Henrik Ibsen
First published in 1879
Takes place in 1879 in Norway
The work is organized in a realistic play format.
A Doll’s House
Characters:
Nora Helmer – Protagonist, wishes to be independent. Torvald’s “little squirrel”. Saved husband’s life, leeching
money as well. Round/dynamic.
Torvald Helmer – Nora’s husband. Treats Nora as a child than a wife, calling her names. Overbearing, seems to
be “all knowing”. Round/static
Nils Krogstad – Antagonist. Intimidates, blackmails, and threatens Nora in an effort to keep his job at the bank.
Torvald fires him, he wants to get back in at a higher rank. Underneath it all, he is a good person. Most realistic.
Round/ static
Ms. Christine Linde – Tough woman. Gone through a ton. Chose love over family and it backfired. Flat/static
Dr. Rank – Usually overlooked. Doesn’t do much and no actions affect play. Simply provides an exposition for
Krogstad.
Plot Summary:
Nora Helmer once secretly borrowed a large sum of money so that her husband could recuperate from a serious
illness. She never told him of this loan and has been secretly paying it back in small installments by saving from
her household allowance. Her husband, Torvald, thinks her careless and childlike, and often calls her his doll.
When he is appointed bank director, his first act is to relieve a man who was once disgraced for having forged
his signature on a document. This man, Nils Krogstad, is the person from whom Nora has borrowed her money.
It is then revealed that she forged her father's signature in order to get the money. Krogstad threatens to reveal
Nora's crime and thus disgrace her and her husband unless Nora can convince her husband not to fire him. Nora
tries to influence her husband, but he thinks of Nora as a simple child who cannot understand the value of
money or business. Thus, when Torvald discovers that Nora has forged her father's name, he is ready to disclaim
his wife even though she had done it for him. Later when all is solved, Nora sees that her husband is not worth
her love and she leaves him.
Point of View:
“1st” person (audience is each of the characters)
Literary Devices:
1. Symbolism
a. "The Christmas Tree is […] stripped of its ornaments and with burnt-down candle-ends on its
disheveled branches" (2.1).
b. This excerpt compares Nora to the Christmas tree in that the tree is stripped of its ornaments just
as Nora is stripped of all her lust. She is then covered in ornaments to seem as if she is pretty. The
tree is a mess and so is she.
c. This device goes along the theme of Home. Simply because the tree and Nora are no longer what
they used to be inside the “doll” house – Beautiful.
2. Dramatic Irony
a. "The most wonderful thing of all?" (3.381).
b. This excerpt shows the dramatic irony because things are not wonderful. We know that Krogstad
wants the job, but Torvald has given it to Ms. Linde.
c. This device falls with the theme of Lies and Deceit mainly because we as the audience know what
is going on, yet the characters do not seem to have a clue.
Theme(s):
Marriage - NORA: "How painful and humiliating it would be for Torvald […] to know that he owed me anything!
It would upset our mutual relations altogether" (1.197). The Helmers' marriage is based on maintaining a veneer
of male dominance.
Women & Femininity - HELMER: "Is it my little squirrel bustling about?" (1.9). By constantly referring to Nora
with pet names, Helmer seems to dehumanize his wife.
Men & Masculinity - NORA: "Christine is […] is frightfully anxious to work under some clever man, so as to
perfect herself." (1.282). Nora cleverly manipulates Torvald by taking advantage of his stereotypical views of
man/woman relations.
The Home - NORA: "Certainly Torvald does understand how to make a house dainty and attractive."
MRS. LINDE: "And so do you, it seems to me."(2 34-35). So great is Torvald's domination that Nora gives him
credit for even the stereotypically feminine role of homemaking.
Respect & Reputation - NORA: "Your squirrel would run about and do all her tricks if you would be nice, and do
what she wants." (2.92). Nora does not feel like she respects herself doing all these deeds.
Love - NORA: "Nonsense! Trying to frighten me like that!--I am not so silly as he thinks. […] And yet--? No, it's
impossible! I did it for love's sake." (1.413). Nora is under the impression that love supersedes the law.
Lies & Deceit - HELMER: "My little songbird must never do that again. A songbird must have a clean beak to
chirp with--no false notes!" (1.435). The danger of Torvald finding out about Nora's deceit is the essential
tension that drives most of the play.
Money - HELMER: "Bought, did you say? All these things? Has my little spendthrift been wasting money again?"
(1.11). Nora is constantly accused of wasting money when, in reality, she keeps barely anything for herself, all in
an effort to pay back the loan that saved her husband's life.
Quotes:
1. Title - "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.
2. Character - NORA: "You never can tell what mischief these men may contrive. We ought to be so well off,
so snug and happy here in our peaceful home." (2.110). It's interesting that their supposedly perfect
home is threatened by nothing more than the truth. Nora will not accept the truth coming about.