud Ibsen, one in a long line of sea captains, had been
born in Skien in 1797 and had married Marichen Cornelia Martie Altenburg, the daughter of a
German merchant, in 1825. Though Ibsen later reported that Skien was a pleasant place to grow
up, his childhood was not particularly happy. He was described as an unsociable child. His sense
of isolation increased at the age of sixteen when his father's business had to be sold to meet the
demands of his creditors. On top of this, a rumor began circulating that Henrik was the
illegitimate son of another man. Although the rumor was never proven to be true, it manifested
itself in the theme of illegitimate offspring that runs throughout Ibsen's later works.
After Knud's business was repossessed, all that remained of the family's former estate was a
dilapidated farmhouse on the outskirts of Skein. It was there that Ibsen began to attend the small,
middle-class school where he cultivated a talent for painting, if nothing else. He was also taught
German and Latin as well as drawing. In 1843, at the age of fifteen, Ibsen was confirmed and
taken from the school. Though he had declared his interest in becoming a painter, Ibsen was
apprenticed to an apothecary shortly before his sixteenth birthday.
Leaving his family, Ibsen traveled to Grimstad, a small, isolated town, to begin his
apprenticeship. He maintained a strong desire to gain admission to the university to study
medicine. Meanwhile, he fathered an illegitimate son with the maid of the apothecary. Despite
his unhappy lot, Ibsen began to write in earnest in Grimstad. Inspired by the European
revolutions of 1848, Ibsen wrote satire and elegant poetry.
At the age of twenty-one, Ibsen left Grimstad for the capital. While in Christiania (now Oslo),
Ibsen passed his exams but opted not to pursue his education, instead turning to playwriting and
journalism. In Christiania he penned his first play, Catiline (1849), written in blank verse about
the failure of Catiline’s conspiracy against ancient Rome in the time of Cicero. It sold only 45
copies and was rejected by every theater Ibsen submitted it to for performance. Ibsen also spent
time analyzing and criticizing modern Norwegian literature.
Still poor, Ibsen gladly accepted a contract to write for and help manage the newly constituted
National Theater in Bergen in 1851. Beginning his work untrained and largely uneducated, Ibsen
soon learned much from his time at the theater, producing such works as St. John's Night (1852).
The majority of his writings from this period were based on folksongs, folklore, and history.
In 1858, Ibsen moved back to Christiania to become the creative director of the city's Norwegian
Theater. That same year, Ibsen married Suzannah Thoresen, with whom he fathered a child
named Sigurd Ibsen. Though his plays suggest otherwise, Ibsen revered the state of marriage,
believing that it was possible for two people to travel through life as perfect, happy equals.
During this period, Ibsen also developed a daily routine from which he would not deviate until
his first stroke in 1901: he would rise, consume a small breakfast, take a long walk, write for five
hours, eat dinner, and finish the night with entertainment or early retirement to bed.
Despite this routine, Ibsen found his life difficult, though he did pen several plays, including
Love's Comedy (1862), a close relation of A Doll's House (1879) in its distinction between love
and marriage. Luckily, in 1864, his friends generously offered him money that they had
collected, allowing him to move to Italy. He felt like an exile. He would spend the next twentyseven years living in Italy and Germany. During this time abroad, he authored a number of
successful works, including Brand (1866) and Peer Gynt (1867), both (significantly) written to
be read rather than to be performed.
Ibsen moved to Dresden in 1868 and then to Munich in 1875. In Munich in 1879, Ibsen wrote his
groundbreaking play, A Doll's House. He pursued his interest in realistic drama for the next
decade, earning international acclaim; many of his works were published in translation and
performed throughout Europe.
Ibsen eventually turned to a new style of writing, abandoning his interest in realism for a series
of so-called symbolic dramas. He completed his last work, Hedda Gabler, abroad in 1890.
After being away from Norway for twenty-seven years, Ibsen and Suzannah returned in 1891.
Shortly afterwards, he finished writing The Master Builder (1892), after which he took a short
break. In late 1893, seemingly in need of moist air to help cure her recurring gout, Suzannah left
for southern Italy. While his wife was away, Ibsen found a companion in a young female pianist,
Hildur Andersen, with whom he spent a great deal of time. He continued to correspond with her
even after Suzannah's return. Ibsen's relationship with Andersen was characteristic of his larger
interest in the younger generation; he was famous for seeking out their ideas and encouraging
their writing.
Ibsen's later plays tended to meet with controversy on the occasions of their first performances:
Hedda Gabler was reviled by critics of the published script and of the first production in 1890. It
is at about this time that Ibsen's work, partly as a consequence of George Bernard Shaw's lecture
The Quintessence of Ibsenism (1890), became extremely popular in England.
After suffering a series of strokes, Ibsen died in 1906 at the age of seventy-eight. He was unable
to write for the last five years of his life, following a stroke which also left him unable to walk.
Reportedly his last words, after his nurse suggested he was doing better, were, “To the contrary!”
Context
Henrik Ibsen, considered by many to be the father of modern prose drama, was born in Skien,
Norway, on March 20, 1828. He was the second of six children. Ibsen’s father was a prominent
merchant, but he went bankrupt when Ibsen was eight years old, so Ibsen spent much of his early
life living in poverty. From 1851 to 1864, he worked in theaters in Bergen and in what is now
Oslo (then called Christiania). At age twenty-one, Ibsen wrote his first play, a five-act tragedy
called Catiline. Like much of his early work, Catiline was written in verse.
In 1858, Ibsen married Suzannah Thoreson, and eventually had one son with her. Ibsen felt that,
rather than merely live together, husband and wife should live as equals, free to become their
own human beings. (This belief can be seen clearly in A Doll’s House.) Consequently, Ibsen’s
critics attacked him for failing to respect the institution of marriage. Like his private life, Ibsen’s
writing tended to stir up sensitive social issues, and some corners of Norwegian society frowned
upon his work. Sensing criticism in Oslo about not only his work but also his private life, Ibsen
moved to Italy in 1864 with the support of a traveling grant and a stipend from the Norwegian
government. He spent the next twenty-seven years living abroad, mostly in Italy and Germany.
Ibsen’s early years as a playwright were not lucrative, but he did gain valuable experience during
this time. In 1866, Ibsen published his first major theatrical success, a lyric drama called Brand.
He followed it with another well-received verse play, Peer Gynt. These two works helped
solidify Ibsen’s reputation as one of the premier Norwegian dramatists of his era. In 1879, while
living in Italy, Ibsen published his masterpiece, A Doll’s House. Unlike Peer Gynt and Brand, A
Doll’s House was written in prose. It is widely considered a landmark in the development of
what soon became a highly prevalent genre of theater—realism, which strives to portray life
accurately and shuns idealized visions of it. In A Doll’s House, Ibsen employs the themes and
structures of classical tragedy while writing in prose about everyday, unexceptional people. A
Doll’s House also manifests Ibsen’s concern for women’s rights, and for human rights in general.
Ibsen followed A Doll’s House with two additional plays written in an innovative, realistic mode:
Ghosts, in 1881, and An Enemy of the People, in 1882. Both were successes. Ibsen began to gain
international recognition, and his works were produced across Europe and translated into many
different languages.
In his later work, Ibsen moved away from realistic drama to tackle questions of a psychological
and subconscious nature. Accordingly, symbols began to gain prominence in his plays. Among
the works he wrote in this symbolist period are The Wild Duck (1884) and Hedda Gabler (1890).
Hedda Gabler was the last play Ibsen wrote while living abroad. In 1891, he returned to Oslo.
His later dramas include The Master Builder (1892) and Little Eyolf (1896). Eventually, a
crippling sickness afflicted Ibsen and prevented him from writing. He died on May 23, 1906.
A Note on the Title
Though most English translations of the play are titled A Doll’s House, some scholars believe
that “A Doll House” is a more accurate translation of the original Norwegian. They feel that it is
more suggestive of the doll-like qualities of the entire cast of characters. This SparkNote
preserves the more common title—A Doll’s House—for consistency.
About A Doll's House
Ibsen’s A Doll’s House (1879), written while Ibsen was in Rome and Amalfi, Italy, was
conceived at a time of revolution in Europe. Charged with the fever of the 1848 European
revolutions, a new modern perspective was emerging in the literary and dramatic world,
challenging the romantic tradition. It is Ibsen who can be credited for mastering and popularizing
the realist drama derived from this new perspective. His plays were read and performed
throughout Europe in numerous translations like almost no dramatist before. A Doll’s House was
published in Copenhagen, Denmark, where it premiered.
His success was particularly important for Norway and the Norwegian language. Having been
freed from four centuries of Danish rule in 1814, Norway was just beginning to shake off the
legacy of Danish domination. A Doll’s House was written in a form of Norwegian that still bore
heavy traces of Danish. Ibsen deliberately chose a colloquial language style to emphasize local
realism, though Torvald Helmer does speak in what Michael Meyer has described as “stuffy
Victorianisms.” Ibsen quickly became Norway’s most popular dramatic figure. But it is the
universality of Ibsen’s writings, particularly of A Doll’s House, that has made this play an oftperformed classic (see “A Stage History” for details of the play in performance).
It is believed that the plot of A Doll’s House was based on an event in Ibsen’s own life. In 1870
Laura Kieler had sent Ibsen a sequel to Brand, called Brand’s Daughters, and Ibsen had taken an
interest in the pretty, vivacious girl, nicknaming her “the lark.” He invited her to his home, and
for two months in the summer of 1872, she visited his home constantly. When she married, a
couple of years later, her husband fell ill and was advised to take a vacation in a warm climate–
and Laura, like Nora does in the play, secretly borrowed money to finance the trip (which took
place in 1876). Laura falsified a note, the bank refused payment, and she told her husband the
whole story. He demanded a separation, removed the children from her care, and only took her
back after she had spent a month in a public asylum.
Laura and Nora have similar-sounding names, but their stories diverge. In Ibsen’s play, Nora
never returns home, nor does she ever break the news to her husband. Moreover—here the
difference is most striking—it is Nora who divorces her husband. The final act of the play
reveals Torvald as generous and even sympathetic.
A Doll’s House was the second in a series of realist plays by Ibsen. The first, The Pillars of
Society (1877), had caused a stir throughout Europe, quickly spreading to the avant garde
theaters of the island and the continent. In adopting the realist form, Ibsen abandoned his earlier
style of saga plays, historical epics, and verse allegories. Ibsen’s letters reveal that much of what
is contained in his realist dramas is based on events from his own life. Indeed, he was
particularly interested in the possibility of true wedlock as well as in women in general. He later
would write a series of psychological studies focusing on women.
One of the most striking and oft-noted characteristics of A Doll’s House is the way it challenges
the technical tradition of the so-called well-made play in which the first act offers an exposition,
the second a situation, and the third an unraveling. This was the standard form from the earliest
fables until the time of A Doll’s House, which helped usher in a new, alternative standard.
Ibsen’s play was notable for exchanging the last act’s unraveling for a discussion, one which
leaves the audience uncertain about how the events will conclude. Critics agree that, until the last
moments of the play, A Doll’s House could easily be just another modern drama broadcasting
another comfortable moral lesson. Finally, however, when Nora tells Torvald that they must sit
down and “discuss all this that has been happening between us,” the play diverges from the
traditional form. With this new technical feature, A Doll’s House became an international
sensation and founded a new school of dramatic art.
Additionally, A Doll’s House subverted another dramatic tradition. Ibsen’s realist drama
disregarded the tradition of featuring an older male moral figure. Dr. Rank, the character who
should serve this role, is far from a positive moral force. Instead, he is not only sickly, rotting
from a disease picked up from his father’s earlier sexual exploits, but also lascivious, openly
coveting Nora. The choice to portray both Dr. Rank and the potentially matronly Mrs. Linde as
imperfect humans seemed like a novel approach at the time.
The real complexity (as opposed to a stylized dramatic romanticism) of Ibsen’s characters
remains something of a challenge for actors. Many actresses find it difficult to portray both a
silly, immature Nora in the first act or so and the serious, open-minded Nora of the end of the
last act. Similarly, actors are challenged to portray the full depth of Torvald’s character. Many
are tempted to play him as a slimy, patronizing brute, disregarding the character’s genuine range
of emotion and conviction. Such complexity associates A Doll’s House with the best of Western
drama. The printed version of A Doll’s House sold out even before it hit the stage.
A more obvious importance of A Doll’s House is the feminist message that rocked the stages of
Europe when the play premiered. Nora’s rejection of marriage and motherhood scandalized
contemporary audiences. In fact, the first German productions of the play in the 1880s used an
altered ending, written by Ibsen at the request of the producers. Ibsen referred to this version as a
“barbaric outrage” to be used only in emergencies.
The revolutionary spirit and the emergence of modernism influenced Ibsen’s choice to focus on
an unlikely hero, a housewife, in his attack on middle-class values. Quickly becoming the talk of
parlors across Europe, the play succeeded in its attempt to provoke discussion. In fact, it is the
numerous ways that the play can be read and interpreted that make the play so interesting. Each
new generation has had a different way of interpreting the book, from seeing it as feminist
critique to taking it as a Hegelian allegory of the spirit’s historical evolution. This richness is
another sign of its greatness.
Yet precisely what sort of play is it? George Steiner claims that the play is “founded on the
belief…that women can and must be raised to the dignity of man,” but Ibsen himself believed it
to be more about the importance of self-liberation than the importance of specifically female
liberation—yet his contemporary Strindberg certainly disagreed, himself calling the play a
“barbaric outrage” because of the feminism he perceived it as promoting.
There are many comic sections in the play—one might argue that Nora’s “songbird” and
“squirrel” acts, as well as her early flirtatious conversations with her husband, are especially
humorous. Still, like many modern productions, A Doll’s House seems to fit the classical
definition of neither comedy nor tragedy. Unusually for a traditional comedy, at the end there is a
divorce, not a marriage, and the play implies that Dr. Rank could be dead as the final curtain
falls. But this is not a traditional tragedy either, for the ending of A Doll’s House has no solid
conclusion. The ending notably is left wide open: there is no brutal event, no catharsis, just
ambiguity. This is a play that defies boundaries.
In A Nutshell
Henrik Ibsen was born in Skein, Norway on March 20, 1828. After spending most of his early
years in poverty, he eventually made a name for himself as one of the most respected
playwrights of all time. He is often called "the father of modern drama" because he helped
popularize realism, which a good portion of today's entertainment imitates without even knowing
it. Just about every show on television owes a little something to Ibsen. Just imagine what Law
and Order would be like in verse – Oh, dearest judge, do not slam your gavel; for if you do,
justice will unravel. Weird.
After a few smaller successes with plays such as Brand, Peer Gynt, and Pillars of Society, Ibsen
took the world by storm with A Doll's House. Boy, was it controversial. Nora's door-slamming
exit is sometimes described as a shot heard around the world. The very idea that a woman might
have something to do other than keep house and raise children was pretty scandalous in the
Victorian era. Party invitations were sent out, requesting that people not discuss the play. Hosts
were afraid their elegant engagements would turn into all out brawls. Many critics were just as
scandalized. They scathingly criticized Ibsen for undermining society's most sacred institution:
marriage. However, a few critics, such as George Bernard Shaw, championed Ibsen because he
was unafraid to challenge societal norms.
Though the play is often pigeon-holed as a feminist manifesto, Ibsen denied it. Once when he
was being honored by the Norwegian Society for Women's Rights he said, "I am not even quite
sure what women's rights really are. To me it has been a question of human rights" (source). To
Ibsen, it wasn't necessarily about the fact that Nora is a woman; it's about the fact that she's a
human being. He thought that all people, men and women alike, should have the courage to stand
up against society and form their own opinions. Think about it – in a way Torvald, Nora's
husband, is just as caged by society as his wife. Society has programmed them both into their
prescribed roles: dominant provider husband, submissive homemaking wife. In Ibsen's mind, all
human beings have a sacred duty to themselves.
Why Should I Care?
As we mention in "In a Nutshell," Ibsen didn't see his controversial play, A Doll's House, as
feminist. He saw it as humanist. He thought every person, man and woman, had a right to self-
actualization, to be who they wanted to be.
Ibsen seems to think that people are often herded like sheep by society. He's famously quoted as
saying, "The strongest man in the world is he who stands alone." People often get swept up by
popular opinion, giving little thought to whether what's happening is right or wrong in their own
minds. We have a sneaky suspicion that this might be just as true today as it was in Ibsen's time.
We also suspect that it just might be as relevant to our children and grandchildren, and so on.
The tension of the individual versus society will most likely never leave us.
How It All Goes Down
At the beginning of the play, all seems well. Nora and Torvald Helmer appear quite happy
together. Torvald speaks to his wife in a rather demeaning way, but she doesn't really seem to
mind. The Helmers are both quite excited because Torvald has gotten a new job as the manager
of a bank. The couple won't have to worry about money anymore. Nora's old school friend, Mrs.
Christine Linde, arrives. She's been recently widowed and is looking for work. Christine is
hoping that Torvald might be able to hook her up with a job. Nora tells her friend that she'll ask
him. Over the course of their conversation, Nora confesses to Christine that she has a secret debt.
Nora refuses to tell Christine who she borrowed money from, but does explain why she had to
borrow it. Early in the Helmers' marriage, Torvald got sick from overwork. Doctors prescribed a
trip south to warmer climates as the only way to save him. At the time, the Helmers didn't have
the money for such a trip. To save Torvald's pride, Nora borrowed money without his knowledge
and funded a year in Italy. In order to pay off the debt, she's been skimming from the allowance
Torvald gives her and secretly working odd jobs. Nora is especially happy about Torvald's new
job, because now money won't be a concern.
A creepy man named Krogstad shows up. He works at the bank that Torvald is about to manage.
It seems like Nora knows him, but we aren't told why. He goes in to see Torvald. Christine tells
Nora that she once knew Krogstad. We get the idea that they once had a thing for each other. Dr.
Rank enters. He's a Helmer family friend and is dying of tuberculosis of the spine. He talks about
how corrupt and morally diseased Krogstad is, to which Christine says we should try to help the
diseased. Torvald comes out of his office and Nora asks him about a job for Christine Linde.
Torvald agrees, and everybody is happy. Torvald, Dr. Rank, and Christine all skip away down
the street together.
Nora's children rush in. She frolics with them a bit and plays hide-and-go-seek. Then creepy old
Krogstad shows up again. Nora sends the kids away. Krogstad is furious because Torvald is
going to fire him – Christine Linde is getting his job. It turns out that he is the person Nora
borrowed money from. He's got a lot of power over Nora, because apparently she forged her
father's signature after he was dead in order to get the loan. Krogstad threatens to expose Nora's
crime if he loses his job. After he leaves, Nora freaks out.
When Torvald returns, Nora tries to talk him into letting Krogstad keep his job. Torvald says he
can't stand Krogstad, because he's does dishonest things like forgery. Nora's husband goes on to
say that he can't stand being around such awful people. He talks about how such people's
presence corrupts their children. Torvald goes back to work. The maid tries to bring the children
back in to play. Nora, fearing she will corrupt them, refuses to see them.
Act Two opens with Nora in a state of extreme agitation. She's hanging out with one of the
maids, Anne, who was Nora's wet-nurse when she was a child. Nora asks Anne to take care of
the kids if she ever disappears.
Christine stops by. Nora shows her a costume that Torvald picked out for her. They're planning
to go to a holiday party in couple night at the Stenborgs', their upstairs neighbors. Christine goes
off to another room to mend the costume. Torvald shows up. Nora begs him to not fire Krogstad.
Her begging only angers off Torvald, and he sends Krogstad his notice. Torvald goes to his
office.
Dr. Rank arrives. Nora does a little subtle flirting with him. She's planning to ask him for the
money to pay off the loan. Her plans are foiled though when he tells her that he'll soon be dying.
He tells her that he'll put a card in the mailbox with a black cross when it begins. He admits that
he is love with her, but Nora tells him that he's being very morbid and inappropriate. She feels
too guilty to ask him for the money. Dr. Rank goes in to see Torvald.
Krogstad busts in, super-mad about getting fired. He tells Nora that he's going to blackmail
Torvald into giving him a better job than the one he had before. Eventually, he'll be running the
bank instead of Torvald. Krogstad warns Nora to not do anything stupid like run away or commit
suicide, because he'll still have power over Torvald anyway. He leaves, dropping a blackmail
letter to Torvald in the mailbox on his way out.
Nora spazzes out in a major way. Christine returns, and Nora tells her everything. She's afraid
that when Torvald finds out, a wonderful terrible thing will happen. Torvald will take all the
blame for her. Christine says that she used to have a relationship with Krogstad and that maybe
she can change his mind. She runs off to talk to him for Nora.
Torvald and Dr. Rank enter. In order to stop Torvald from opening the mail, Nora pretends she
needs help with her dance for the Stenborgs' party. She dances the tarantella badly. Torvald is
amazed that she forgot all he taught her. He promises to do nothing but help her practice until the
party happens. That means for a little while, the Krogstad's letter will stay where it is. Rank and
Torvald leave. Christine returns and reports that Krogstad wasn't home. She left a note for him.
After Christine leaves, Nora counts down the hours she has to live.
Act Three finds Christine alone in the Helmers' living room. The Stenborgs' party is going on
upstairs. Krogstad enters. Apparently, they used to go out, but Christine eventually ditched him
for a richer man. She had to because her mother was sick and she had two younger brothers to
care for. Christine says that she wants to be with Krogstad again and help him raise his children.
Krogstad is overjoyed. He says he'll demand his blackmail letter back unopened. Christine tells
him not to. She thinks all the lies in the Helmer household need to be revealed. Krogstad takes
off.
The Helmers come down from the party. Christine tells them she was waiting to see Nora in her
costume. Nora whispers, asking what happened with Krogstad. Her friend tells her that she has
nothing to fear anymore from Krogstad, but that she needs to tell Torvald the truth anyway.
Christine exits. Torvald is kind of drunk and tries to get Nora to sleep with him, but she's not in
the mood. Dr. Rank drops by. He's super-drunk. He makes allusions that he is going to die soon
and then exits into the night.
Torvald opens the mailbox. He finds cards that Rank left. They have black crosses on them. Nora
tells him the cards are Rank's way of announcing his death. Torvald laments his friend's sickness.
He tells Nora that sometimes he wishes she was in terrible danger so that he could save her. Nora
tells him to open his mail.
When Torvald reads Krogstad's letter he totally flips out, telling her that she is a terrible person.
He laments that they'll have to do whatever Krogstad says. He insists that Nora is not to be
allowed near the children anymore, because she may corrupt them. Just then, a letter arrives from
Krogstad. In the letter, Krogstad says that he's had a change of heart and will no longer be
blackmailing them. Torvald is really happy and forgives Nora.
Nora, however, doesn't forgive Torvald. She tells him that she was expecting a wonderful thing
to happen. She thought he would try to sacrifice himself for her, taking all the blame on himself.
Nora, of course, wouldn't allow him to do that, and would've committed suicide to stop him.
Torvald's actions made him seem cowardly in Nora's eyes. She tells him that she is leaving him,
because they've never had a real marriage. She's never been more than a doll in his eyes. He begs
her to stay, but she refuses, leaving both him and the kids, with the slamming of a door.
Summary of plot
Nora Helmer is apparently happily married to Torvald, a lawyer who is about to take over the
post of director of the Joint Stock Bank. They have three small children. Nora has a secret to
keep, however. Early in their marriage Torvald became seriously ill, and the doctors advised a
stay in a more southerly climate. Nora had to get hold of the money for the journey in secrecy
and so borrowed it from Krogstad, a lawyer who had been a fellow-student of Torvald`s. As
security for the loan she forged her dying father`s signature. Ever since then she has saved some
of the housekeeping money in order to pay back the loan with interest, and she has taken on
small jobs to earn some money herself. When the play opens, an old friend of Nora`s, Mrs.
Linde, has arrived in town to look for work, and Nora sees to it that Torvald gives her a post at
the bank. But this means that Krogstad is dismissed from his post at the bank, and in desperation
he goes to Nora and threatens to tell Torvald about the loan and the forgery unless he is allowed
to keep his post. Nora is in despair but at the same time convinced that in his love for her,
Torvald will sacrifice himself and take full responsibility for what she has done, if he learns the
truth. Nora considers asking Dr. Rank, an old friend of the family, for the money, but when he
declares his love for her, she finds it impossible to ask him. Torvald finds out what has
happened, and reacts with rage and revulsion, without any sign of being willing to accept
responsibility for the forgery. Mrs. Linde, who was in love with Krogstad in the past, gets him to
change his mind and withdraw his threats. But Nora has begun to understand that her marriage is
not what she thought it was, and in the course of a dramatic conversation with Torvald she
decides that her most important and only task is to go out into the world on her own to "bring
herself up", and she leaves her husband and children.
Plot Overview
A Doll’s House opens on Christmas Eve. Nora Helmer enters her well-furnished living room—
the setting of the entire play—carrying several packages. Torvald Helmer, Nora’s husband,
comes out of his study when he hears her arrive. He greets her playfully and affectionately, but
then chides her for spending so much money on Christmas gifts. Their conversation reveals that
the Helmers have had to be careful with money for many years, but that Torvald has recently
obtained a new position at the bank where he works that will afford them a more comfortable
lifestyle.
Helene, the maid, announces that the Helmers’ dear friend Dr. Rank has come to visit. At the
same time, another visitor has arrived, this one unknown. To Nora’s great surprise, Kristine
Linde, a former school friend, comes into the room. The two have not seen each other for years,
but Nora mentions having read that Mrs. Linde’s husband passed away a few years earlier. Mrs.
Linde tells Nora that when her husband died, she was left with no money and no children. Nora
tells Mrs. Linde about her first year of marriage to Torvald. She explains that they were very
poor and both had to work long hours. Torvald became sick, she adds, and the couple had to
travel to Italy so that Torvald could recover.
Nora inquires further about Mrs. Linde’s life, and Mrs. Linde explains that for years she had to
care for her sick mother and her two younger brothers. She states that her mother has passed
away, though, and that the brothers are too old to need her. Instead of feeling relief, Mrs. Linde
says she feels empty because she has no occupation; she hopes that Torvald may be able to help
her obtain employment. Nora promises to speak to Torvald and then reveals a great secret to
Mrs. Linde—without Torvald’s knowledge, Nora illegally borrowed money for the trip that she
and Torvald took to Italy; she told Torvald that the money had come from her father. For years,
Nora reveals, she has worked and saved in secret, slowly repaying the debt, and soon it will be
fully repaid.
Krogstad, a low-level employee at the bank where Torvald works, arrives and proceeds into
Torvald’s study. Nora reacts uneasily to Krogstad’s presence, and Dr. Rank, coming out of the
study, says Krogstad is “morally sick.” Once he has finished meeting with Krogstad, Torvald
comes into the living room and says that he can probably hire Mrs. Linde at the bank. Dr. Rank,
Torvald, and Mrs. Linde then depart, leaving Nora by herself. Nora’s children return with their
nanny, Anne-Marie, and Nora plays with them until she notices Krogstad’s presence in the room.
The two converse, and Krogstad is revealed to be the source of Nora’s secret loan.
Krogstad states that Torvald wants to fire him from his position at the bank and alludes to his
own poor reputation. He asks Nora to use her influence to ensure that his position remains
secure. When she refuses, Krogstad points out that he has in his possession a contract that
contains Nora’s forgery of her father’s signature. Krogstad blackmails Nora, threatening to
reveal her crime and to bring shame and disgrace on both Nora and her husband if she does not
prevent Torvald from firing him. Krogstad leaves, and when Torvald returns, Nora tries to
convince him not to fire Krogstad, but Torvald will hear nothing of it. He declares Krogstad an
immoral man and states that he feels physically ill in the presence of such people.
Act Two opens on the following day, Christmas. Alone, Nora paces her living room, filled with
anxiety. Mrs. Linde arrives and helps sew Nora’s costume for the ball that Nora will be attending
at her neighbors’ home the following evening. Nora tells Mrs. Linde that Dr. Rank has a mortal
illness that he inherited from his father. Nora’s suspicious behavior leads Mrs. Linde to guess
that Dr. Rank is the source of Nora’s loan. Nora denies Mrs. Linde’s charge but refuses to reveal
the source of her distress. Torvald arrives, and Nora again begs him to keep Krogstad employed
at the bank, but again Torvald refuses. When Nora presses him, he admits that Krogstad’s moral
behavior isn’t all that bothers him—he dislikes Krogstad’s overly familiar attitude. Torvald and
Nora argue until Torvald sends the maid to deliver Krogstad’s letter of dismissal.
Torvald leaves. Dr. Rank arrives and tells Nora that he knows he is close to death. She attempts
to cheer him up and begins to flirt with him. She seems to be preparing to ask him to intervene
on her behalf in her struggle with Torvald. Suddenly, Dr. Rank reveals to Nora that he is in love
with her. In light of this revelation, Nora refuses to ask Dr. Rank for anything.
Once Dr. Rank leaves, Krogstad arrives and demands an explanation for his dismissal. He wants
respectability and has changed the terms of the blackmail: he now insists to Nora that not only
that he be rehired at the bank but that he be rehired in a higher position. He then puts a letter
detailing Nora’s debt and forgery in the -Helmers’ letterbox. In a panic, Nora tells Mrs. Linde
everything, and Mrs. Linde instructs Nora to delay Torvald from opening the letter as long as
possible while she goes to speak with Krogstad. In order to distract Torvald from the letterbox,
Nora begins to practice the tarantella she will perform at that evening’s costume party. In her
agitated emotional state, she dances wildly and violently, displeasing Torvald. Nora manages to
make Torvald promise not to open his mail until after she performs at the party. Mrs. Linde soon
returns and says that she has left Krogstad a note but that he will be gone until the following
evening.
The next night, as the costume party takes place upstairs, Krogstad meets Mrs. Linde in the
Helmers’ living room. Their conversation reveals that the two had once deeply in love, but Mrs.
Linde left Krogstad for a wealthier man who would enable her to support her family. She tells
Krogstad that now that she is free of her own familial obligations and wishes to be with Krogstad
and care for his children. Krogstad is overjoyed and says he will demand his letter back before
Torvald can read it and learn Nora’s secret. Mrs. Linde, however, insists he leave the letter,
because she believes both Torvald and Nora will be better off once the truth has been revealed.
Soon after Krogstad’s departure, Nora and Torvald enter, back from the costume ball. After
saying goodnight to Mrs. Linde, Torvald tells Nora how desirable she looked as she danced. Dr.
Rank, who was also at the party and has come to say goodnight, promptly interrupts Torvald’s
advances on Nora. After Dr. Rank leaves, Torvald finds in his letterbox two of Dr. Rank’s
visiting cards, each with a black cross above the name. Nora knows Dr. Rank’s cards constitute
his announcement that he will soon die, and she informs Torvald of this fact. She then insists that
Torvald read Krogstad’s letter.
Torvald reads the letter and is outraged. He calls Nora a hypocrite and a liar and complains that
she has ruined his happiness. He declares that she will not be allowed to raise their children.
Helene then brings in a letter. Torvald opens it and discovers that Krogstad has returned Nora’s
contract (which contains the forged signature). Overjoyed, Torvald attempts to dismiss his past
insults, but his harsh words have triggered something in Nora. She declares that despite their
eight years of marriage, they do not understand one another. Torvald, Nora asserts, has treated
her like a “doll” to be played with and admired. She decides to leave Torvald, declaring that she
must “make sense of [her]self and everything around her.” She walks out, slamming the door
behind her.
Summary
A Doll’s House traces the awakening of Nora Helmer from her previously unexamined life of
domestic, wifely comfort. Having been ruled her whole life by either her father or her husband
Torvald, Nora finally comes to question the foundation of everything she has believed in once
her marriage is put to the test. Having borrowed money from a man of ill-repute named Krogstad
by forging her father’s signature, she was able to pay for a trip to Italy to save her sick husband’s
life (he was unaware of the loan, believing that the money came from Nora’s father). Since then,
she has had to contrive ways to pay back her loan, growing particularly concerned with money
and the ways of a complex world.
When the play opens, it is Christmas Eve, and we find that Torvald has just been promoted to
manager of the bank, where he will receive a huge wage and be extremely powerful. Nora is
thrilled because she thinks that she will finally be able to pay off the loan and be rid of it. Her
happiness, however, is marred when an angry Krogstad approaches her. He has just learned that
his position at the bank has been promised to Mrs. Linde, an old school friend of Nora’s who has
recently arrived in town in search of work, and he tells Nora that he will reveal her secret if she
does not persuade her husband to let him keep his position. Nora tries to convince Torvald to
preserve Krogstad’s job, using all of her feminine tricks (which he encourages), but she is
unsuccessful. Torvald tells her that Krogstad’s morally corrupt nature is physically repulsive to
him and impossible to work with. Nora becomes very worried.
The next day, Nora is nervously moving about the house, afraid that Krogstad will appear at any
minute. Her anxiety is reduced by being preoccupied with the preparations for a big fancy-dress
party that will take place the next night in a neighbor’s apartment. When Torvald returns from
the bank, she again takes up her pleas on behalf of Krogstad. This time, Torvald not only refuses
but also sends off the notice of termination that he has already prepared for Krogstad, reassuring
a scared Nora that he will take upon himself any bad things that befall them as a result. Nora is
extremely moved by this comment. She begins to consider the possibility of this episode
transforming their marriage for the better—as well as the possibility of suicide.
Meanwhile, she converses and flirts with a willing Dr. Rank. Learning that he is rapidly dying,
she has an intimate conversation with him that culminates in him professing his love for her just
before she is able to ask him for financial help. His words stop her, and she steers the
conversation back to safer ground. Their talk is interrupted by the announcement of Krogstad’s
presence. Nora asks Dr. Rank to leave and has Krogstad brought in.
Krogstad tells her that he has had a change of heart and that, though he will keep the bond, he
will not reveal her to the public. Instead, he wants to give Torvald a note explaining the matter so
that Torvald will be pressed to help Krogstad rehabilitate himself and keep his position at the
bank. Nora protests against Torvald’s involvement, but Krogstad drops the letter in Torvald’s
letterbox anyway, much to Nora’s horror. Nora exclaims aloud that she and Torvald are lost.
Still, she tries to use her charms to prevent Torvald from reading the letter, luring him away from
business by begging him to help her with the tarantella for the next night’s party. He agrees to
put off business until the next day. The letter remains in the letterbox.
The next night, before Torvald and Nora return from the ball, Mrs. Linde and Krogstad, who are
old lovers, reunite in the Helmers’ living room. Mrs. Linde asks to take care of Krogstad and his
children and to help him become the better man that he knows he is capable of becoming. The
Helmers return from the ball as Mrs. Linde is leaving (Krogstad has already left), with Torvald
nearly dragging Nora into the room. Alone, Torvald tells Nora how much he desires her but is
interrupted by Dr. Rank. The doctor, unbeknownst to Torvald, has come by to say his final
farewells, as he covertly explains to Nora. After he leaves, Nora is able to deter Torvald from
pursuing her any more by reminding him of the ugliness of death that has just come between
them, Nora having revealed Dr. Rank’s secret. Seeing that Torvald finally has collected his
letters, she resigns herself to committing suicide.
As she is leaving, though, Torvald stops her. He has just read Krogstad’s letter and is enraged by
its contents. He accuses Nora of ruining his life. He essentially tells her that he plans on
forsaking her, contrary to his earlier claim that he would take on everything himself. During his
tirade, he is interrupted by the maid bearing another note from Krogstad and addressed to Nora.
Torvald reads it and becomes overjoyed. Krogstad has had a change of heart and has sent back
the bond. Torvald quickly tells Nora that it is all over after all: he has forgiven her, and her
pathetic attempt to help him has only made her more endearing than ever.
Nora, seeing Torvald’s true character for the first time, sits her husband down to tell him that she
is leaving him. After he protests, she explains that he does not love her—and, after tonight, she
does not love him. She tells him that, given the suffocating life she has led until now, she owes it
to herself to become fully independent and to explore her own character and the world for
herself. As she leaves, she reveals to Torvald that she hopes that a “miracle” might occur: that
one day, they might be able to unite in real wedlock. The play ends with the door slamming on
her way out.
Summary
Act One:
Set around Christmas time, Nora Helmer enters her home, truly enjoying life. An old widow
friend from her past, Mrs. Linde, stops by hoping to find a job. Nora's husband Torvald recently
earned a promotion, so she happily finds employment for Mrs. Linde. When her friend
complains how hard the years have been, Nora replies that her life has been filled with
challenges too.
Nora discreetly explains that several years ago, when Torvald Helmer was very ill, she forged
her dead father's signature in order to illegally obtain a loan. Since then, she has been paying
back the loan in secret. She has never told her husband because she knows it would upset him.
Unfortunately, a bitter bank employee named Nils Krogstad is the man who collects the debt
payments. Knowing that Torvald is soon to be promoted, he tries using his knowledge of her
forgery to blackmail Nora. He wants to insure his position at the bank; otherwise he will reveal
the truth to Torvald and perhaps even the police.
This turn of events greatly upsets Nora. However, she keeps the truth concealed from her
husband, as well as Dr. Rank, a kind yet sickly old friend of the Helmers. She tries to distract
herself by playing with her three children. However, by the ending of Act One she begins to feel
trapped and desperate.
Act Two:
Throughout the second act, Nora tries to concoct ways to prevent Krogstad from revealing the
truth. She has tried to coerce her husband, asking him to let Krogstad keep his job. However,
Helmer believes the man possesses criminal tendencies. Therefore, he is bent on removing
Krogstad from his post.
Nora tries asking Dr. Rank for help, but she is put off when Dr. Rank becomes too flirtatious
with her and claims that he cares for her just as much, if not more, than her husband.
Later, the Helmers prepare for a holiday ball. Torvald watches Nora perform a traditional folk
dance. He is disappointed that she has forgotten much of what he has taught her. Here, the
audience witnesses one of the many scenes in which Torvald patronizes his wife as though she
were a child, or his play-thing. (Hence, Ibsen titled the play: A Doll's House). Torvald constantly
calls her pet names such as "my song bird" and "my little squirrel." Yet, he never speaks to her
with any degree of mutual respect.
Eventually, Mrs. Linde tells Nora that she had a romantic attachment to Krogstad in the past, and
that she can perhaps persuade him to relent. However, Krogstad does not sway in his position.
By the end of Act Two, it seems that Torvald is bound to discover the truth. Nora is ashamed of
this possibility. She contemplates jumping into an icy river. She believes that if she does not
commit suicide, Torvald will bravely assume responsibility for her crimes. She believes that he
would go to jail instead of her. Therefore, she wants to sacrifice herself for his benefit.
Act Three:
Mrs. Linde and Krogstad meet for the first time in years. At first Krogstad is bitter towards her,
but she soon rekindles their romantic interest towards one another. Krogstad even has a change
of heart and considers tearing up Nora's IOU. However, Mrs. Linde believes it would be best if
Torvald and Nora finally confront the truth.
After returning from the party, Nora and Torvald unwind at home. Torvald discusses how he
enjoys watching her at parties, pretending that he is encountering her for the first time. Dr. Rank
knocks on the door, interrupting the conversation. He says goodbye to them, hinting that he will
be shutting himself up in his room until his sickness finally wins.
After Dr. Rank's departure, Torvald discovers Krogstad's incriminating note. When he realizes
the criminal act that Nora has committed, Torvald becomes enraged. He fumes about how
Krogstad can now make any demand he wishes. He declares that Nora is immoral, unfit as a wife
and mother. Even worse, Torvald says that he will continue to be married to her in name alone.
He wants to have no romantic connection to her whatsoever.
The irony of this scene is that moments before, Torvald was discussing how he wished that Nora
faced some sort of peril, so that he could prove his love for her. Yet, once that peril is actually
presented, he has no intention of saving her, only condemning her actions.
Moments after Torvald raves like a madman, Krogstad drops another note saying that he has
rediscovered love, and that he no longer wants to blackmail the Helmer family. Torvald rejoices,
declaring that they are saved. He then, in a moment of sheer hypocrisy, states that he forgives
Nora, and that he still loves her as his little "caged song bird."
This is a startling wake-up call for Nora Helmer. In a flash, she realizes that Torvald is not the
loving, selfless husband she had once envisioned. With that epiphany, she also comes to
understand that their marriage has been a lie, and that she herself has been an active part in the
deception. She then decides to leave her husband and her children in order to find out who she
truly is.
Torvald desperately begs her to stay. He claims that he will change. She says that perhaps if a
"miracle of miracles" happens they might one day become suitable companions. However, when
she leaves, slamming the door behind her, Torvald is left with very little hope.
Plot Summary
The play begins as Nora Helmer enters her home after an exhaustive day of shopping for the
holidays. She is thrilled that her husband, Torvald, has recently been promoted to the position of
Bank Manager at the Savings Bank, for now she can continue her carefree lifestyle of spending
and shopping. Torvald calms her down, calling her a song-bird and skylark, and reminds her that
they must not spend too much money, for he does not yet have his position and all the money.
Their friends, Dr. Rank and Kristina Linde, arrive at the same time for a daily visit. Dr. Rank is
the Helmers' mutual friend who helped Torvald regain his health years earlier and Mrs. Linde is
an old school friend of Nora's who has come to town to ask Torvald for a job. Her husband
passed away three years earlier, leaving her penniless and childless, despite her initial marriage
to him solely for money. While they are inside, Nils Krogstad, a barrister from Torvald's bank,
comes to speak with him. Dr. Rank enters the study to speak with Torvald as soon as Krogstad
exits. While the two men speak, the two women catch up on years of absence. After Kristina
lectures Nora on the frivolousness of her life, Nora reveals a deep secret to her friend. The year
in which they lived in Italy was not funded by her father, but rather through Nora's own business
negotiations. She borrowed a large sum of money from a creditor, Nils Krogstad, and constantly
must worry about repaying him at the same time as carrying on her typical life of shopping and
caring for the house and children. Kristina does pity her. When the men come out of the study,
Nora asks Torvald to find a job for Kristina, and the two men leave with Kristina.
Nora is left alone in the house and begins to play with her three children. In the midst of a loud
game, Krogstad enters the living room. He threatens to tell Torvald everything, about the loan,
and even worse - about the forged bond Nora signed - if he loses his job to Mrs. Linde. Krogstad
and Mrs. Linde used to be a couple before she married her late husband. He leaves her frightened
for her husband and family's reputation. When Torvald returns, he catches Nora in a lie. She tells
him that nobody stopped by. Torvald, however, saw Krogstad leave the house and lectures her on
the importance of telling the truth.
Nora waits for Kristina on the couch with her sewing materials and torn dress. Kristina arrives to
help fix the dress for the Tarantella, which Nora is to dance at the party later that evening.
Initially Kristina believes Dr. Rank to be the man from whom Nora borrowed the money, for he
seems especially caring towards her. Nora explains that he is absolutely not the creditor. He is
simply a very close friend with whom she discusses everything. She does not speak with her
husband about other people - man or woman - because Torvald is jealous of anyone who speaks
with her. As Nora begins to divulge the conversation she had with Krogstad, Torvald enters.
Nora sends Kristina away, for Torvald does not like to see women sewing. She pleads with him
to keep Krogstad at the bank, but he does not pay her any attention intellectually. He just
comforts her as one would a pet.
Dr. Rank enters to see Torvald who is awaiting him in his study. Dr. Rank sits with Nora, who
appears to be extremely worried. He tries to calm her, by telling her that he would do anything
for her and he also has deep feeling for her. He is on the verge of death and wanted to tell her
how he felt before he left. He wants to be able to give her something that they could remember
him by. Nora is about to ask him for the money when he divulges his feelings for her. She is
shocked and angry by his candid honesty.
He goes into Torvald's study, when Krogstad returns, warning Nora that unless he is promoted to
her husband's position, he will reveal all of her past actions. When he leaves, he drops a letter in
the mailbox explaining everything that has occurred. Kristina enters and listens to Nora's tearful
story. She promises to help Nora by convincing Krogstad to request his letter be returned
unopened. Nora must stall Torvald in the meantime by dancing her tarantella with fury.
While Nora and Torvald are upstairs rehearsing the tarantella, Krogstad comes to see Kristina.
They discuss the problems with the bond and their past relationship. She tries to explain to him
why she left him brokenhearted, yet also urges him to right the wrong he is about to make. In the
course of their discussion, Kristina proposes that they both leave the bank and start a new
business together - as a new family. She can take care of him, his children, and his home, and
therefore feel worthy as a person. Krogstad is weary of her trust. However, she pleads with him
that she would not sell herself twice in the same lifetime. Krogstad leaves Kristina alone in the
Helmer living room, excited about the future.
When Nora and Torvald return from the party upstairs, Kristina tells him that all will be well, so
long as Torvald reads the letter and understands the truth. She cannot bear to let such deception
continue in a family. Kristina leaves, Dr. Rank arrives, drops two letters in the mailbox, and
leaves again. He has just notified his friends of his impending death.
Although Nora urges Torvald to put off reading his letters, he continues to do so. Upon reading
Krogstad's notice, Torvald explodes at Nora, calling her a liar, hypocrite, and hereditary disaster.
He blames her for destroying their life, his reputation, and doing something so stupid behind his
back. Nora accepts each one of his insults with strength and foresight. In the middle of his tirade,
Krogstad delivers another letter - including the returned bond - that absolves them from all
financial and legal obligations. Torvald rejoices at the prospect of saving face and returning to
his doll's house with Nora and the children. However, it is too late, for Nora has just witnessed
his cruel temper and willingness to lose her over his own pride. Although he pleads with her to
stay, Nora exclaims that she cannot stay married to such a man - a stranger - and must leave to
find her own life, her own independence. Only a miracle would allow them to stay a happy
married couple. She leaves their home, releasing him of all husbandly duties, and informing him
that all the servants will do a better job of taking care of the house and children than she ever
could.
Synopsis
Act one
The play opens at Christmas time as Nora, Torvald’s wife, enters into her home, “thoroughly
loving her life and surroundings (Ibsen, 1871, p. 590).” An old-time friend of hers, Mrs. Linde,
arrives to her home seeking employment. At the same time, Torvald “has just received news of
his most recent job promotion (Ibsen, 1871, p 590).” When Nora learns of her husband’s
promotion she instantly and excitedly hires Mrs. Linde. In the meantime, Nora, who is playing
the ordinary housewife, is unhappy with her husband and becomes very distraught with him.
While conversing, "Mrs. Linde complains about her most difficult past, and Nora mentions that
she has had a life in resemblance to Mrs. Linde’s (Ibsen, 1871, 590)."
Act two
Christine arrives to help Nora repair a dress for a costume party she and Torvald plan to attend
the next day. Torvald returns from the bank, and Nora pleads with him to reinstate Krogstad in
his position, claiming she is worried Krogstad will publish libelous articles about Torvald and
ruin his career. Torvald dismisses her fears and explains that, although Krogstad is a good
worker and seems to have turned his life around, he must be fired because he is not deferential
enough to Torvald in front of other bank personnel. Torvald then retires to his study to work.
Dr. Rank, a family friend, arrives. Nora asks him for a favor, to which Rank reveals that he has
entered the terminal stage of tuberculosis of the spine (a contemporary euphemism for syphilis)[8]
and that he has always been secretly in love with her. Nora tries to deny the first revelation and
make light of it but is more disturbed by his declaration of love. She tries clumsily to tell him
that she is not in love with him but that she loves him dearly as a friend.
Desperate after being fired by Torvald, Krogstad arrives at the house. Nora convinces Dr. Rank
to go in to Torvald's study so he will not see Krogstad. When Krogstad confronts Nora, he
declares that he no longer cares about the remaining balance of Nora's loan but that he will
preserve the associated bond in order to blackmail Torvald into not only keeping him employed
but promoting him as well. Nora explains that she has done her best to persuade her husband but
that he refuses to change his mind. Krogstad informs Nora that he has written a letter detailing
her crime (forging her father's signature of surety on the bond) and puts it in Torvald's mailbox,
which is locked.
Nora tells Christine of her predicament. Christine says that she and Krogstad were in love before
she married and promises that she will try to convince him to relent.
Torvald enters and tries to retrieve his mail but Nora distracts him by begging him to help her
with the dance she has been rehearsing for the costume party, feigning anxiety about performing.
She dances so badly and acts so childishly that Torvald agrees to spend the whole evening
coaching her. When the others go in to dinner, Nora stays behind for a few minutes and
contemplates suicide to save her husband from the shame of the revelation of her crime and
(more importantly) to pre-empt any gallant gesture on his part to save her reputation.
Act three
Christine tells Krogstad that she only married her husband because she had no other means to
support her sick mother and young siblings and that she has returned to offer him her love again.
She believes that he would not have stooped to unethical behavior if he had not been devastated
by her abandonment and in dire financial straits. Krogstad is moved and offers to take back his
letter to Torvald. However, Christine decides that Torvald should know the truth for the sake of
his and Nora's marriage.
After literally dragging Nora home from the party, Torvald goes to check his mail but is
interrupted by Dr. Rank, who has followed them. Dr. Rank chats for a while so as to convey
obliquely to Nora that this is a final goodbye, as he has determined that his death is near. Dr.
Rank leaves, and Torvald retrieves his letters. As he reads them, Nora steels herself to take her
life. Torvald confronts her with Krogstad's letter. Enraged, he declares that he is now completely
in Krogstad's power—he must yield to Krogstad's demands and keep quiet about the whole
affair. He berates Nora, calling her a dishonest and immoral woman and telling her she is unfit to
raise their children. He says that from now on their marriage will be only a matter of
appearances.
A maid enters, delivering a letter to Nora. The letter is from Krogstad, yet Torvald demands to
read the letter, taking it from Nora. Torvald exults that he is saved as Krogstad has returned the
incriminating bond, which Torvald immediately burns along with Krogstad's letters. He takes
back his harsh words to his wife and tells her that he forgives her. Nora realizes that her husband
is not the strong and gallant man she thought he was and that he truly loves himself more than he
does her.
Torvald explains that, when a man has forgiven his wife, it makes him love her all the more since
it reminds him that she is totally dependent on him, like a child. He dismisses Nora's agonized
choice made against her conscience for the sake of his health and her years of secret efforts to
free them from the ensuing obligations and danger of loss of reputation, while preserving his
peace of mind, as a mere mistake that she made owing to her foolishness, one of her most
endearing feminine traits.
We must come to a final settlement, Torvald. During eight whole years. . . we have never
exchanged one serious word about serious things.
Nora, in Ibsen's A Doll's House (1879)
Nora tells Torvald that she is leaving him to live alone so she can find out who she is and what
she believes and decide what to do with her life. She says she has been treated like a doll to play
with, first by her father and then by him. Concerned for the family reputation, Torvald insists
that she fulfill her duty as a wife and mother, but Nora says that her first duties are to herself and
that she cannot be a good mother or wife without learning to be more than a plaything. She
reveals that she had expected that he would want to sacrifice his reputation for hers and that she
had planned to kill herself to prevent him from doing so. She now realizes that Torvald is not at
all the kind of person she had believed him to be and that their marriage has been based on
mutual fantasies and misunderstanding.
Torvald is unable to comprehend Nora's point of view, since it contradicts all that he had been
taught about the female mind throughout his life. Furthermore, he is so narcissistic that it would
be impossible for him to bear to understand how he appears to her, as selfish, hypocritical and
more concerned with public reputation than with actual morality. Nora leaves her keys and
wedding ring and, as Torvald breaks down and begins to cry, baffled by what has happened,
Nora leaves the house, slamming the door behind herself. She never came back again.
Character List
In some editions of A Doll’s House, the speech prompts refer to the character of Torvald Helmer
as “Torvald;” in others, they refer to him as “Helmer.” Similarly, in some editions, Mrs. Linde’s
first name is spelled “Christine” rather than “Kristine.”
Nora - The protagonist of the play and the wife of Torvald Helmer. Nora initially seems like a
playful, naïve child who lacks knowledge of the world outside her home. She does have some
worldly experience, however, and the small acts of rebellion in which she engages indicate that
she is not as innocent or happy as she appears. She comes to see her position in her marriage
with increasing clarity and finds the strength to free herself from her oppressive situation.
Torvald Helmer - Nora’s husband. Torvald delights in his new position at the bank, just as he
delights in his position of authority as a husband. He treats Nora like a child, in a manner that is
both kind and patronizing. He does not view Nora as an equal but rather as a plaything or doll to
be teased and admired. In general, Torvald is overly concerned with his place and status in
society, and he allows his emotions to be swayed heavily by the prospect of society’s respect and
the fear of society’s scorn.
Krogstad - A lawyer who went to school with Torvald and holds a subordinate position at
Torvald’s bank. Krogstad’s character is contradictory: though his bad deeds seem to stem from a
desire to protect his children from scorn, he is perfectly willing to use unethical tactics to achieve
his goals. His willingness to allow Nora to suffer is despicable, but his claims to feel sympathy
for her and the hard circumstances of his own life compel us to sympathize with him to some
degree.
Mrs. Linde - Nora’s childhood friend. Kristine Linde is a practical, down-to-earth woman, and
her sensible worldview highlights Nora’s somewhat childlike outlook on life. Mrs. Linde’s
account of her life of poverty underscores the privileged nature of the life that Nora leads. Also,
we learn that Mrs. Linde took responsibility for her sick parent, whereas Nora abandoned her
father when he was ill.
Dr. Rank - Torvald’s best friend. Dr. Rank stands out as the one character in the play who is by
and large unconcerned with what others think of him. He is also notable for his stoic acceptance
of his fate. Unlike Torvald and Nora, Dr. Rank admits to the diseased nature (literally, in his
case) of his life. For the most part, he avoids talking to Torvald about his imminent death out of
respect for Torvald’s distaste for ugliness.
Bob, Emmy, and Ivar - Nora and Torvald’s three small children. In her brief interaction with
her children, Nora shows herself to be a loving mother. When she later refuses to spend time
with her children because she fears she may morally corrupt them, Nora acts on her belief that
the quality of parenting strongly influences a child’s development.
Anne-Marie - The Helmers’ nanny. Though Ibsen doesn’t fully develop her character, AnneMarie seems to be a kindly woman who has genuine affection for Nora. She had to give up her
own daughter in order to take the nursing job offered by Nora’s father. Thus, she shares with
Nora and Mrs. Linde the act of sacrificing her own happiness out of economic necessity.
Nora’s father - Though Nora’s father is dead before the action of the play begins, the characters
refer to him throughout the play. Though she clearly loves and admires her father, Nora also
comes to blame him for contributing to her subservient position in life.
Character List
Nora
The play's protagonist and the wife of Torvald Helmer, Nora has never lived alone, going
immediately from the care of her father to that of her husband. Inexperienced in the ways of the
world as a result of this sheltering, Nora is impulsive and materialistic. But the play questions the
extent to which these attributes are mere masks that Nora uses to negotiate the patriarchal
oppression she faces every day. The audience learns in the first act that Nora is independent
enough to negotiate the loan to make Krogstad's holiday possible, and over the course of the
play, Nora emerges as a fully independent woman who rejects both the false union of her
marriage and the burden of motherhood.
Torvald
Nora's husband of eight years, Torvald Helmer, at the beginning of the play, has been promoted
to manager of the bank. Torvald has built his middle-class living through his own work and not
from family money. Focused on business, Torvald spends a great deal of his time at home in his
study, avoiding general visitors and interacting very little with his children. In fact, he sees
himself primarily as responsible for the financial welfare of his family and as a guardian for his
wife. Torvald is particularly concerned with morality. He also can come across as stiff and
unsympathetic. Still, the last act of the play makes very clear that he dearly loves his wife.
Dr. Rank
Friend of the family and Torvald's physician, Dr. Rank embodies and subverts the theatrical role
of the male moral force that had been traditional in the plays of the time. Rather than providing
moral guidance and example for the rest of the characters, Dr. Rank is a corrupting force, both
physically and morally. Sick from consumption of the spine as a result of his father's sexual
exploits, the Doctor confesses his desire for Nora in the second act and goes off to die in the third
act, leaving a visiting card with a black cross to signify that--for him--the end has come.
Mrs. Linde
Sometimes given as Mrs. Linden (for example, in the 1890 translation by Henrietta Frances
Lord). An old schoolmate of Nora's, Mrs. Christine Linde comes back into Nora's life after
losing her husband and mother. She worked hard to support her helpless mother and two younger
brothers since the death of her husband. Now, with her mother dead and her brothers being
adults, she is a free agent. Pressed for money, Mrs. Linde successfully asks Nora to help her
secure a job at Torvald's bank. Ultimately, Mrs. Linde decides that she will only be happy if she
goes off with Krogstad. Her older, weary viewpoint provides a foil to Nora's youthful
impetuousness. She perhaps also symbolizes a hollowness in the matriarchal role. Her
relationship with Krogstad also provides a point of comparison with that of Nora and Torvald.
Krogstad
Nils Krogstad is a man from whom Nora borrows money to pay for trip to Italy, an acquaintance
of Torvald's and an employee at the bank which Torvald has just taken over. Krogstad was
involved in a work scandal many years previously; as a result, his name has been sullied and his
career stunted. When his job at the bank is jeopardized by Torvald's refusal to work with a man
he sees as hopelessly corrupt, Krogstad blackmails Nora to ensure that he does not lose his job.
Ivar, Bob, and Emmy
Nora's young children. Raised primarily by Anne, the Nurse (and Nora's old nurse), the children
spend little time with their mother or father. The time they do spend with Nora consists of Nora
playing with them as if she were just another playmate. The children speak no individualized
lines; they are "Three Children." Ibsen facilitates their dialogue through Nora's mouth, and they
are often cut entirely in performance.
Anne
The family nurse. Anne raised Nora, who had lost her mother, and stayed on to raise Nora's
children. Nora is confident that she can leave her children in Anne's care.
Helen
A housemaid employed by the Helmers.
Porter
A porter who brings in the Christmas Tree at the very beginning.
Major Characters
Torvald Helmer: Torvald Helmer is an businessman who has recently been promoted to the
position of Manager of the Savings Bank. A scrupulous man, Torvald lives his life according to
society's norms - both professionally and personally. He treats his wife, Nora, like a beautiful
and treasured doll, who he can dress up, exhibit, and love externally. Torvald was extremely ill
several years earlier and recovered in Italy. As the Manager of the Bank, he will earn more
money, but still hopes to save some of it so that the family will not want in the future.
Nora Helmer: Nora Helmer is Torvald's beautiful young wife, who loves to spend money, dress
in elegant clothing, and take care of her children. She wants to keep her life as easy and simple
as it appears to be at the onset of the play. Despite the appearance she tries to convey, Nora holds
a deep secret that threatens to destroy her happy home as she knows it. When the truth comes out
that she borrowed money to save her husband years earlier, her financial and personal doom is
imminent. She tries to save face, her husband, and family's reputation, but eventually discovers
that she has been living in a doll's house her entire life.
Dr. Rank: Dr. Rank is a close personal friend of the Helmers who visits on a daily basis. He has
no family or offspring to support, so he has amassed a large savings account. He dislikes Nils
Krogstad and hides his deep feelings for Nora. Dr. Rank is the man who helped Torvald regain
his strength and health years earlier and has since become part of the family. He is the confidante
and friend of both Nora and Torvald. Nora feels as if she can speak with Dr. Rank in a way she
can never speak to her own husband.
Kristina (Mrs. Linde): Kristina (Mrs. Linde) is an old school-friend of Nora's from their youth.
Although they have not seen each other in several years, they instantly rekindle their friendship.
Kristina, a widow of a loveless marriage, has come to Nora to beg her husband for a job. She and
Nils Krogstad shared a romance in the past, and she ended it to marry her late husband for a large
sum of money. At the Helmers, Kristina becomes Nora's confidante and helper as she tries to
resolve her problems with Krogstad, the bank, and her husband. She believes Nora must be
truthful with her husband and develop a sense of independence, as she has done.
Nils Krogstad: Nils Krogstad is a barrister at the bank in which Torvald works. He is a man of
loose scruples who has lied and forged documents in the past, losing the respect of Torvald and
his co-workers. Although he tries to start his life anew in complete honesty, he is also at risk for
losing his job. Torvald plans to give his old job to Mrs. Linde. When Krogstad discovers such
news, he threatens to tell Torvald that he is the man who lent Nora the money years earlier,
destroying everyone's lives. Furthermore, Mrs. Linde had a romance with Krogstad in the past.
Because of her influence on him, she tries to help Nora by urging Krogstad to drop his threats.
Minor Characters
The Helmer children: The three Helmer children run around the house during the course of the
play. Nora plays with them and constantly wants to give them presents. They are the binding
force between Nora and Torvald.
Anna-Maria (nurse/Nanny): The nurse, Anna-Maria, brings news to Nora about the mail and
callers. Years earlier, she left her own child and family to raise Nora in a wealthy setting, and
now is the trusty nursemaid to Nora's own children. She discusses family and finances with
Nora.
Housemaid: The housemaid helps the Helmers with the housework, mail, and callers.
Porter: The porter helps run the Helmer household and delivers letters for them, including those
to and from Krogstad.
Nora's father: Although he never makes a physical presence during the play, Nora's father's
influence is felt throughout its course. Torvald repeatedly brings up his loose morals and past
scandals to compare them to Nora.
Analysis of Major Characters
Nora Helmer
At the beginning of A Doll’s House, Nora seems completely happy. She responds affectionately
to Torvald’s teasing, speaks with excitement about the extra money his new job will provide, and
takes pleasure in the company of her children and friends. She does not seem to mind her dolllike existence, in which she is coddled, pampered, and patronized.
As the play progresses, Nora reveals that she is not just a “silly girl,” as Torvald calls her. That
she understands the business details related to the debt she incurred taking out a loan to preserve
Torvald’s health indicates that she is intelligent and possesses capacities beyond mere wifehood.
Her description of her years of secret labor undertaken to pay off her debt shows her fierce
determination and ambition. Additionally, the fact that she was willing to break the law in order
to ensure Torvald’s health shows her courage.
Krogstad’s blackmail and the trauma that follows do not change Nora’s nature; they open her
eyes to her unfulfilled and underappreciated potential. “I have been performing tricks for you,
Torvald,” she says during her climactic confrontation with him. Nora comes to realize that in
addition to her literal dancing and singing tricks, she has been putting on a show throughout her
marriage. She has pretended to be someone she is not in order to fulfill the role that Torvald, her
father, and society at large have expected of her.
Torvald’s severe and selfish reaction after learning of Nora’s deception and forgery is the final
catalyst for Nora’s awakening. But even in the first act, Nora shows that she is not totally
unaware that her life is at odds with her true personality. She defies Torvald in small yet
meaningful ways—by eating macaroons and then lying to him about it, for instance. She also
swears, apparently just for the pleasure she derives from minor rebellion against societal
standards. As the drama unfolds, and as Nora’s awareness of the truth about her life grows, her
need for rebellion escalates, culminating in her walking out on her husband and children to find
independence.
Torvald Helmer
Torvald embraces the belief that a man’s role in marriage is to protect and guide his wife. He
clearly enjoys the idea that Nora needs his guidance, and he interacts with her as a father would.
He instructs her with trite, moralistic sayings, such as: “A home that depends on loans and debt
is not beautiful because it is not free.” He is also eager to teach Nora the dance she performs at
the costume party. Torvald likes to envision himself as Nora’s savior, asking her after the party,
“[D]o you know that I’ve often wished you were facing some terrible dangers so that I could risk
life and limb, risk everything, for your sake?”
Although Torvald seizes the power in his relationship with Nora and refers to her as a “girl,” it
seems that Torvald is actually the weaker and more childlike character. Dr. Rank’s explanation
for not wanting Torvald to enter his sickroom—”Torvald is so fastidious, he cannot face up to
anything ugly”—suggests that Dr. Rank feels Torvald must be sheltered like a child from the
realities of the world. Furthermore, Torvald reveals himself to be childishly petty at times. His
real objection to working with Krogstad stems not from -deficiencies in Krogstad’s moral
character but, rather, Krogstad’s overly friendly and familiar behavior. Torvald’s decision to fire
Krogstad stems ultimately from the fact that he feels threatened and offended by Krogstad’s
failure to pay him the proper respect.
Torvald is very conscious of other people’s perceptions of him and of his standing in the
community. His explanation for rejecting Nora’s request that Krogstad be kept on at the office—
that retaining Krogstad would make him “a laughing stock before the entire staff”—shows that
he prioritizes his reputation over his wife’s desires. Torvald further demonstrates his deep need
for society’s respect in his reaction to Nora’s deception. Although he says that Nora has ruined
his happiness and will not be allowed to raise the children, he insists that she remain in the house
because his chief concern is saving “the appearance” of their household.
Krogstad
Krogstad is the antagonist in A Doll’s House, but he is not necessarily a villain. Though his
willingness to allow Nora’s torment to continue is cruel, Krogstad is not without sympathy for
her. As he says, “Even money-lenders, hacks, well, a man like me, can have a little of what you
call feeling, you know.” He visits Nora to check on her, and he discourages her from committing
suicide. Moreover, Krogstad has reasonable motives for behaving as he does: he wants to keep
his job at the bank in order to spare his children from the hardships that come with a spoiled
reputation. Unlike Torvald, who seems to desire respect for selfish reasons, Krogstad desires it
for his family’s sake.
Like Nora, Krogstad is a person who has been wronged by society, and both Nora and Krogstad
have committed the same crime: forgery of signatures. Though he did break the law, Krogstad’s
crime was relatively minor, but society has saddled him with the stigma of being a criminal and
prohibited him from moving beyond his past. Additionally, Krogstad’s claim that his immoral
behavior began when Mrs. Linde abandoned him for a man with money so she could provide for
her family makes it possible for us to understand Krogstad as a victim of circumstances. One
could argue that society forced Mrs. Linde away from Krogstad and thus prompted his crime.
Though society’s unfair treatment of Krogstad does not justify his actions, it does align him more
closely with Nora and therefore tempers our perception of him as a despicable character.
Nora Helmer - The Protagonist of "A Doll's House"
Nora's Child-like Personality
One of the most complex characters of 19th century drama, Nora Helmer prances about in the
first act, behaves desperately in the second, and gains a stark sense of reality during the finale of
Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House.
In the beginning, Nora exhibits many childish qualities. The audience first sees her when she
returns from a seemingly extravagant Christmas shopping excursion. She eats a few desserts
which she has secretly purchased. When her condescending husband, Torvald Helmer, asks if
she has been sneaking macaroons, she denies it whole-heartedly. With this minor act of
deception, the audience learns that Nora is quite capable of lying.
She is most child-like when she interacts with her husband. She behaves playfully yet obediently
in his presence, always coaxing favors from him instead of communicating as equals. Torvald
gently chides Nora throughout the play, and Nora good-naturedly responds to his criticism as
though she were some loyal pet.
Nora's Clever Side:
However, Nora has been leading a double life. She has not been thoughtlessly spending their
money. Rather, she has been scrimping and saving to pay off a secret debt. Years ago, when her
husband became ill, Nora forged her father's signature to receive a loan to save Torvald's life.
The fact that she never told Torvald about this arrangement reveals several aspects of her
character.
For one, the audience no longer sees Nora as the sheltered, care-free wife of an attorney. She
knows what it means to struggle and take risks. In addition, the act of concealing the ill-gotten
loan signifies Nora's independent streak. She is proud of the sacrifice she has made. Although
she says nothing to Torvald, she brags about her actions with her old friend, Mrs. Linde, the first
chance she gets! Basically, she believes that her husband would undergo just as many hardships,
if not more, for her sake. However, her perception of her husband's devotion is quite misplaced.
Desperation Sets In:
When the disgruntled Nils Krogstad threatens to reveal the truth about her forgery, Nora realizes
that she has potentially scandalized Torvald Helmer's good name. She begins to question her
own morality, something she has never done before. Did she do something wrong? Were her
actions appropriate, under the circumstances? Will the courts convict her? Is she an improper
wife? Is she a terrible mother?
Nora contemplates suicide in order to eliminate the dishonor she has wrought upon her family.
She also hopes to prevent Torvald from sacrificing himself and going to prison in order to save
her from persecution. Yet, it remains debatable as to whether or not she would truly follow
through and jump in the icy river. Krogstad doubts her ability. Also, during the climactic scene
in Act Three, Nora seems to stall before running out into the night to end her life. Torvald stops
her all too easily, perhaps because she knows that, deep down, she wants to be saved.
Nora's Transformation:
Nora's epiphany occurs when the truth is finally revealed. As Torvald unleashes his disgust
towards Nora and her crime of forgery, the protagonist realizes that her husband is a very
different person than she once believed. Torvald has no intention of taking the blame for Nora's
crime. She thought for certain that he would selflessly give up everything for her. When he fails
to do this, she accepts the fact that their marriage has been an illusion. Their false devotion has
been merely play acting. She has been his "child-wife" and his "doll." The monologue in which
she calmly confronts Torvald serves as one of Ibsen's finest literary moments.
Since the premiere of Ibsen's A Doll's House, much has been discussed regarding the final
controversial scene. Why does Nora leave not only Torvald but her children as well? Many
critics and theater-goers questioned the morality of the play's resolution. In fact, some
productions in Germany refused to produce the original ending. Ibsen acquiesced and grudgingly
wrote an alternate ending in which Nora breaks down and cries, deciding to stay, but only for her
children's sake.
Some argue that Nora leaves her home purely because she is selfish. She does not want to
forgive Torvald. She would rather start another life than try to fix her existing one. Or perhaps
she feels that Torvald was right, that she is a child who knows nothing of the world. Since she
knows so little about herself or society, she feels that she is an inadequate mother and wife. She
leaves the children because she feels it is for their benefit, painful as it may be to her.
Nora Helmer's last words are hopeful, yet her final action is less optimistic. She leaves Torvald
explaining that there is a slight chance they could become man and wife once again, but only if a
"Miracle of miracles" occurred. This gives Torvald a brief ray of hope. However, just as he
repeats Nora's notion of miracles, his wife exits and slams the door, symbolizing the finality of
their relationship.
Character Roles Analysis
Protagonist - Nora Helmer
Nora is the play's undisputed protagonist. The dramatic action is driven by her frustrated efforts
to keep her big secret. She begs, flirts, manipulates, and even dances to try and keep the truth
from Torvald. We're asked to root for her as she hopes for and fears the "wonderful thing"
(2.320). Arguably, she also goes through the biggest journey out of all the characters. At the
beginning of the play, we see a submissive housewife who seems almost content to play the role.
By the end, she's an articulate, liberated woman. Some argue that the play's three day time period
is far too short for such a drastic change. Others say that the horrible stress she was under, which
forces her to consider suicide, is more than enough to make a person do some serious soul
searching. What do you think?
Antagonist - Nils Krogstad
For a lot of the play, creepy Krogstad seems to be a grade A villain (A, of course, is for
antagonist). He is the force that our protagonist, Nora, is constantly butting up against. He is the
foe to be defeated. Krogstad brings the trouble into Nora's seemingly perfect world by
threatening, blackmailing, and turning Nora's life into an all around hellhole. It's pretty ironic
that all of his shenanigans are motivated by a desire to be seen as a respectable person by the
community.
In the end, however, Krogstad is reformed. When his old flame, Christine, offers her love,
Krogstad is reborn and retracts his threatening letter to Torvald. It's too late for the Helmers,
though; the damage has been done. We called him a villain earlier, but, now that we think about
it, maybe he's a hero. If he'd never put Nora through all that turmoil, she'd never have woken up
to the emptiness of her life. We still wouldn't invite him over for a barbecue, but there's no
denying that, without his plots and scheming, Nora would still be nothing but a doll.
Guide Mentor - Mrs. Christine Linde
Throughout the play, Nora goes to her old friend, Christine, for advice. Mrs. Linde is the first
person Nora confides in about her secret debt. Though at first Nora doesn't tell Christine the
lender's identity, Nora gives up the information pretty quickly when the kitty litter hits the fan.
Also, it seems to be Christine's influence that eventually convinces Nora to let Torvald see that
letters.
Over the course of the whole play, Christine's message to her old friend is that she should be
honest with her husband. In the end, Nora finally gets the courage to let the truth come out. We
wonder if Christine had any inkling as to how that little scene was going to play out. We'd love
to be a fly on the wall, when Nora gets to Christine's place after her dramatic exit. What does
Nora say to her? Of course, without Christine's advice Nora would never come to the spiritual
awakening that she finds at the end of the play.
Foil - Nora Helmer to Mrs. Christine Linde
Nora and Christine move in directly opposite paths over the course of the play. Christine begins
as a woman who is alone without any obligations to family; Nora has a dutiful husband and
several children. While Christine has lived a life of toil and hardship, Nora has had it relatively
easy. Nora did have to work a few odd jobs and skim from her allowance to make payments on
her debt over the years, but that hardly compares to the sheer drudgery that Christine's life has
been.
When the play concludes, the two women have switched places. Nora deserts her family and
walks out the door into a life of hardship, whereas Christine unites with Krogstad to form a new,
hopefully happy home. By the end of the play, Nora is on the road to becoming the wise woman
of the world that Christine already is.
Foil - Torvald Helmer to Nils Krogstad
For the most part, Torvald and Krogstad stand out in stark relief to each other. Torvald has a
bright future and the respect of the community; Krogstad's prospects are pretty dismal and
everybody hates him. Torvald is a law abiding do-gooder while Krogstad is a shady blackmailer.
When Torvald is willing to submit to Krogstad's blackmail, we see that all his talk of being
honest and forthright was really just talk. Torvald is ultimately just concerned with appearances.
In this way, he's actually similar to Krogstad, who'll do anything to regain his standing with the
community. Still, despite Torvald's numerous flaws, you don't see him resort to blackmail. Life
hasn't forced him to sink to the levels that Krogstad has.
It's interesting that Krogstad is Torvald's childhood friend, just as Nora's foil, Christine, is a
friend from earlier days. Ibsen sets up a direct parallel between the two pairs. Krogstad is like the
dark version of Torvald, the version that's seen real hardship. Nora and Christine could be
compared similarly. Also, just like Nora and Christine, Torvald and Krogstad move in opposite
paths. Torvald ends up alone, whereas Krogstad is about to embark on a hopeful future.
Romantic - Torvald Helmer
It seems that, more than anything else, Nora wants Torvald's love. She's been wanting it for her
entire marriage. During the Helmers' final confrontation she says, "I have waited so patiently for
eight years […] Then this horrible misfortune came upon me; and then I felt quite certain that the
wonderful thing was going to happen at last" (3.340). The wonderful thing seems to be some
proof of love from Torvald, something beyond pet names and little indulgences. Nora has a
whole melodramatic scenario mapped out in her head. Torvald will find out her secret crime,
then gallantly take all the blame onto himself. She, of course, would never let that happen, so,
she'll be forced to commit suicide in the black water of a frozen lake. When this doesn't happen,
and Torvald shows himself to be something of a coward who is actually only concerned with
appearances, Nora's hope for the wonderful thing evaporates. She tells her husband, "For eight
years I had been living here with a strange man […] I can't bear to think of it! I could tear myself
into little bits!" (3.348).
Tools of Characterization
Social Status
Social status is arguably the most important characterization tool in A Doll's House. Most every
character is strictly bound into the roles that society places them in. Nora must be the dutiful
housewife. Christine only knows how to be happy if she's fulfilling the same role. Torvald must
be the dominant husband. Krogstad struggles against the negative perception the community has
of him. For the vast majority of the characters, social status is the defining feature. It is when the
characters struggle against these roles that the play's main conflicts are ignited.
Actions
As in most drama, the character's actions define them. Krogstad spends most of his time
threatening and blackmailing, showing us what a nasty sort of person he can be. When he does
the whole switch-a-roo at the end and releases the Helmers from his clutches, we see that he's
capable of compassion. (He just needed to be loved. Aww, how sweet.)
Christine tries her best to help Nora throughout the play, which gives us an idea of her caring
nature. She thrives on helping people. We see this again in her union with Krogstad. She's not
always warm and squishy though. When she hangs Nora out to dry at the end, by forcing Nora to
confront Torvald, we see that that this motherly figure isn't afraid of some tough love.
Then there's Torvald. His actions paint him as overbearing and superficial. He's the archetypal
overbearing husband. His little concessions to Nora show, though, that he does love her in his
way. Also, for most of the play, he seems like an upstanding citizen, even if he is kind of a jerk.
In the end, however, when says he'll give in to Krogstad's wishes, we see that it's just the
appearance of things that he's concerned with, not the morality behind it.
Lastly we have Nora. Her doomed struggle to keep her secret is the central action that drives the
play. Her underhanded methods tell us a lot about who she is as a character. We see what society
has forced her to resort to in her desperation. In the end, however, Nora allows Torvald to know
the truth. Then she deserts him. The old Nora would never have done these things. The change in
her character is all too clear through these final actions. She won't be anyone's doll any longer.
Names
If you examine the names of the two couples in the play, some pretty interesting ideas are
unearthed. Take Christine for instance. Notice that it's Christ-tine. Mrs. Linde has definitely
lived a Christ-like life of self sacrifice. Then there's Krogstad. His name comes from the Old
Norwegian word for crooked, we certainly see him doing a lot of crooked things over the course
of the play. Is he perhaps the Satan to Christine's Jesus?
Now we come to Torvald and Nora. Both of their names have pagan origins. Torvald = Thor,
Norse god of thunder; Nora = Elenora or Helen. Throughout the play, we see the Helmers
engaging in pagan-like activities. There's the Christmas or Yule tree, which was originally a
pagan thing before Christians adopted it. Then, of course, there's the feasting, dancing, and
celebrating, which all go along with the old pagan celebration of Yule.
Krogstad and Christine are in a way the "Christian" couple, while Nora and Torvald are the
"pagan" pair. That's not to say that the Helmers are literally pagan, it just means that, in some
ways, their lifestyle resembles a sort of pagan insouciance. Krogstad and Christine have both
lived lives of hard work and sacrifice. These are some of the major tenants of Christianity. The
Helmers, on the other hand, seem to live lives of innocent celebration. By the end of the play, it
seems that the "Christian" couple is rewarded for their lives of toil and sacrifice. Nora and
Torvald, for their part, are awakened like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Their innocence
is shattered. When Nora walks out of the house she's only just beginning to toil.
Objects/Places
The tarantella: The tarantella is an Italian dance that Nora performs at the neighbor's holiday
party on Christmas. She rehearses it throughout the play, using its intense music at times to delay
Torvald from discovering the truth of her past actions, and other times to play the dutiful doll to
her doting husband.
Italy: The Helmers spend a substantial period of time in Italy while Torvald regains his health
and recuperates from his illness. Nora finances this expensive medical R&R, although Torvald
believes her father is the man behind the money. It is this trip that pushes Nora into the deal with
Krogstad.
The Bank: When Torvald is promoted in the bank, he becomes the manager and is in charge of
hiring and firing employees. He plans to fire Krogstad after discovering of his past lies and
forgeries. He intends to hire Mrs. Linde in his place.
Torvald's Study: Torvald often retires to his private study when he wants quiet study and
discussion time with friends. Nora generally stays in the living room when speaking with friends.
Dr. Rank typically walks into Torvald's study when he wants to speak with him privately. It is
also the location of Krogstad's initial visit to Torvald.
Living Room: The entire action of the play takes place in the open living room of Nora and
Torvald Helmer. People walk in and out and have access to both the staircase and Torvald's
studio from this central room.
Themes
Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work.
The Sacrificial Role of Women
In A Doll’s House, Ibsen paints a bleak picture of the sacrificial role held by women of all
economic classes in his society. In general, the play’s female characters exemplify Nora’s
assertion (spoken to Torvald in Act Three) that even though men refuse to sacrifice their
integrity, “hundreds of thousands of women have.” In order to support her mother and two
brothers, Mrs. Linde found it necessary to abandon Krogstad, her true—but penniless—love, and
marry a richer man. The nanny had to abandon her own child to support herself by working as
Nora’s (and then as Nora’s children’s) caretaker. As she tells Nora, the nanny considers herself
lucky to have found the job, since she was “a poor girl who’d been led astray.”
Though Nora is economically advantaged in comparison to the play’s other female characters,
she nevertheless leads a difficult life because society dictates that Torvald be the marriage’s
dominant partner. Torvald issues decrees and condescends to Nora, and Nora must hide her loan
from him because she knows Torvald could never accept the idea that his wife (or any other
woman) had helped save his life. Furthermore, she must work in secret to pay off her loan
because it is illegal for a woman to obtain a loan without her husband’s permission. By
motivating Nora’s deception, the attitudes of Torvald—and society—leave Nora vulnerable to
Krogstad’s blackmail.
Nora’s abandonment of her children can also be interpreted as an act of self- sacrifice. Despite
Nora’s great love for her children—manifested by her interaction with them and her great fear of
corrupting them—she chooses to leave them. Nora truly believes that the nanny will be a better
mother and that leaving her children is in their best interest.
Parental and Filial Obligations
Nora, Torvald, and Dr. Rank each express the belief that a parent is obligated to be honest and
upstanding, because a parent’s immorality is passed on to his or her children like a disease. In
fact, Dr. Rank does have a disease that is the result of his father’s depravity. Dr. Rank implies
that his father’s immorality—his many affairs with women—led him to contract a venereal
disease that he passed on to his son, causing Dr. Rank to suffer for his father’s misdeeds. Torvald
voices the idea that one’s parents determine one’s moral character when he tells Nora, “Nearly
all young criminals had lying -mothers.” He also refuses to allow Nora to interact with their
children after he learns of her deceit, for fear that she will corrupt them.
Yet, the play suggests that children too are obligated to protect their parents. Nora recognized
this obligation, but she ignored it, choosing to be with—and sacrifice herself for—her sick
husband instead of her sick father. Mrs. Linde, on the other hand, abandoned her hopes of being
with Krogstad and undertook years of labor in order to tend to her sick mother. Ibsen does not
pass judgment on either woman’s decision, but he does use the idea of a child’s debt to her
parent to demonstrate the complexity and reciprocal nature of familial obligations.
The Unreliability of Appearances
Over the course of A Doll’s House, appearances prove to be misleading veneers that mask the
reality of the play’s characters and -situations. Our first impressions of Nora, Torvald, and
Krogstad are all eventually undercut. Nora initially seems a silly, childish woman, but as the play
progresses, we see that she is intelligent, motivated, and, by the play’s conclusion, a strongwilled, independent thinker. Torvald, though he plays the part of the strong, benevolent husband,
reveals himself to be cowardly, petty, and selfish when he fears that Krogstad may expose him to
scandal. Krogstad too reveals himself to be a much more sympathetic and merciful character
than he first appears to be. The play’s climax is largely a matter of resolving identity
confusion—we see Krogstad as an earnest lover, Nora as an intelligent, brave woman, and
Torvald as a simpering, sad man.
Situations too are misinterpreted both by us and by the characters. The seeming hatred between
Mrs. Linde and Krogstad turns out to be love. Nora’s creditor turns out to be Krogstad and not,
as we and Mrs. Linde suppose, Dr. Rank. Dr. Rank, to Nora’s and our surprise, confesses that he
is in love with her. The seemingly villainous Krogstad repents and returns Nora’s contract to her,
while the seemingly kindhearted Mrs. Linde ceases to help Nora and forces Torvald’s discovery
of Nora’s secret.
The instability of appearances within the Helmer household at the play’s end results from
Torvald’s devotion to an image at the expense of the creation of true happiness. Because Torvald
craves respect from his employees, friends, and wife, status and image are important to him. Any
disrespect—when Nora calls him petty and when Krogstad calls him by his first name, for
example—angers Torvald greatly. By the end of the play, we see that Torvald’s obsession with
controlling his home’s appearance and his repeated suppression and denial of reality have
harmed his family and his happiness irreparably.
Doll's House
The whole play takes place in one room. Until the last act, Nora is in every scene; she never
seems to leave the room. The action of the play all comes to her. She is literally trapped in
domestic comfort. She is given her “housekeeping” money by Helmer as though she is a doll in a
doll's house. The play suggests that this treatment is condescending and not an appropriate way
to treat one’s wife.
Gender
This play focuses on the ways that women are perceived in their various roles, especially in
marriage and motherhood. Torvald, in particular, has a very clear but narrow definition of
women's roles. He believes that it is the sacred duty of a woman to be a good wife and mother.
Moreover, he tells Nora that women are responsible for the morality of their children. In essence,
he sees women as childlike, helpless creatures detached from reality on the one hand, but on the
other hand as influential moral forces responsible for the purity of the world through their
influence in the home.
Ideas of 'manliness' are present in more subtle ways. Nora's description of Torvald suggests that
she is partially aware of the inconsistent pressures on male roles as much as the inconsistent
pressures on female roles in their society. Torvald's own conception of manliness is based on the
value of total independence. He abhors the idea of financial or moral dependence on anyone. His
strong desire for independence may put him out of touch with the reality of human
interdependence.
Frequent references to Nora's father often equate her with him because of her actions and her
disposition. Although people think he gave Nora and Torvald the money for their trip to Italy, it
was actually Nora. She has more agency and decision-making skills than she is given credit for.
Nora seems to wish to enjoy the privileges and power enjoyed by males in her society. She
seems to understand the confinement she faces simply by virtue of her sex.
Materialism
Torvald in particular focuses on money and material goods rather than people. His sense of
manhood depends on his financial independence. He was an unsuccessful barrister because he
refused to take "unsavory cases." As a result, he switched jobs to the bank, where he primarily
deals with money. For him, money and materialism may be a way to avoid the complications of
personal contact.
Children
Nora is called a number of diminutive, childlike names by Torvald throughout the play. These
include "little songbird," "squirrel," "lark," "little featherhead," "little skylark," "little person,"
and "little woman." Torvald commonly uses the modifier "little" before the names he calls Nora.
These are all usually followed by the possessive "my," signaling Torvald's belief that Nora is his.
This pattern seems like more than just a collection of pet names. Overall, he sees Nora as a child
of his.
The Helmer children themselves are only a borderline presence in the play, never given any
dialogue to speak, and then only briefly playing hide-and-seek (perhaps a nod toward the theme
of deception). Ibsen's alternate ending had Nora persuaded not to leave by the presence of the
children. But the play as we have it does not really emphasize their importance. The story
focuses on the parents.
Light
Light is used to illustrate Nora's personal journey. After the turning point of Torvald's claim to
want to take everything upon himself and while Nora is talking to Dr. Rank, the light begins to
grow dark just as Nora sinks to new levels of manipulation. When Dr. Rank reveals his affection,
Nora is jolted out of this fantasy world into reality and insists on bringing a lamp into the room,
telling the doctor that he must feel silly saying such things with the light on. Light,
enlightenment, and shedding light on something all function as metaphors or idioms for
understanding.
Dress and Costume
Nora's fancy dress for the party symbolizes the character she plays in her marriage to Torvald.
Take note of when Nora is supposed to be wearing it and for whom. Note too that when she
leaves Torvald in the last act, she first changes into different clothes, which suggests the new
woman she is to become.
Religion
The play takes place around Christmas. The first act occurs on Christmas Eve, the second on
Christmas Day, and the third on Boxing Day. Although there is a great deal of talk about
morality throughout the play, Christmas is never presented as a religious holiday. Moreover,
religion is directly questioned later by Nora in the third act. In fact, religion is discussed
primarily as a material experience. Once again, what normally are important values for people
and their relationships—children, personal contact, and, here, religion—are subordinate to
materialism and selfish motives.
Corruption
Dr. Rank has inherited his tuberculosis from his father, who lived a morally questionable life,
and in much the same way Nora worries that her morally reprehensible actions (fraudulently
signing her father's name) will infect her children. Corruption, the play suggests, is hereditary.
As he does in other plays, such as The Wild Duck, Ibsen explores the tension between real life
and moral ideals.
The Life-Lie
Are you really alive, if, like Nora, you are living in a delusional world? This question resounds
throughout Ibsen's canon, particularly in The Wild Duck, and the question is important in judging
how to respond to the play. Is the end of the play, for instance, the glorious triumph of
individualism, the moment at which Nora really becomes herself, or is it a foolish, idealistic
decision which is the beginning of the end of Nora's happiness?
Individual vs Society
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Several characters in the play base their life decisions based on society’s expectations.
Throughout this play, Ibsen demonstrates the idea that social dictates often conflict with,
or restrict, individual desires.
Morality and Values
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Distinctions are made between public and private morality.
Many of the characters witness the transformation of their values or the values of those
around them in the course of the play as they react to unexpected events that disrupt their
stable lives.
Acts of deception and disloyalty taint many of the characters, and money or financial
issues often pose a challenge to personal morality.
Gender Roles
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
Ibsen draws heavily upon the debate surrounding the role of women in contemporary
society. Nora is a middle-class housewife whose primary duties are as a mother and a
spouse. She is expected to defer to her husband in every situation and has no
independent means.
On one hand, Nora is successful in her role as Torvald’s obedient wife. On a deeper
level, however, her belief in traditional gender roles is less sincere, and she often defies
her husband’s wishes.
The Inability to Escape One’s Past or Heritage
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Health, sickness, and heredity figure heavily in A Doll’s House.
External symbols, such as illness, reflect internal qualities, such as moral decay.
Characters repeatedly confront elements of their past or conflicts they have inherited
from their predecessors, and at times these issues surface on a physical level.
We are reminded again and again how difficult it is to escape one’s past and how deeply
we are impacted by our actions and those of others close to us.
Pay attention to:

imagery and/or symbolism related to animals, clothing, and disease;

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the importance/significance of financial instruments;
the social expectations required of various characters;
Nora’s role as a wife and mother.
Motifs
Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the
text’s major themes.
Nora’s Definition of Freedom
Nora’s understanding of the meaning of freedom evolves over the course of the play. In the first
act, she believes that she will be totally “free” as soon as she has repaid her debt, because she
will have the opportunity to devote herself fully to her domestic responsibilities. After Krogstad
blackmails her, however, she reconsiders her conception of freedom and questions whether she is
happy in Torvald’s house, subjected to his orders and edicts. By the end of the play, Nora seeks a
new kind of freedom. She wishes to be relieved of her familial obligations in order to pursue her
own ambitions, beliefs, and identity.
Letters
Many of the plot’s twists and turns depend upon the writing and reading of letters, which
function within the play as the subtext that reveals the true, unpleasant nature of situations
obscured by Torvald and Nora’s efforts at beautification. Krogstad writes two letters: the first
reveals Nora’s crime of forgery to Torvald; the second retracts his blackmail threat and returns
Nora’s promissory note. The first letter, which Krogstad places in Torvald’s letterbox near the
end of Act Two, represents the truth about Nora’s past and initiates the inevitable dissolution of
her marriage—as Nora says immediately after Krogstad leaves it, “We are lost.” Nora’s attempts
to stall Torvald from reading the letter represent her continued denial of the true nature of her
marriage. The second letter releases Nora from her obligation to Krogstad and represents her
release from her obligation to Torvald. Upon reading it, Torvald attempts to return to his and
Nora’s previous denial of reality, but Nora recognizes that the letters have done more than
expose her actions to Torvald; they have exposed the truth about Torvald’s selfishness, and she
can no longer participate in the illusion of a happy marriage.
Dr. Rank’s method of communicating his imminent death is to leave his calling card marked
with a black cross in Torvald’s letterbox. In an earlier conversation with Nora, Dr. Rank reveals
his understanding of Torvald’s unwillingness to accept reality when he proclaims, “Torvald is so
fastidious, he cannot face up to -anything ugly.” By leaving his calling card as a death notice, Dr.
Rank politely attempts to keep Torvald from the “ugly” truth. Other letters include Mrs. Linde’s
note to Krogstad, which initiates her -life-changing meeting with him, and Torvald’s letter of
dismissal to Krogstad.
Symbolism and Allegory
Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.
The Christmas Tree
The Christmas tree, a festive object meant to serve a decorative purpose, symbolizes Nora’s
position in her household as a plaything who is pleasing to look at and adds charm to the home.
There are several parallels drawn between Nora and the Christmas tree in the play. Just as Nora
instructs the maid that the children cannot see the tree until it has been decorated, she tells
Torvald that no one can see her in her dress until the evening of the dance. Also, at the beginning
of the second act, after Nora’s psychological condition has begun to erode, the stage directions
indicate that the Christmas tree is correspondingly “dishevelled.”
The Christmas tree itself can also be seen as symbolic. For one, its presence reminds us what
season it is, and brings to mind all the points made in the above section. Beyond that, however, it
can be seen as being directly symbolic of Nora. How, you ask?
First of all, the tree seems to mimic Nora's psychological state. At the beginning of Act Two,
stage directions tell us, "The Christmas Tree is […] stripped of its ornaments and with burntdown candle-ends on its disheveled branches" (2.1). But what does that have to do with Nora?
Stage directions go on to say that, "[Nora] is alone in the room, walking about uneasily" (2.1).
Basically, Nora is a mess and so is the tree. She's gotten the bad news from Krogstad, and as a
result her mind is just as disheveled as the tree.
You could also interpret the tree's state as symbolic of Nora's disintegrating web of lies. The
pretty decorations which Nora used to cover up her deceit are falling away. Soon the bare ugly
truth will emerge.
Lastly, Nora's function in the household is pretty much the same as the tree. She's merely
decorative, ornamental if you will. She dresses up the tree just as Torvald dresses up her for the
Stenborgs' party. It's interesting that she tells the maid not to let the children see the tree until it's
decorated. This is reminiscent of when she tells Torvald that she can't be seen in her costume
until the party. It seems that Ibsen built in many parallels between Nora and her tree.
New Year’s Day
The action of the play is set at Christmastime, and Nora and Torvald both look forward to New
Year’s as the start of a new, happier phase in their lives. In the new year, Torvald will start his
new job, and he anticipates with excitement the extra money and admiration the job will bring
him. Nora also looks forward to Torvald’s new job, because she will finally be able to repay her
secret debt to Krogstad. By the end of the play, however, the nature of the new start that New
Year’s represents for Torvald and Nora has changed dramatically. They both must become new
people and face radically changed ways of living. Hence, the new year comes to mark the
beginning of a truly new and different period in both their lives and their personalities.
Christmas and New Year's
The play is set during the holidays. Yes, it's Christmas time for the Helmers and New Year's is
swiftly approaching. Chances are that this isn't random. Christmas and New Year's are both
associated with rebirth and renewal. Several of the characters go through a kind of rebirth over
the course of the play.
Both Nora and Torvald have a spiritual awakening, which could be seen as a rebirth. Nora's trials
and tribulations wake her up to the pitiful state of her marriage. When the "wonderful thing" fails
to happen, she realizes she'll never be a fully realized person until she severs herself from her
husband. When she slams the door behind her, she is in a way reborn. Nora is not alone in her
spiritual awakening, however. Torvald's last line, "The most wonderful thing of all?" (3.381),
seems to indicate that Nora's words haven't fallen on deaf ears. Torvald, like his wife, has
realized the complete inadequacy of his existence. By the end of the play, both Helmers have
been reborn.
Krogstad and Christine are reborn as well. When these "two shipwrecked people […] join
forces" (3.42), they each get a fresh start in life. Both of them view their renewed love affair as a
chance for salvation. Krogstad hopes that it will help increase his standing with the community,
and that Christine's influence will make him a better person. Christine is overjoyed that she will
have someone to care for. She once again has purpose in her life. Yes, it seems that, in A Doll's
House, 'tis the season for rebirth.
Alternative ending
It was felt by Ibsen's German agent that the original ending would not play well in German
theatres; therefore, for the play's German debut, Ibsen was forced to write an alternative ending
for it to be considered acceptable.[9] In this ending, Nora is led to her children after having
argued with Torvald. Seeing them, she collapses, and the curtain is brought down. Ibsen later
called the ending a disgrace to the original play and referred to it as a 'barbaric outrage'.[9]
Title
The title of the play is most commonly translated as A Doll's House, though some scholars use A
Doll House. John Simon argues that the only significance in the alternative translation is the
difference in the way the toy is named in Britain and the United States. Egil Törnqvist argues
that the alternative "simply sounds more idiomatic to Americans." See Simon (1991, 55),
Törnqvist (1995, 54), and Worthen (2004, 666-691).
Inspiration and Composition
Real-life inspiration
A Doll's House was based on the life of Laura Kieler (maiden name Laura Smith Petersen), a
good friend of Ibsen. Much that happened between Nora and Torvald happened to Laura and her
husband, Victor, with the most important exception being the forged signature that was the basis
of Nora's loan. In real life, when Victor found out about Laura's secret loan, he divorced her and
had her committed to an asylum. Two years later, she returned to her husband and children at his
urging, and she went on to become a well-known Danish author, living to the age of 83. Ibsen
wrote A Doll's House at the point when Laura Kieler had been committed to the asylum, and the
fate of this friend of the family shook him deeply, perhaps also because Laura had asked him to
intervene at a crucial point in the scandal, which he did not feel able or willing to do. Instead, he
turned this life situation into an aesthetically shaped, successful drama. In the play, Nora leaves
Torvald with head held high, though facing an uncertain future given the limitations women
faced in the society of the time.
Kieler eventually rebounded from the shame of the scandal and had her own successful writing
career while remaining discontented with sole recognition as "Ibsen's Nora" years afterwards.[10]
Composition
Ibsen started thinking about the play around May 1878, although he did not begin its first draft
until a year later, having reflected on the themes and characters in the intervening period (he
visualised its protagonist, Nora, for instance, as having approached him one day wearing "a blue
woolen dress").[11] He outlined his conception of the play as a "modern tragedy" in a note written
in Rome on 19 October 1878.[12] "A woman cannot be herself in modern society," he argues,
since it is "an exclusively male society, with laws made by men and with prosecutors and judges
who assess feminine conduct from a masculine standpoint."[3]
Review
IN "A Doll's House" Ibsen returns to the subject so vital to him,--the Social Lie and Duty,--this
time as manifesting themselves in the sacred institution of the home and in the position of
woman in her gilded cage.
Nora is the beloved, adored wife of Torvald Helmer. He is an admirable man, rigidly honest, of
high moral ideals, and passionately devoted to his wife and children. In short, a good man and an
enviable husband. Almost every mother would be proud of such a match for her daughter, and
the latter would consider herself fortunate to become the wife of such a man.
Nora, too, considers herself fortunate. Indeed, she worships her husband, believes in him
implicitly, and is sure that if ever her safety should be menaced, Torvald, her idol, her god,
would perform the miracle.
When a woman loves as Nora does, nothing else matters; least of all, social, legal or moral
considerations. Therefore, when her husband's life is threatened, it is no effort, it is joy for Nora
to forge her father's name to a note and borrow 800 cronen on it, in order to take her sick
husband to Italy.
In her eagerness to serve her husband, and in perfect innocence of the legal aspect of her act, she
does not give the matter much thought, except for her anxiety to shield him from any emergency
that may call upon him to perform the miracle in her behalf. She works hard, and saves every
penny of her pin-money to pay back the amount she borrowed on the forged check.
Nora is light-hearted and gay, apparently without depth. Who, indeed, would expect depth of a
doll, a "squirrel," a song-bird? Her purpose in life is to be happy for her husband's sake, for the
sake of the children; to sing, dance, and play with them. Besides, is she not shielded, protected,
and cared for? Who, then, would suspect Nora of depth? But already in the opening scene, when
Torvald inquires what his precious "squirrel" wants for a Christmas present, Nora quickly asks
him for money. Is it to buy macaroons or finery? In her talk with Mrs. Linden, Nora reveals her
inner self, and forecasts the inevitable debacle of her doll's house.
After telling her friend how she had saved her husband, Nora says: "When Torvald gave me
money for clothes and so on, I never used more than half of it; I always bought the simplest
things. . . . Torvald never noticed anything. But it was often very hard, Christina dear. For it's
nice to be beautifully dressed. Now, isn't it? . . . Well, and besides that, I made money in other
ways. Last winter I was so lucky--I got a heap of copying to do. I shut myself up every evening
and wrote far into the night. Oh, sometimes I was so tired, so tired. And yet it was splendid to
work in that way and earn money. I almost felt as if I was a man."
Down deep in the consciousness of Nora there evidently slumbers personality and character,
which could come into full bloom only through a great miracle--not the kind Nora hopes for, but
a miracle just the same.
Nora had borrowed the money from Nils Krogstad, a man with a shady past in the eyes of the
community and of the righteous moralist, Torvald Helmer. So long as Krogstad is allowed the
little breathing space a Christian people grants to him who has once broken its laws, he is
reasonably human. He does not molest Nora. But when Helmer becomes director of the bank in
which Krogstad is employed, and threatens the man with dismissal, Krogstad naturally fights
back. For as he says to Nora: "If need be, I shall fight as though for my life to keep my little
place in the bank. . . . It's not only for the money: that matters least to me. It's something else.
Well, I'd better make a clean breast of it. Of course you know, like every one else, that some
years ago I--got into trouble. . . . The matter never came into court; but from that moment all
paths were barred to me. Then I took up the business you know about. I was obliged to grasp at
something; and I don't think I've been one of the worst. But now I must clear out of it all. My
sons are growing up; for their sake I must try to win back as much respectability as I can. This
place in the bank was the first step, and now your husband wants to kick me off the ladder, back
into the mire. Mrs. Helmer, you evidently have no idea what you have really done. But I can
assure you that it was nothing more and nothing worse that made me an outcast from society. . . .
But this I may tell you, that if I'm flung into the gutter a second time, you shall keep me
company."
Even when Nora is confronted with this awful threat, she does not fear for herself, only for
Torvald,--so good, so true, who has such an aversion to debts, but who loves her so devotedly
that for her sake he would take the blame upon himself. But this must never be. Nora, too, begins
a fight for life, for her husband's life and that of her children. Did not Helmer tell her that the
very presence of a criminal like Krogstad poisons the children? And is she not a criminal?
Torvald Helmer assures her, in his male conceit, that "early corruption generally comes from the
mother's side, but of course the father's influence may act in the same way. And this Krogstad
has been poisoning his own children for years past by a life of lies and hypocrisy--that's why I
call him morally ruined."
Poor Nora, who cannot understand why a daughter has no right to spare her dying father anxiety,
or why a wife has no right to save her husband's life, is surely not aware of the true character of
her idol. But gradually the veil is lifted. At first, when in reply to her desperate pleading for
Krogstad, her husband discloses the true reason for wanting to get rid of him: "The fact is, he
was a college chum of mine--there was one of those rash friendships between us that one so
often repents later. I don't mind confessing it--he calls me by my Christian name; and he insists
on doing it even when others are present. He delights in putting on airs of familiarity--Torvald
here, Torvald there! I assure you it's most painful to me. He would make my position at the bank
perfectly unendurable."
And then again when the final blow comes. For forty-eight hours Nora battles for her ideal,
never doubting Torvald for a moment. Indeed, so absolutely sure is she of her strong oak, her
lord, her god, that she would rather kill herself than have him take the blame for her act. The end
comes, and with it the doll's house tumbles down, and Nora discards her doll's dress--she sheds
her skin, as it were. Torvald Helmer proves himself a petty Philistine, a bully and a coward, as so
many good husbands when they throw off their respectable cloak.
Helmer's rage over Nora's crime subsides the moment the danger of publicity is averted--proving
that Helmer, like many a moralist, is not so much incensed at Nora's offense as by the fear of
being found out. Not so Nora. Finding out is her salvation. It is then that she realizes how much
she has been wronged, that she is only a plaything, a doll to Helmer. In her disillusionment she
says, "You have never loved me. You only thought it amusing to be in love with me."
Helmer. Why, Nora, what a thing to say!
Nora. Yes, it is so, Torvald. While I was at home with father he used to tell me all his opinions and I held the same
opinions. If I had others I concealed them, because he would not have liked it. He used to call me his doll child, and
play with me as I played with my dolls. Then I came to live in your house-- . . . I mean I passed from father's hands
into yours. You settled everything according to your taste; and I got the same tastes as you; or I pretended to--I don't
know which--both ways perhaps. When I look back on it now, I seem to have been living here like a beggar, from
hand to mouth. I lived by performing tricks for you, Torvald. But you would have it so. You and father have done
me a great wrong. It's your fault that my life has been wasted. . . .
Helmer. It's exasperating! Can you forsake your holiest duties in this way?
Nora. What do you call my holiest duties?
Helmer. Do you ask me that? Your duties to your husband and children.
Nora. I have other duties equally sacred.
Helmer. Impossible! What duties do you mean?
Nora. My duties toward myself.
Helmer. Before all else you are a wife and a mother.
Nora. That I no longer believe. I think that before all else I am a human being, just as much as you are--or, at least, I
will try to become one. I know that most people agree with you, Torvald, and that they say so in books. But
henceforth I can't be satisfied with what most people say, and what is in books. I must think things out for myself
and try to get clear about them. . . . I had been living here these eight years with a strange man, and had borne him
three children--Oh! I can't bear to think of it--I could tear myself to pieces!. . . . I can't spend the night in a strange
man's house.
Is there anything more degrading to woman than to live with a stranger, and bear him children?
Yet, the lie of the marriage institution decrees that she shall continue to do so, and the social
conception of duty insists that for the sake of that lie she need be nothing else than a plaything, a
doll, a nonentity.
When Nora closes behind her the door of her doll's house, she opens wide the gate of life for
woman, and proclaims the revolutionary message that only perfect freedom and communion
make a true bond between man and woman, meeting in the open, without lies, without shame,
free from the bondage of duty.
Criticism
A Doll's House criticises the traditional roles of men and women in 19th-century marriage.[27] To
many 19th-century Europeans, this was scandalous. The Swedish playwright August Strindberg
attacked the play in his volume of short stories Getting Married (1884).[28] Nothing was
considered more holy than the covenant of marriage, and to portray it in such a way was
completely unacceptable;[29] however, a few more open-minded critics such as the Irish
playwright George Bernard Shaw found Ibsen's willingness to examine society without prejudice
exhilarating.[30] In Germany, the production's lead actress refused to play the part of Nora unless
Ibsen changed the ending, which, under pressure, he eventually did.[27] In the alternative ending,
Nora gives her husband another chance after he reminds her of her responsibility to their
children. This ending proved unpopular and Ibsen later regretted his decision on the matter.
Virtually all productions today, however, use the original ending, as do nearly all of the film
versions of this play, including Dariush Mehrjui's Sara (the Argentine version, made in 1943 and
starring Delia Garcés, does not; it also modernizes the story, setting it in the early 1940s).
Because of the radical departure from traditional behavior and theatrical convention involved in
Nora's leaving home, her act of slamming the door as she leaves has come to represent the play
itself.[31][32] One critic noted, "That slammed door reverberated across the roof of the world."[33]
Analysis of Literary Devices
Setting - Where It All Goes Down
The Helmers' Living Room, Victorian Era, Norway
George Bernard Shaw said that A Doll's House is set in "every suburb in Europe" (source). You
could probably tack America and a good portion of the rest of the world onto that as well.
Though the play is set in Ibsen's native Norway, the characters don't spend a lot of time talking
about things that are specifically Norwegian. The Helmers' living room is typical of any
"respectable" middle-class room you might've found at the time. The choice of making the
setting a bit generic seems to have been good one, as it allowed audiences everywhere to
immediately superimpose their own lives onto the lives of the Helmers. In this way, there was no
room to hide from Ibsen's message of a necessary spiritual awakening.
The play is also heavily influenced by its Victorian time period. This era was especially strict in
many respects. Talk of sex and even babies was distasteful. Gender roles were pretty darn
confining. Women were expected to be submissive to their husbands; husbands were expected to
dominate. Women raised the children; men brought home the bacon. So it went. Anyone who
challenged these deeply entrenched values faced some serious consequences. This charged
atmosphere of gender division was the reason that the play became such a phenomenon. There's
a good chance that, without the controversy, we'd have never even heard of A Doll's House.
Needless to say, the pressure of strict Victorian values is the spark that ignites the play's central
conflicts.
Narrator:
Who is the narrator, can she or he read minds, and, more importantly, can we trust her or him?
Though all works of literature present the author's point of view, they don't all have a narrator or
a narrative voice that ties together and presents the story. This particular piece of literature does
not have a narrator through whose eyes or voice we learn the story.
Genre
Family Drama; Tragedy
It's a drama because it's a play, a piece of literature that's never fully realized until it's put on
stage in front of an audience. We call it a family drama for the obvious reason that it concerns a
family. Over the course of the play, we watch the Helmer family disintegrate as fast as Kool Aid
in water.
We also dub it a tragedy, though it's a bit different than the Greek or Elizabethan versions.
Ibsen's version of tragedy is all about the individual vs. a corrupt popular society. This is the
opposite trajectory of a lot of previous tragedy. In Hamlet, for example, the good society has
been thrown out of wack by the murderous, incestuous actions of Prince Hamlet's uncle. Hamlet
must restore the kingdom to the lovely place of goodness that it once was.
In Ibsen's version of tragedy, society was never any good to begin with. A Doll's House, for
example, shows Nora (and debatably all its characters) trapped in a society defined by restrictive
gender roles. In order to become more than a doll, Nora must shatter the cornerstone that her
entire society is based on: marriage. There you go: individual vs. corrupt popular society. In this
tragedy, we don't get blood and death at the end; we get the death of a marriage and of the
characters' old selves. Ibsen presents these things as the price of self-fulfillment.
Tone
Take a story's temperature by studying its tone. Is it hopeful? Cynical? Snarky? Playful?
Biased for a while, but ultimately objective
In the beginning, the play seems to be biased toward Nora. We're definitely asked to sympathize
with her. It's pretty hard to get on Torvald's side. From the moment he gets on her case about
eating macaroons, we know that he's overbearing, even for a Victorian era male. His demeaning
little pet names for Nora don't help his case.
To Ibsen's credit, however, Torvald does seem to be redeemed in the end. His last line, "The
most wonderful thing of all?" indicates that he's gone through the same spiritual awakening as
Nora (3.381). Overall, it seems that the play shifts in tone. We go from seeing Nora as Torvald's
prisoner to seeing that all the characters, Torvald included, have been prisoners in some way. In
the end, the tone of the play becomes more objective. Sympathy can be found for all its
characters.
Style
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The play is written in a realistic style. The setting alone was highly unusual for its
time—within the living room of a middle-class house.
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Ibsen lets life speak for itself to allow for rich psychological identities of characters
Explores controversial issues of his day
In a modern context it is considered a feminist play given Nora’s journey from a
somewhat oppressive marriage to her eventual independence. It is a critique of
patriarchal society. Ibsen argued that anyone, not just women, should be true to their
own nature and not be restricted by repressive social conventions or values.
Ibsen believed that women would revolt against conventions of society which were
oppressive. Critics disagreed and he was forced to write an alternative ending for
German audiences. (In the second ending, Nora sees her children and decides not to
leave. Ibsen called this ending a barbaric outrage against the play.)
Writing Style
Realism
Ibsen is often thought of as the founder of realist drama. Other playwrights who wrote in this
genre include Chekhov, Strindberg, Shaw, and O'Neill. In realist drama, the characters talk in a
close approximation of everyday speech. The vast majority or modern plays, TV shows, and
movies, are written in a similar style, though most fail to rise to the same level of social critique.
Realism shouldn't be confused with its Naturalism. Though the two styles were being developed
around the same time, they have some significant differences. Basically, Naturalism was just a
lot more hard core about representing everyday life exactly as it is. Naturalist plays wanted to
show a slice of life exactly as it is. Characters might talk on and on about nothing in particular
and the plays might have no obvious climax – just like most days are for most people.
Realism, however, is unafraid to be a little unrealistic. Look at A Doll's House. Sure the
characters talk in a generally conversational way, but the plot is obviously and unapologetically
contrived. There are melodramatic devices like secret revealing letters. The doorbell rings at
convenient times, bringing trouble for Nora. People enter and exit just when Ibsen needs to move
on to the next scene and bring on new ideas. This wasn't a bad thing to Ibsen. His goal was to
examine ideas, to challenge individuals to really think about their society, not to present
photographic reality. A Doll's House is widely considered to be one of the prime examples of
realism.
What’s Up With the Title?
Not long before her famous door slamming exit, Nora has a little something to say to her
husband, Torvald: "Our home has been nothing but a playroom. I have been your doll-wife"
(3.286). With statements like this, it's probably not too hard to guess where the play's title might
have come from. Torvald has never treated Nora as anything more than a plaything. He admires
her beauty. He gets her to dance for him. He even dresses her up in costumes. In effect, she is his
doll. The home they live in seems perfect and picturesque, but in reality it is just like the
Helmers' marriage: all for show. Nora adds, "at home I was papa's doll-child" (3.286). She's
never been anything but a man's plaything. Every house she's ever lived in has been just as
artificial.
It's interesting to note that not all translators dub the play with the exact same title. In
Norwegian, it's Et Dukkehjem. Some translators, like the one we've chosen to reference, interpret
this as A Doll's House, while others simply call it A Doll House. In one version, doll is
possessive; in another it's merely descriptive of what kind of house it is. Which do you think
more accurately describes the play? Is it really Nora's house, since Torvald controls everything?
Or is she equally as responsible for building the fantasy world that she and Torvald live in?
What’s Up With the Ending?
A Doll's House ends with the slamming of a door. Nora turns her back on her husband and kids,
and takes off into the snow to make her own way in the world. It's a pretty bold decision, to say
the least. Some might even call it foolish. She doesn't have a job. Not a whole lot of marketable
skills. No home. No prospects of any kind. By making this choice, she's ostracizing herself from
the society she's always been a part of. Most "respectable" people just aren't going to hang out
with her. The comfortable life she's leading will be totally destroyed. So, why does she do such a
thing?
Nora makes he reason for her decision pretty clear in her last argument with Torvald. Before she
makes her grand exit, he scathingly criticizes her, saying that by deserting her husband and
children she is forsaking her "most sacred duties" (3.309). Nora doesn't see it this way. She tells
him that the duties that are most sacred to her now are the "duties to [herself]" (3.314).
It seems like Nora has gone through a kind of personal awakening. She's come to the conclusion
that she's not a fully realized person. She has to spend some time figuring out who she is as an
individual or she'll never be anything more than someone's doll. This would be impossible under
the smothering presence of Torvald. She must force herself to face the world alone. Nora knows
that she is about to suffer. It seems that some part of her may even welcome it. In a way Nora is
like the Biblical Eve after she ate the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. All of a
sudden, she is enlightened, but that enlightenment comes with a heavy cost.
But is there any hope for Torvald and Nora getting back together? The last line of the play seems
to suggest that maybe there is. Torvald is alone in the living room. Stage directions tell us that,
"A hope flashes across his mind" and then Torvald says, "The most wonderful thing of all?"
(3.381) He's referring to the conversation he and Nora had right before she walked out of the
room. Nora says that if they're ever to be more than strangers "the most wonderful thing of all
would have to happen," that their "life together would be a real wedlock" (3.376). So, has
Torvald realized what this means? Has he figured out that they both have to respect each other as
individuals in order to have a real marriage? Has he taken a bite of the forbidden fruit as well?
Ibsen doesn't tell us for sure. Maybe Torvald runs out into the snow and makes it all better.
Maybe his pride keeps him in the apartment. What do you think?
Plot Analysis
Most good stories start with a fundamental list of ingredients: the initial situation, conflict, complication,
climax, suspense, denouement, and conclusion. Great writers sometimes shake up the recipe and add
some spice.
Initial Situation
The Helmers have a seemingly perfect happy home.
In the beginning, all seems well. Nora and Torvald Helmer appear to be the perfect happy
couple. Torvald is getting a new job, managing the bank. They won't have to worry about money
ever again. We meet Nora's old friend Mrs. Linde who's fallen on hard times. Torvald gives her a
job. Also, there's Dr. Rank, a Helmer family friend who is slowly dying from tuberculosis. (So
not everything is great.)
Conflict
Krogstad brings trouble. Nora is afraid.
Things start to go bad for Nora when Krogstad shows up. She borrowed money from him and
forged a signature in the bargain. Now Torvald wants to fire him from his job at the bank. He
threatens to reveal Nora's little secret if he gets fired.
Complication
Nora begs. Torvald fires. Krogstad blackmails
Nora begs Torvald not to fire Krogstad. Her begging only makes her husband mad and fires
Krogstad anyway. Krogstad tells Nora that he's going to blackmail both her and Torvald and
there's nothing she can do about it. He drops a letter detailing everything in the mailbox. Nora
tells Christine her troubles, and Christine runs off to try and talk to Krogstad.
Climax
Nora dances the tarantella.
To stall Torvald from opening the mail, Nora dances a wild and crazy tarantella. She convinces
him that he must do nothing but help her practice until they go to a party the next night. For one
night at least she is safe.
Suspense
Nora allows Torvald to open the letter.
Krogstad and Mrs. Linde get together. Krogstad has a change of heart about the blackmail, but
Christine tells him to still let Torvald read the letter. She thinks there are too many lies in the
Helmer household. Nora and Torvald come home from the party. Dr. Rank stops by to let
everybody know he's dying. Nora finally allows Torvald to open the letter.
Denouement
Torvald flips out. Nora severs the marriage.
When Torvald finds out Nora's secret, he flips out on her, saying all kinds of terrible things.
Krogstad, overjoyed at being with Christine, sends a letter, saying he's not blackmailing them
anymore. Torvald forgives Nora, but she doesn't forgive him. She tells him that they're strangers
and that they've never had real marriage. She's been his doll, not his wife.
Conclusion
Torvald hopes. Nora slams the door.
The play concludes with Torvald alone in the room. He seems to have a last-minute revelation.
Perhaps he's realized what the most wonderful thing of all really is. We don't know for sure. The
last thing we hear is Nora slamming the door as she leaves. Is it really for forever? Who knows?
Either way both Helmers have finally woken up to the emptiness of their lives.
Booker's Seven Basic Plots Analysis: Tragedy Plot
Christopher Booker is a scholar who wrote that every story falls into one of seven basic plot structures:
Overcoming the Monster, Rags to Riches, the Quest, Voyage and Return, Comedy, Tragedy, and Rebirth.
Shmoop explores which of these structures fits this story like Cinderella’s slipper.
Plot Type :
Anticipation
Nora has a secret.
At first the Nora and Torvald Helmer appear happy. Their troubled friends, Dr. Rank and Mrs.
Linde, envy their seemingly perfect live. When Krogstad shows up, however, we find out that all
is not what it seems in the Helmer household. Nora once secretly borrowed money from
Krogstad to save Torvald's life. She had to forge her dead father's name to do so. Now, Krogstad
threatens to expose Nora, if Torvald doesn't let him keep his job. Will Nora keep her secret?
Dream Stage
Doesn't really exist.
We don't get much of a dream stage in A Doll's House. It never really looks like it's going to
work out for Nora.
Frustration Stage
Nora struggles to keep her secret.
Nora is frustrated to say the least. She begs Torvald to not fire Krogstad, but Torvald does so
anyway. She ponders asking Dr. Rank for the money, but feels bad about it because he's dying
and is in love with her.
Nightmare Stage
Nora contemplates suicide.
Things are getting nightmarish to say the least. Krogstad returns, furious about getting fired. He
tells Nora that he's going to blackmail Torvald into giving him an even better job than before.
Eventually he'll control the whole bank. He leaves a note detailing everything to Torvald. Nora
dances a crazy dance to distract Torvald from opening his mail. At the end of the act, Nora
contemplates suicide.
Destruction or Death Wish Stage
Nora lets Torvald read Krogstad's letter. Nora leaves.
Nora finally lets Torvald read the letter. When he fails to sacrifice himself for her, she realizes
that he's not the man she thought he was. This tragedy doesn't end with blood and guts. Instead,
Nora, our tragic heroine, destroys her family. She deserts them to go off alone and find her
individuality. Whether this is happy or sad is up to you. Either way it's tragic, because our
heroine metaphorically destroys her old self by seeking a new life.
Three-Act Plot Analysis
For a three-act plot analysis, put on your screenwriter’s hat. Moviemakers know the formula well: at the
end of Act One, the main character is drawn in completely to a conflict. During Act Two, she is farthest
away from her goals. At the end of Act Three, the story is resolved.
Act I
At first Nora and Torvald Helmer seem happy. Torvald is overbearing, but Nora doesn't seem to
mind. They're both really happy because Torvald will soon start a new job as bank manager. The
only grey cloud in the sky seems to be their friend Dr. Rank, who is slowly dying of tuberculosis
of the spine. Nora's old friend, Mrs. Christine Linde, turns up. She's fallen on hard times. No
worries, though, because Helmer gives her a job at the bank. Troubles arise when Krogstad
arrives. Nora secretly borrowed money from him in the past, to fund a trip, which saved
Torvald's life. In order to do so, she had to forge her father's signature. Krogstad is mad because
Torvald wants to fire him from his job at the bank. He threatens to expose Nora if she doesn't
convince Torvald to not fire him. As the act draws to a close, Nora asks her husband to spare
Krogstad's job. Torvald says he gets sick when he's around corrupt lawbreakers like Krogstad.
Act II
Act Two begins with Nora talking to her old wet-nurse, Anne. She asks Anne to look after her
children if she's ever not around anymore. Nora makes a second attempt at begging Torvald for
Krogstad's job. This attempt backfires. Torvald gets angry and sends Krogstad his notice. Nora is
getting desperate. She begins to ask Rank for the money to pay off the loan, but feels guilty when
he tells her that he will soon die and that he's in love with her. Krogstad returns, steaming mad
about getting fired. He tells Nora that he's going to blackmail the heck out of both of them now.
Krogstad plans to force Torvald into giving him an even better job than before. He drops a letter
in the mailbox, detailing his demands to Mr. Helmer. Nora confesses everything to Christine,
who runs off to try and appeal to Krogstad. At the end of the act, Nora dances a wild tarantella to
distract Torvald from opening the mail. She convinces him that he must spend every waking
second helping her practice her dance for the party the next night. Torvald agrees to not open the
mail until after the party.
Act III
At the top of Act Three Mrs. Linde is hanging out in the Helmers' living room by herself.
Krogstad comes by. Christine tells him that she wants to be with him. He is super-happy and
decides not to blackmail the Helmers anymore. Christine tells him to let Torvald still receive the
letter. She thinks there are too many lies between Nora and Torvald. The Helmers return from
the party. Christine tells Nora that she needs to fess up. Dr. Rank stops by and intimates that he's
dying. Nora eventually lets Torvald open his mail. When he reads Krogstad's blackmail letter, he
goes nuts and calls her all kinds of awful things. A new letter from Krogstad arrives, saying that
he's no longer blackmailing them. Torvald tells Nora he forgives her. Nora, however, doesn't
forgive him. She tells him that she's leaving him because the wonderful thing didn't happen. He
didn't try to sacrifice himself for her. She tells him that they've never had a real marriage. She's
just been his doll wife. At the end, Nora leaves, slamming the door behind her.
Important Quotations Explained
1. One day I might, yes. Many years from now, when I’ve lost my looks a little. Don’t laugh. I
mean, of course, a time will come when Torvald is not as devoted to me, not quite so happy
when I dance for him, and dress for him, and play with him.
Explanation for Quotation 1 >>
In this quotation from Act One, Nora describes to Mrs. Linde the circumstances under which she
would consider telling Torvald about the secret loan she took in order to save his life. Her claim
that she might consider telling him when she gets older and loses her attractiveness is important
because it shows that Nora has a sense of the true nature of her marriage, even as early as Act
One. She recognizes that Torvald’s affection is based largely on her appearance, and she knows
that when her looks fade, it is likely that Torvald’s interest in her will fade as well. Her
suggestion that in the future she may need something to hold over Torvald in order to retain his
faithfulness and devotion to her reveals that Nora is not as naïve as she pretends to be. She has an
insightful, intelligent, and manipulative side that acknowledges, if only in a small way, the
troubling reality of her existence.
2. Free. To be free, absolutely free. To spend time playing with the children. To have a clean,
beautiful house, the way Torvald likes it.
Explanation for Quotation 2 >>
In this quotation from her conversation with Mrs. Linde in Act One, Nora claims that she will be
“free” after the New Year—after she has paid off her debt to Krogstad. While describing her
anticipated freedom, Nora highlights the very factors that constrain her. She claims that freedom
will give her time to be a mother and a traditional wife who maintains a beautiful home, as her
husband likes it. But the message of the play is that Nora cannot find true freedom in this
traditional domestic realm. As the play continues, Nora becomes increasingly aware that she
must change her life to find true freedom, and her understanding of the word “free” evolves
accordingly. By the end of the play, she sees that freedom entails independence from societal
constraints and the ability to explore her own personality, goals, and beliefs.
3. Something glorious is going to happen.
Explanation for Quotation 3 >>
Nora speaks these prophetic-sounding words to Mrs. Linde toward the end of Act Two as she
tells her about what will happen when Torvald reads Krogstad’s letter detailing Nora’s secret
loan and forgery. The meaning of Nora’s statement remains obscure until Act Three, when Nora
reveals the nature of the “glorious” happening that she anticipates. She believes that when
Torvald learns of the forgery and Krogstad’s blackmail, Torvald will take all the blame on
himself and gloriously sacrifice his reputation in order to protect her. When Torvald eventually
indicates that he will not shoulder the blame for Nora, Nora’s faith in him is shattered. Once the
illusion of Torvald’s nobility is crushed, Nora’s other illusions about her married life are crushed
as well, and her disappointment with Torvald triggers her awakening.
4. From now on, forget happiness. Now it’s just about saving the remains, the wreckage, the
appearance.
Explanation for Quotation 4 >>
Torvald speaks these words in Act Three after learning of Nora’s forgery and Krogstad’s ability
to expose her. Torvald’s conversations with Nora have already made it clear that he is primarily
attracted to Nora for her beauty and that he takes personal pride in the good looks of his wife. He
has also shown himself to be obsessed with appearing dignified and respectable to his
colleagues. Torvald’s reaction to Krogstad’s letter solidifies his characterization as a shallow
man concerned first and foremost with appearances. Here, he states explicitly that the
appearance of happiness is far more important to him than happiness itself.
These words are important also because they constitute Torvald’s actual reaction to Nora’s
crime, in contrast to the gallant reaction that she expects. Rather than sacrifice his own reputation
for Nora’s, Torvald seeks to ensure that his reputation remains unsullied. His desire to hide—
rather than to take responsibility—for Nora’s forgery proves Torvald to be the opposite of the
strong, noble man that he purports himself to be before Nora and society.
5. I have been performing tricks for you, Torvald. That’s how I’ve survived. You wanted it like
that. You and Papa have done me a great wrong. It’s because of you I’ve made nothing of my
life.
Explanation for Quotation 5 >>
Nora speaks these words, which express the truth that she has gleaned about her marriage,
Torvald’s character, and her life in general, to Torvald at the end of Act Three. She recognizes
that her life has been largely a performance. She has acted the part of the happy, child-like wife
for Torvald and, before that, she acted the part of the happy, child-like daughter for her father.
She now sees that her father and Torvald compelled her to behave in a certain way and
understands it to be “great wrong” that stunted her development as an adult and as a human
being. She has made “nothing” of her life because she has existed only to please men. Following
this -realization, Nora leaves Torvald in order to make something of her life and—for the first
time—to exist as a person independent of other people.
Study/Essay Questions
1. Compare Torvald’s and Nora’s attitudes toward money.
Answer for Study Question 1 >>
Torvald and Nora’s first conversation establishes Torvald as the member of the household who
makes and controls the money and Nora as the one who spends it. Torvald repeatedly teases
Nora about her spending, and at one point Mrs. Linde points out that Nora was a big spender in
her younger days. These initial comments paint Nora as a shallow woman who is overly
concerned with -material delights. Yet Nora’s generous tip to the porter in the play’s opening
scene shows that she is not a selfish woman. More important, once the secret of Nora’s loan is
made known to the audience, we see that Nora’s interest in money stems more from her concern
for her family’s welfare than from petty desires. We realize that the excitement she has expressed
over Torvald’s new, well-paying job results from the fact that more spending money means she
can finally pay off her debt to Krogstad.
While Torvald seems less enthralled by money because he doesn’t talk about it except to chastise
Nora for her spending, he is obsessed with having a beautiful home, including a beautiful wife.
He considers these things important to his reputation, and keeping up this reputation requires
money. Although Torvald accuses Nora of wasting money, Nora spends her money mostly on
worthy causes, whereas Torvald uses his for selfish, shallow purposes.
2. Why does Torvald constantly reprimand Nora for her wastefulness and foolishness while
simultaneously supporting her behavior? What insight does this contradiction give us into
Torvald and Nora’s relationship?
Answer for Study Question 2 >>
Torvald perceives Nora as a foolish woman who is ignorant of the way society works, but he
likes Nora’s foolishness and ignorance because they render her helpless and therefore dependent
on him. It soon becomes clear to us that Nora’s dependence, not Torvald’s love for Nora as a
person, forms the foundation of Torvald’s affection for her. In Act One, Torvald teases Nora
about wasting money but then tries to please her by graciously giving her more. Similarly, he
points out her faults but then says he doesn’t want her to change a bit. He clearly enjoys keeping
Nora in a position where she cannot function in the world without him, even if it means that she
remains foolish.
In general, Torvald disapproves of any kind of change in Nora’s constant, obedient demeanor
because he needs to control her behavior. When Nora begins to dance the tarantella wildly in Act
Two, he is unsettled. In Act One, Nora says that it would humiliate Torvald if he knew he was
secretly in debt to her for his life, indicating that Torvald wants the power in his marriage to be
one-sided rather than mutual.
3. Compare and contrast Mrs. Linde and Nora at the end of the play.
Answer for Study Question 3 >>
By the end of Act Three, both Nora and Mrs. Linde have entered new phases in their lives. Nora
has chosen to abandon her children and her husband because she wants independence from her
roles as mother and wife. In contrast, Mrs. Linde has chosen to abandon her independence to
marry Krogstad and take care of his family. She likes having people depend on her, and
independence does not seem to fulfill her. Despite their apparent opposition, both Nora’s and
Mrs. Linde’s decisions allow them to fulfill their respective personal desires. They have both
chosen their own fates, freely and without male influence. Ibsen seems to feel that the nature of
their choices is not as important as the fact that both women make the choices themselves.
Suggested Essay Questions
1. The play is usually considered one of Ibsen's “realist” plays. Consider how far the
play might be anti-realist or symbolic.
Answer: Consider the symbols, metaphors, and imagery of the play, and weigh their
importance against the elements that seem realistic. It also should be very helpful to
define “realism” over against the uses of symbols and elements that are absurd,
grotesque, or fantastic. Note that “realism” and “symbolism” have gained specific
connotations within Ibsen criticism.
2. When Nora says in Act One, “I can't think of anything to wear. It all seems so
stupid and meaningless,” Ibsen illustrates the symbolism of clothing in the play.
Describe how Ibsen’s use of clothing works in the play.
Answer: Consider, especially, Nora's tarantella costume and fancy-dress box, as well as
her black dress when taking the clothing is a symbol. Explore the metaphor of clothing as
something which covers up, something which disguises, or as something which confers
identity. Ibsen also uses clothing to make points about agency and gender. Consider who
dresses whom and who wears certain clothes for the sake of personal expression or in
order to please someone else.
3. Why is freedom important in the play?
Answer: Nora sees herself as not free when she is confined in the domestic life of her
husband’s home. The direction of the play is to perceive Nora’s awakening as someone
who deserves freedom. Consider, too, that Torvald becomes free of his marriage
obligations, which also have been oppressive of his own liberties. Finally, consider the
ambiguous nature of the freedom Nora wins. She is going from a fairly predictable life
into something unknown. Remember that Mrs. Linde would rather be tied to a family
rather than alone and on her own. Is that because of human nature or because of her
individual choice?
4. Is Torvald Helmer a deeply abhorrent character?
Answer: To answer this question, perform a detailed character study of Torvald Helmer.
Do not jump to a conclusion based on your initial feelings about his words and actions in
the play. Weigh both sides of the argument—what specifically is the problem in the
marriage and in his choices? If you decide to abhor the character, how bad is he?
Consider the ways in which he genuinely loves his wife, earns money for the household,
and pays attention to her against his selfishness, oppression of his wife, and ability to
handle stress.
5. How does the play illustrate inheritance, the passing along of traits from parent to
child?
Answer: Consider Dr. Rank's illness as attributed to his father’s indiscretions. Krogstad's
shame for his own alleged errors is inherited by his children by way of reputation.
Consider, most of all, Nora's relationships with her father and her nurse as influences on
how she treats her own children.
6. What is the importance of the title of the play?
Answer: This is a reasonably straightforward question that could be taken in a number of
directions. How far is Nora a doll, an object or toy for others? How does her home
represent a doll’s house, from which the doll cannot escape on her own? When Nora
leaves the house, she is breaking free of the metaphor, though it is unclear what will
happen if she is going to return to her earlier family home, where she was something of a
doll to her father.
7. Ibsen once described Mrs Alving in his play Ghosts as a version of Nora in later life.
Imagine what Nora’s earlier life might have been like, based on her characterization
in the play.
Answer: If up till the last day, Nora has been living in a fantasy world, she must have
been even less self-aware or independent when she was younger. She probably married
by being enthralled by her society’s ideas of love and marriage. Under her father and
nurse, she seems to have had few opportunities to get anything like a liberal education;
instead, she seems to have learned only how to be a traditional girl and a traditional
woman.
8. To what extent is the play a comedy?
Answer: As well as considering smaller touches, such as individual lines, or jokes that
might be funny or comedic, it is worth learning about the theatrical definitions of comedy
and tragedy to consider how the structure of the play and the main plot elements might
count as part of the tradition of comedy. Consider the roles of marriage, death, friendship,
self-awareness, irony, family, holidays and parties, and the various themes of the play in
this context.
9. Is A Doll's House a feminist play?
Answer: Ibsen claimed that his play was about liberation in a more general, human
sense, rather than specifically about female liberation. If feminism focuses on both men
and women, it is reasonable to see the mutual liberation of Torvald and Nora as a
feminist goal, liberating people of both sexes from social and cultural limitations based
on gender. Consider the various women in the play as well. How are we to know whether
Ibsen wants us to approve or disapprove of their various choices in relation to men and to
their own goals? How do the characters themselves exhibit any goals or points that could
be described as feminist?
10. How does Ibsen provide suspense in the play?
Answer: The audience wonders when Torvald will read the letter and what will happen
when he does. We also do not know if Nora is going to decide to kill herself, leave, or
stay home, but we do know that the pressure on her is building and that something in her
is going to burst. Foreshadowing contributes to these issues, such as when Nora tells Mrs.
Linde that she has plans Mrs. Linde cannot understand.
11. Compare the relationship between Mrs. Linde and Krogstad with that of Nora and
Torvald.
Answer: Nora and Torvald have lived in something of a fantasy marriage for years, and
finally they are separating. Meanwhile, Mrs. Linde and Krogstad have been apart,
thinking about one another, and finally they are getting together with a larger degree of
self-understanding and maturity.
Critical Essays
Analysis
Daddy? Why Leave to Me Suffering and Pain?
Ibsen uses debt and inheritance in A Doll's House to show how easy it is to tear the fabric of
home life, this shows how fragile the world we build around ourselves is, with inheritance
illustrating chance and debt illustrating control, we only have so much power over what happens
to us in life. Torvald views debt and inheritance in a negative light. This play is seen through
Torvald's opinions as is Nora's whole life. Nora's viewing inheritance in a positive light
foreshadows her epiphany at the end of the play.
Torvald makes many comments about the role of inheritance and its negative effects.
"You are an odd little soul. Very like your father. You always find some new way of wheedling
money out of me, and as soon as you have got it, it seems to melt in your hands. You never know
where it has gone. Still, one must take you as you are. It is in the blood; for indeed it is true that
you can inherit these things, Nora."(pg 4) In this quote Torvald uses his opinions to belittle Nora
when he calls her an "odd little soul". He comparers Nora to her father in that neither of them
seem to be very thrifty with money. He then removes responsibility from her and places the total
blame for how she is on her father. He says that it is in the blood and that you can inherit these
things as if it were an illness or a birth defect. By absolving Nora of all responsibility there is
never even the anticipation that she could change or alter her position in any way.
Torvald views not only inheritance in a negative light but he puts more power on the mother
having the significant effect. "Almost everyone who has gone to the bad early in life has had a
deceitful mother."(pg27) In this quote Torvald gets gender specific with his disdain of
inheritance. It is obvious throughout the play that Torvald views women in a low light, in his
interactions with Nora and his near dismissal of her friend Christine as a person in her own right.
This quote can also be taken as if it were to be used in order to frighten Nora into good behavior.
He continues on to illustrate his point. "It seems most commonly to be the mother's influence,
though naturally a bad father's would have the same result. Every lawyer is familiar with the fact.
This Krogstad, now, has been persistently poisoning his own children with lies and
dissimulation; that is why I say he has lost all moral character" (pg 27) Blaming the mother more
severely shows perhaps two sides of Torvald's theory it shows that woman have more to do with
the child's upbringing and it shows that woman is the more vile sex. Earlier in the play Torvald
makes the comment when his children come home that the place is only fit for a mother now.
This shows how removed he is from the job of parenting and how he places the responsibility for
that task on the mother. This is not the first time he has been derogatory in his comments on
woman. It is this persistent onslaught of negativity towards women that in many ways
characterizes Torvald's actions in the play.
Nora takes on her husband's beliefs when she speaks of Doctor Rank's medical condition. "His
father was a horrible man who committed all sorts of excesses, and that is why his son was sickly
from childhood, do you understand?" (pg31) This takes the theory that the sins of the father are
passed on to the son down to a severe extreme. To literally believe that a child suffers for life
because his father was given to excesses is unreal. This view of inheritance being so extreme and
so horribly negative characterizes much of the play that we have no control over the evils that
chance puts upon us. In contrast to biological inheritance Nora views financial inheritance in a
positive light. When she talks with Christine about the debt that she owes and how she wishes
that some rich admirer would leave all his money to her so she could pay her debt and lift the
weight off her shoulders that having to make these payments has caused her. At the same time
she shows how childishly she has conducted her business by not keeping tabs on how much she
has paid vs. owes. Nora's views on inheritance seem, like most of Nora's views, to be quite
childish. She views biological inheritance in the view of her husband and yet she views financial
inheritance against his wishes, in a glorious light. This view towards inheritance and her desire to
borrow are so far the only areas in which she differs from her beloved Torvald. This sense that
she does have a slight bit of freedom in her thoughts allows for the epiphany she has at the end to
be accepted. In many was Nora is too dominated to have her own views and opinions and yet at
the same time, she has these little inklings that are not only different but in direct contrast to
those opinions that she is surrounded with.
When Torvald finds out about what it is that Nora has done he is obviously very disturbed and
angry with her, yet in almost the same breath he absolves her of her sins and blames it on her
father instead. "What a horrible awakening! All these eight years.- she who was my joy and pride
- a hypocrite, a liar - worse, worse - a criminal! The unutterable ugliness of it all! For shame! For
shame suspected that something of the sort would happen. I ought to have foreseen it. All your
father's want of principle - be silent! - all your father's want of principle has come out in you. No
religion, no morality, no sense of duty - How I am punished for having winked at what he did! I
did it for your sake, and this is how you repay me." (pg62) He doesn't directly blame Nora for
doing what she did or tell her that her actions were wrong so much as he blames her father for
what she has become. When she tries to interject about the assault on her father he silences her
and continues his tirade. It seems as if he is most upset at having ignored what her father had
done and taken Nora in anyways rather than at the crime that Nora actually committed. I think it
is this fact that causes Nora to snap the most, that her actions are not even worthy enough of
being acknowledged when they are the reason he is angry. Even when it is blatantly her fault that
something happened, he still doesn't see her actions in them and sees only her father to blame.
In the very beginning of the play Torvald manages to demean Nora and to state rather seriously
his opinion on debt. "That is like a woman! But seriously, Nora, you know what I think about
that. No debt, no borrowing. There can be no freedom or beauty about a home life that depends
on borrowing and debt. We two have kept bravely on the straight road so far, and we will go on
the same way for the short time longer that there need be any struggle". (pg2) To be so vehement
about the topic is rather well, interesting, there is no foundation for his insistence that borrowing
will destroy lives but since he believes it, it sets the stage for what will happen if such an event
comes about. In this sense it is like a self fulfilling prophecy if you believe that debt will bring
ruin upon you than having debt will ruin you.
In this play there is little concept of free will. Everything is either predetermined or the power is
taken out of your hands. Inheritance seems to take on the part of chance in that you are only able
to deal with what you get handed in life and have little control in the matter. Debt takes the part
of controlling ones life. Either way your sense of free will is gone, your live is either
predetermined or controlled. Based on Torvald's views there is no hope of gaining power over
ones life other than to "live bravely on the strong road" and to ignore anything that has been
passed down as bad. One must wonder if Torvald's views would have been very different if he
had had a worse heritage. If he were in Dr Rank's position, for example, would he still feel the
same way? It would be interesting to find out what Torvald's lineage is and to know what
demons if any he faces.
Character Arc - Analyze the Protagonist
When studying a character in dramatic literature, there are several vital questions that should be
explored:


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What motivates the character?
What strengths and weaknesses does the character possess?
Does the character undergo a transformation? If so, in what way?
Act One: Dissatisfaction and Conflict
At the beginning of most plays, the protagonist feels a sense of dissatisfaction. This might be
something minor or comical, such as Cornelius Hackl from Hello Dolly – the young man who
has yet to kiss a girl.
Or, the level of dissatisfaction might be extreme, such as Hamlet’s potentially suicidal
melancholy at the beginning of Shakespeare’s great tragedy.
There needs to be an emotional piece of the puzzle missing from the protagonist. This missing
element will allow the main character to experience growth by the final act of the play.
After the protagonist's traits are established, then conflict storms into the storyline. Conflict
forces characters to change, to react to new and challenging situations. Think of Dorothy in The
Wizard of Oz. After the audience learns that Dorothy does not feel a strong sense of home and
security, a tornado whisks her away to Oz -- a strange and frightening place that makes her
appreciate Kansas!
Act Two: Escalation of Conflict
As the saying goes, "Out of the frying pan and into the fire!" To keep the attention of the
audience, and to further the transformation of the protagonist, things must get worse before they
get better. The conflict must intensify.
Examples:
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Nora Helmer in A Doll's House experiences increased pressure with each passing moment of
Ibsen's drama.
In Sophocles' Oedipus the King the conflict escalates as messengers continually delivery
evidence to implicate the protagonist of a heinous crime.
The escalation of conflict is also known as "raising the stakes."
Act Three: Climax and Resolution
Eventually the protagonist reaches a "tipping point," a moment when a crucial decision must be
made or a truth must be revealed. Most climactic moments in literature stem from choices of the
protagonist:
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Romeo decides to drink the poison.
Scrooge chooses to embrace Christmas.
Danny Zuko gives up his Greaser ways to prove his love for Sandy.
Sometimes the climax and/or resolution is out of the protagonist's hands. Sometimes fate, or
God, or luck steps in. This is known as deus ex machina, and it is usually a disappointing way to
wrap up a story.
After the climax, the conflict fades and the resolution unfolds. Most main characters experience a
valuable lesson at the play's end. Some protagonists transform in positive ways and refect upon
what they have learned. (Think of Dorothy's last line, "There's no place like home!")
Some plays end with the protagonist feeling sadder but wiser, such as the introspective Tom
Wingfield from The Glass Menagerie.
And of course some protagonists die at the end of the play. Some main characters end their lives
by defiantly standing up for their ideals, such as John Proctor in The Crucible. Other protagonists
die without learning a thing, but the audience gains a valuable lesson from their demise.
Tip for Essay Writing:
When writing an essay about a protagonist, begin by outlining the character arc. It will help you
understand the main character's transformation throughout the play.