DRAMA II
Lecture 5
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SYNOPSIS
Analysis of Major Characters
(continues…)
 Torvald Helmer
 Krogstad
 Dr. Rank
 Mrs. Kristine Linde
I.
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Torvald Helmer
An Overview
Torvald as Husband…
Torvald embraces the belief that a man’s role in
marriage is to protect and guide his wife
He likes his father-like authority
He over-guides and 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?”
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Torvald’s relation with society…
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.
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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.
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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.
 At the play’s end, his wife, Nora Helmer, abandons
him, leaving behind her three young children as well.
She claims that she does not love him. She can no
longer be his wife. He begs her to stay, yet Nora
denies him, walking off in the middle of the winter
night, slamming the door behind her.
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When the curtain closes upon a pathetic, defeated husband,
some viewers find that Torvald has received his comeuppance.
Toravld’s demeaning personality and his hypocritical actions justify
Nora’s harsh decision to leave.
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Upon seeing a production of Henrik Ibsen’s
A Doll’s House, audiences are left with an
important question:
Should we feel sorry for Torvald Helmer?
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Torvald
“Sweet
Talk”
Ego
About Nora
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Torvald’s “Sweet Talk”
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Torvald Helmer possesses many obvious
flaws. For one, he constantly talks down to
his wife. Here is a list of his pet names for
Nora:
“My little skylark”
“My little squirrel”
“My little singing bird”
“My pretty little pet”
“My little sweet-tooth”
“My poor little Nora”
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Notice with every term of endearment, the
word “little” is always included.
Torvald views himself as the emotional and
intellectual superior of the household.
To him, Nora is a “child-wife,” someone to
watch over, to instruct, nurture and censure.
He never considers her an equal partner in
the relationship.
Of course, their marriage is one typical of
1800s Europe, and Ibsen uses his play to
challenge this status quo.
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What About Nora?
To Torvald’s credit, Nora is a willing participant in their
dysfunctional relationship. She understands that her husband
sees her as an innocent, child-like persona, and she struggles
to maintain the façade.
 Nora uses the pet names whenever she tries to persuade
her husband: “If a little squirrel were to ask every so nicely?”
 She puts away her sewing needles and unfinished dress
because she knows that her husband does not wish to see a
woman toiling away. He wishes to see only the final, beautiful
product. In addition, Nora keeps secrets from her husband.
 She goes behind his back to obtain her ill-gotten loan. Torvald
is too stubborn to ever borrow money, even at the cost of
his own life. Essentially, Nora saves Torvald by borrowing the
money so that they can travel to Italy until her husband’s
health improves.
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Throughout the play, Torvald is oblivious to
his wife’s craftiness and her compassion.
When he discovers the truth at the end, he
is outraged when he should be humbled.
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Torvald’s Ego
Perhaps Torvald’s most dislikeable quality is his
blatant hypocrisy. Many times throughout the play,
Torvald criticizes the morality of other
characters. He trashes the reputation of Krogstad,
one of his lesser employees (and ironically the
loan shark that Nora is indebted to).
 He speculates that Krogstad’s corruption
probably started in the home. Torvald believes
that if the mother of a household is dishonest,
then surely the children will become morally
infected. Torvald also complains about Nora’s late
father. When Torvald learns that Nora has
committed forgery, he blames her crime on her
father’s weak morals.
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Yet, for all his self-righteousness, Torvald is a
hypocrite. In the beginning of Act Three, after
dancing and having a merry time at a holiday
party, Torvald tells Nora how much he cares for
her. He claims to be absolutely devoted her. He
even wishes that some calamity would befall
them, so that he could demonstrate his steadfast,
heroic nature.
 Of course, a moment later, that wished-for
conflict arises. Torvald finds the letter revealing
how Nora has brought scandal and blackmail into
his household. Nora is in trouble, but Torvald, the
supposedly shining white knight, fails to come to
her rescue. Instead, here is what he yells at her:
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“Now you have ruined my entire
happiness!”“And it’s all the fault of a
featherbrained woman!”
 “You will not be allowed to bring up the
children, I can’t trust you with them.”
 So much for being Nora’s dependable
knight in shining armor!
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Room for Pity?
Despite his many flaws, some readers and
audience members still feel tremendous sympathy
for Torvald.
 In fact, when the play was first performed in
Germany and America, the ending was changed. It
was believed by some producers that theatergoers would not want to see a mother walk out
on her husband and children.
 So, in several revised versions, “A Doll’s House”
ends with Nora reluctantly deciding to stay.
However, in the original, classic version, Ibsen
does not spare poor Torvald from humiliation.
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When Nora calmly says, “We two have a lot
to talk about,” Torvald learns that Nora will
no longer be his doll or “child-wife.” He is
astounded by her choice. He asks for a
chance to reconcile their differences; he
even suggests that they live as “brother and
sister.”
Nora refuses. She feels as though Torvald is
now a stranger. Desperate, he asks if there is
the smallest hope that they might be
husband and wife once again.
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She responds:
 Nora: Both you and I would have to change to the point
where… Oh, Torvald, I don’t believe in miracles any
more.Torvald: But I will believe. Name it! Change to the
point where…?
 Nora: Where we could make a real marriage of our lives
together. Goodbye!
 Then she promptly leaves. Grief-stricken, Torvald hides his
face in his hands. In the next moment, he lifts his head up,
somewhat hopeful. “The miracle of miracles?” he asks himself.
 His longing to redeem their marriage seems sincere. So
perhaps, despite his hypocrisy, self-righteousness, and his
demeaning attitude, the audience may feel sympathy for
Torvald as the door slams shut on his tear-stained hopes.
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Nils Krogstad
Antagonist?
In melodramas of the 1800s, villains wore black
capes and laughed menacingly while they curled
their long mustaches. Oftentimes these sinister
men would tie damsels to railroad tracks or
threaten to kick old ladies out of their soon-tobe-foreclosed homes.
 Although on the diabolic side, Nils Krogstad from
A Doll’s House does not have the same passion for
evil as your typical bad guy. He seems ruthless at
first, but experiences a change of heart early on in
Act Three. The audience is then left to wonder: Is
Krogstad a villain? Or is he ultimately a decent
guy?
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Nils Krogstad
An Overview
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
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Krogstad the Catalyst
At first it may seem that Krogstad is the play’s main
antagonist. After all, Nora Helmer is a happy-go-lucky wife.
She’s been out Christamas shopping for her lovely children.
 Her husband is just about to receive a raise and a promotion.
Everything is going well for her until Krogstad enters the
story.
 Then the audience learns that Krogstad, a co-worker of her
husband Torvald, has the power to blackmail Nora. She
forged the signature of her dead father when she obtained a
loan from him, unbeknownst to her husband.
 Now, Krogstad wants to secure his position at the bank. If
Nora fails to prevent Krogstad from being fired, he will reveal
her criminal actions and desecrate Torvald’s good name.
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When Nora is unable to persuade her
husband, Krogstad grows angry and
impatient. Throughout the first two acts,
Krogstad serves as a catalyst. Basically, he
initiates the action of the play. He sparks the
flames of conflict, and with each unpleasant
visit to the Helmer residence, Nora’s
troubles escalate. In fact, she even
contemplates suicide as a means of escaping
her woes. Krogstad senses her plan and
counters it:
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Krogstad: So if you are thinking of trying any
desperate measures… if you happen to be
thinking of running away…Nora: Which I am!
Krogstad: …or anything worse…
Nora: How did you know I was thinking of that?!
Krogstad: Most of us think of that, to begin with. I
did, too; but I didn’t have the courage…
Nora: I haven’t either.
Krogstad: So you haven’t the courage either, eh? It
would also be very stupid.
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Krogstad Criminal on the
Rebound?
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The more we learn of Krogstad, the more we understand that he
shares a great deal with Nora Helmer.
First of all, both have committed the crime of forgery.
Moreover, their motives were out of a desperate desire to save
their loved ones. Also like Nora, Krogstad has contemplated ending
his life to eliminate his troubles, but was ultimately too scared to
follow through.
Despite being labeled as corrupt and “morally sick,” Krogstad has
been trying to lead a legitimate life.
He complains, “For the last eighteen months I’ve gone straight; all
the time it’s been hard going. I was content to work my way up,
step by step.” Then he angrily explains to Nora, “Don’t forget: it’s
him who is forcing me off the straight and narrow again, your own
husband! That’s something I’ll never forgive him for.” Although at
times Krogstad is vicious, his motivation is for his motherless
children, thus casting a slightly sympathetic light on his
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A Sudden Change of Krogstad’s
Heart
One of the surprises of this play is that Krogstad is not really
the central antagonist. In the end, that prestige belongs to
Torvald Helmer. So, how does this transition occur?
 Near the beginning of Act Three, Krogstad has an earnest
conversation with his lost love, the widow Mrs. Linde. They
reconcile, and once their romance (or at least their amiable
feelings) are reignited, Krogstad no longer wants to deal with
blackmail and extortion. He is a changed man!
 He asks Mrs. Linde if he should tear up the revealing letter
that was intended for Torvald’s eyes. Surprisingly, Mrs. Linde
decides that he should leave it in the mailbox so that Nora
and Torvald can finally have an honest discussion about things.
He agrees to this, but minutes later he chooses to drop off a
second letter explaining that their secret is safe and that the
IOU is theirs to dispose.
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Now, is this sudden change of heart realistic?
Perhaps the redemptive action is too convenient.
Perhaps Krogstad’s change does not ring true to
human nature. However, Krogstad occasionally
lets his compassion shine through his bitterness.
So perhaps playwright Henrik Ibsen provides
enough hints in the first two acts to convince us
that all Krogstad really needed was someone like
Mrs. Linde to love and admire him.
 In the end, Nora and Torvald’s relationship is
severed.Yet, Krogstad begins a new life with a
woman he believed had left him forever.
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Review: Lecture 5
Analysis of Major Characters
(continues…)
 Torvald Helmer
 Krogstad
 Dr. Rank
 Mrs. Kristine Linde
I.
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Agenda: Lecture 6
1. Analysis of Major Characters (continues…)
 Dr. Rank
 Mrs. Kristine Linde
2. Themes
The Sacrificial Role of Women
Parental and Filial Obligations
The Unreliability of Appearances
3. Motifs
Nora’s Definition of Freedom
Letters
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