Themes
Major Themes
If you are willing to take control of your life, then you will be able to find happiness.
OR
If you resolve to fix your unhappines, then you may have to do some unpleasant things along the
way.
Minor Themes
If you marry a controlling person, don’t expect them to change.
If you are willing to fight society, be prepared for society to fight back.
If you choose to conduct yourself in a dishonest manner, be prepared for people to find you
untrustworthy.
Characterization
Nora
Nora wants to prove that she is capable of handeling her own life in order to assert
her independence.
Nora is the heroine of this play. She has lived her entire life under rule from her father and her
husband. She wants to break free from their hold and fight against societal norms so that she can
be her own person. She cares for Torvold but when she realizes that the fondness she has for him
is not returned, she realizes she needs to do something for herself.
"Still it was really tremendous fun sitting there working and earning money.
It was almost like being a man." - A Doll's House, Act 1
"I should just love to say - 'Well, I'm damned!" - A Doll's House, Act 1
"To be able to be free from care, quite free from care; to be able to play and
romp with the children; to be able to keep the house beautifully and have
everything just as Torvald likes it!"- A Doll's House, Act 1
"If I'm ever to reach any understanding of myself and the things around me,
I must learn to stand alone. That's why I can't stay here with you any
longer.” - A Doll's House, Act 3
"I have existed merely to perform tricks for you, Torvald. But you wanted it
like that. You and father have committed a great sin against me. It is your
fault that I have made nothing of my life. our home has been nothing but a
playroom. I have been your doll-wife, just as at home I was father's dollchild; and here the children have been my dolls." - A Doll’s House, Act 3
Torvold
Torvold wants to control his world, in order to maintain his superiority.
Torvold is a man of power that is used to getting whatever he wants. He is of high position at the
bank and he has a wife that does anything for him, even when he doesn’t know she is doing it.
He treats her as more of an object than a wife and refuses to risk his reputation to help her.
"Is that my little lark, twittering out there?...When did my squirrel get
home?"- Henrik Ibsen, A Doll's House, Act 1
"There can be no freedom or beauty about a home life that depends on
borrowing and debt."- Henrik Ibsen, A Doll's House, Act 1
"An atmosphere of lies like that infects and poisons the whole life of a home.
In a house like that, every breath that the children take is filled with the
germs of evil."- Henrik Ibsen, A Doll's House, Act 1
Dr. Rank
Dr. Rank wants to dispell the assumptions about him in order to be assimilated into society as a
normal man.
"Helmer's refined nature gives him an unconquerable disgust at everything that is ugly; I
won't have him in my sick-room" - A Doll’s House, Act 1
"It is no use lying to one's self." - A Doll’s House Act 2
Mrs. Linde
Mrs. Linde wants to marry Krogstad, in order to have someone to take care of.
“Poor Kristine you’ve become a widow.”- Nora
“Yes, three years ago.” -Kristine (Act 1, Scene 1, Page 665)
“I have to work to go on loiving. All my born days, as long as I can remeber, I’ve worked, and
it’s been my best and my only joy. But now I’m completely alone in the world; it frightens me to
be so empty and lost. To work for yourself-there’s no joy in that. Nils, give me somethingsomething-someone to work for.” -Kristine (Act 3, Scene 1, Page 684)
“I need to have someone to care for, and your children need a mother. We both need each other.
Nils, I have faith that you’re good at heart- I’ll risk everything together with you.” -Kristine (Act
3, Scene 1, Page 684)
Krogstad
Krogstad wants to employ any means necessary in order to take care of his family.
"Yes, now you've been warned, so don't do anything stupid. I shall expect to
hear from Helmer as soon as he gets my letter. And remember, it's your
husband who's forced me to do this sort of thing again. I shall never forgive
him for that."- A Doll’s House, Act 2
"I want to get into the Bank again, in a higher position. […] Within a year
[…] It will be Nils Krogstad and not Torvald Helmer who manages the Bank"
- A Doll’s House, Act 2