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A Doll’s House
Notes
Lecture 2 – Lecture 9
Table of Contents
Context
Plot Overview
Character List
Analysis of Major Characters
Themes, Motifs & Symbols
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. 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
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.
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, Anne- Marie 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.
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 doll- like 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,
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.
Themes, Motifs & Symbols
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 strong- willed, 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.
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.”
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.
A Doll’s House: Individual freedom of Nora
Individual freedom is a fundamental theme of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. Through the character of Nora Ibsen shows the necessity of individual freedom. Without it one can’t flourish oneself and establish oneself as equal partner with other (Nora – Helmer relationship). The protagonist, Nora always wants to be an independent person. Though she got her success, she paid a good price for herself liberty. The present paper investigates and discusses how Nora led her life before achieving her self-liberty and her passion for individual freedom.
Life of Nora before her revolution: Actually Nora is literally trapped in Torvald’s family. She hasn’t been happy in her marriage, living as a “doll-wife” for Torvald. They never have any serious conversations. As Helmer’s wife, she is expected to obey his wishes. Even she suppresses her desire to please him. Helmer forbids her to have macaroons though this conflicts with her freedom. Helmer wants to keep her wife attractive. She had to obey Helmer which took place during the fancy dress party. She wants to stay at the party and enjoys herself but Helmer forces her to go back home early after tarantella dance. Actually Helmer’s motive was to sex with her. Thus he controls her life. When Nora refused, he reacted with the word won’t! won’t! He reminds her duty as a wife. The repetition of the word “won’t” shows his anger. In this way she was treated by her husband. Helmer expects to be obeyed when he wants to make love to her, regardless of whether she wants it or not.
All these examples reveal an imbalance in the power distribution between Nora and Torvald. Helmer is the dominant authority. Their conflict is reflected even in letterbox episode. Nora is unable to see her letter. The letterbox is locked and Helmer possesses the key. This implies that Nora does not have the freedom to see her own letters without going Torvald. As a married woman, she was not allowed to work and had to depend on her husband to pay off her debts. She has to use to flattery to manage a job for Mrs. Linde. It seems that Nora was passive and had no individual opinion. Her own opinions are shaped by her father and her husband.
Passion for freedom: Nora had great passion for freedom. She suppressed it became she was eagerly waiting for a miracle. Nora reveals to Dr. Rank and Mrs. Linde that she would love to say, “Damn” to her husband. She seems to be willing to go against the tradition that women are not supposed to use coarse language. However, as soon as her husband appears, she tells Dr. Rank, who is encouraging her to say it, to keep quiet. This incident demonstrates Nora’s freedom to say whatever she wishes. Nora also requested Dr. Rank to share some Macaroons. Then Dr. Rank reminds her about her husband. She said that he would not tell her anything. Even she said that she didn’t care him. It is revealed that in order to pay off debts, Nora manages to get quite a bit of copying to do. Nora tells Mrs. Linde that it is almost like being a man. She enjoys working. She is forced to do it secretly because of social tradition. This shows her love for self liberation. At the end of the play, she told Torvald that she hasn’t been happy in her marriage. She decides to be free from the rules that have been imposed upon her. When Torvald tells her duty as a wife and a mother. Nora says that she is first and foremost a human being.
Ibsen creates a female protagonist who chooses to leave her family to gain freedom. Nora believes that Torvald’s new managerial position at the bank will solve all of her troubles and make her free. She says “Oh, Christina, I feel so light-hearted and happy. Its delightful to have lots of money, and no need to worry about things, isn’t it?”(Ibsen 36). This incident shows that Nora was always freedom loving. As a stereotypical wife, Nora did not work outside. As a result, she did not know the outside world. Torvald used this chance to rule over her. Being ignorant of the external world, Nora was compelled to take what Torvald imposed upon her in the name of love. Social convention interrupts her to achieve self-liberty. To control Nora, Helmer said, “ Oh,in your blind inexperience”(Ibsen 166) Being a home maker, Nora had to depend on her husband for money. Torvald controlled the economy of his family. So it was easy for him to subjugate Nora by dint of his economic power. Thus societal expectations and monetary needs have influenced Nora’s life.
Social convention clearly shows the rule of gender, more specifically the role of husband and wife. As a wife Nora is expected to obey his husband’s wishes and tries to please him. The event of Macaroons shows that she has no freedom of choice. Her choice of freedom thus interrupts by Torvald. Nora wears the fancy dress according to the direction of Helmer. She wants to stay at party but Helmer forces her to go back home early after tarantella dance. He wants to have sex with her. Even he became angry, when she refused his appeal. This reveals that women are not supposed to have the freedom to decide when to have sexual intercourse. Helmer’s authoritative mentality is responsible for this.
Relationship between Nora and Helmer is not based on equal power distribution. As a result Helmer is the dominant partner who hinders the freedom of Nora. This typical power imbalance conflicts with Nora’s freedom.
It is a conventional for a woman to be passive and have no individual opinion. Nora utters “But our house has been nothing but a playroom. Here I have been your doll-wife as I used to be papa’s doll-child” (Ibsen 164).
and performance, she decided to leave Torvald. When her forgery was revealed, Nora found that her relation with her husband is not mutual. She also found an imbalance in the power distribution between her husband and her. Helmer is the dominant partner. Nora finally realized that for eight years she did not understand her husband at all. She has made nothing out of her life because she has been constantly living in the shadow of men. She has been deprived of her freedom to grow to become an individual. She says that Helmer and her father have done her a great wrong. So she decides to leave Helmer and her children in order to experience the world.
Actually Nora wants to discover who she really is. She wants to educate herself. At the same time she wants to gain experience and knowledge to find out things like religion and morality. She is not content with any second hand experience or what is written in books. She is willing to break up her marriage to fulfil her sacred duty. These things help her to take decision to depart from Torvald’s family. When Nora learns that her marriage was not effective, she decided to leave Torvald. Her marriage was playful wedlock.
In A Doll’s House Nora’s independent nature is a direct contrast with the tyrannical authority of Torvald. Nora and Torvald are not truthful to each other. When Torvald is proved as disloyal and ungrateful, Nora departs from his home.
Self-awakening: In acts 3 Nora’s illusions about her family life are shattered by Helmer’s selfish and insensitive reaction to the news of Nora’s forgery. He said, “oh, what an awful awakening!” In all these eight years she who was my pride and joy a hypocrite, alien worse, worse – a criminal! How infinity disgusting it all is! The shame!”(Ibsen 154). Helmer’s outburst grows her self- awakening. It is not until she sees the truth of Torvald’s character. She finally breaks free as a lark from his grasp. Her long expected miracle never took place because of Torvald’s selfish character. In fact, he said that no man world sacrifice his honour for his criminal wife. She finally comes to a much longer understanding of women’s plight. She replies “thousands of women have”. This four words statement shows that she had many achievement and she is worthy of a larger award than what she has been given. Thus Nora discovers her situation in Torvald’s family.
Moreover Nora found that society norms and forms are also against a woman. So she refused to believe these social norms. She said “I don’t believe in that anymore. I believe that, before all else, I am a human being, as much as you are or at least that I should try to become one. I know that most people agree with you, Torvald and that they say in book. But henceforth I can’t be satisfied with what most people say, and what is in books”.(Ibsen 168) I have to think over this things myself and try to understand them.
Pain of getting individual freedom: Her departure from Torvald’s family will help Nora to gain her freedom as an individual. Though the Kristine’s statement we got the idea of Nora’s coming future. Kristine said that she had to work for living. Christine had worked all day long which was her only joy. She was completely alone in the world. Actually Nora lost her husband children, social status and security but she gained her freedom as an individual.
The ending of the plays makes the situation ambiguous. We are unsure that she will return to her husband’s home or not. But she proves it clearly that she failed to flourish herself in Torvald’s house. Through the weapon of resistance one can establish one’s identity and equal right. Nora’s actions and decisions prove that only the resistance can establish a person’s true identity.
