You and your group members will be explaining one of the themes from A Doll’s House.
1) Ask an interpretive question about the theme
2) Ask an experienced base question about the theme
3) Answer the interpretive question and experienced base question
4) Explain what we have learned about the theme from reading this play
5) Create a thesis based upon your responses to questions 3&4
6) Find a quote to support the thesis and explain how the quote fits with thesis
Example: Relationships
1) Interpretive question
How has Nora’s lies lead to a superficial relationship with Torvald that she is unhappy with?
2) Experienced based questions
Why do people feel the need to lie in order to preserve their relationship and how do these lies harm the
relationship?
3) Interpretive: Nora has created a false image of herself by lying, one that she knows Torvald will approve
of, so that she can get what she wants, but it makes Torvald believe everything is fine with the way he
treats her and with their relationship. Yet, Nora finally realizes at the end that she does not want to be
someone she isn’t and continue on with a relationship that is not equal and has no substance.
Experienced: People may be insecure or ashamed of their past or something they have done so they create
lies. By lying it makes the other person happy because they hear what they want. If the only way to save
the relationship is by making up lies, then it creates a false image of the relationship and who the person is
who is lying.
4) Relationships based upon lies create an artificial image of one another in the relationship and causes the
relationship to be superficial. After realizing their entire marriage has been based on lies, Nora recognizes
she needs to leave and find out who she really is instead of continue a fake, untruthful relationship. We
should learn that it is better to be honest in a relationship no matter the consequences. Lies not only hurt
the person who is being lied to, but others involved as well.
5) In Isben’sA Doll’s House, Nora’s attempt to preserve her marriage with Torvald by lying, actually makes
her realize the inequality and shallowness of her marriage and life, which causes her to leave Torvald.
6) “No, that’s just it. You don’t understand me; and I have never understood you-till to-night…Does it not
strike you that this is the first time we two, you and I, man and wife, have talked together seriously?” (196)
Nora’s epiphany here shows that she realizes that her marriage has not been based on substance, but
rather on fake and unimportant things. She is not happy that Torvald does not understand why she wants
to be respected as an equal part in the marriage, and his unwillingness to be concerned with anyone but
himself shows Nora that she will never be as important to Torvald as his own reputation is. Therefore,
Nora recognizes the superficial nature of their marriage and leaves Torvald.