A Doll's house

2014
A Doll’s House
Henrik Ibsen
Submitted By: Iqra Aqeel

IQRA AQEEL-007 A DOLL’S HOUSE B.S.ENGLISG 8TH
Discuss Symbolism and metaphor used in the play A Doll’s
House
Henrik Ibsen's "A Doll's House," the story of a disintegrating marriage in an
unidentified 19th-century Scandinavian town, is often characterized as a feminist
play. In his portrayal of Nora and Torvald Helmer, Ibsen addresses both a woman's
need for human sympathy and for liberation with his use of figurative language,
specifically metaphors.
Metaphors:
Doll in a doll's house
In Act 3, Nora tells Torvald that both her father and Torvald have treated her like a
doll-child, with no opinions of her own, and have only played with her. Both men,
she says, have committed "a great sin" against her in discouraging her from growing
up. Torvald's pet names for her are often prefaced by "little," showing that he sees
her as a child. However, the responsibility for Nora's stunted state is not wholly his.
In Act 1, she acts like a silly, spoilt child; later, when she is practicing and dancing
the Tarantella (for which he dresses her as one would dress a doll), she acts the
captivating, decorative plaything. Both doll-like acts are for the benefit of Torvald,
who wants her to remain dependent upon him; she gains security and devotion
from the arrangement.
Some critics see Torvald as another doll in the doll's house. They point out that he is
as restricted by his chosen role as Nora is by hers; and that he is sheltered by Nora
and Dr Rank from disagreeable truths, as a child would be. As Torvald uses Nora for
amusement and as a decorative and beautiful object, so Nora uses Torvald as a
provider of money and security.
Little squirrel/skylark/songbird
These are all pet names of Torvald's for Nora that emphasize that he does not see
her as an equal. He believes her role is to amuse and delight him. But squirrels,
songbirds and skylarks are all wild animals that do not belong in a cage, any more
than Nora can tolerate living in the restricted atmosphere of Torvald's house.
Big black hat
In Act 3, Dr Rank has a coded conversation with Nora (designed to protect Torvald
from unpleasant truths) in which he says he will attend the next fancy dress ball
wearing a big black hat that will make him invisible. This is a way of saying that he
will be dead.

Metaphors of Morality
When the plot, which involves Nora's forgery of a signature to gain money for
Torvald, comes to a climax, Ibsen injects a metaphor for morality and illness into his
drama, indicating that his figurative canvas has broadened to include the corrupted
society that is partly responsible for destroying the couple. Nora's blackmailer,
Krogstad, is labeled "morally diseased"; the incriminating forged bond he holds,
destined for the fire, becomes a metaphor for Nora's desire to preserve her marriage
even as both her husband and outside forces combine to ensure the relationship's
destruction.
Symbols:
Thus Ibsen uses various symbols in ‘A Doll’s House’. The symbols have helped the
author to delineate his character in a fine way. The symbols have certainly made the
play impressive. The main theme of ‘A Doll’s House’is feminism and most of the
symbol in this play are related to the main theme of the play. The symbols also
related to the main character of the play
The symbolism in the tittle-
The word ‘doll’ means a women without any will or mind her own, a passive and
subservient woman. For eight long years Nora has been a passive and obedient wife
to Helmer, always conforming to his ideas, opinions and tastes. He has always
treated her as a pet and his property.
the Macaroons-
Macaroons are one of the details by which the dramatist shows the conflict between
Helmar and Nora’s view of life. As they are mentioned as several times in the play
they take a symbolic significance. The macaroons represents what Nora has hidden
from Helmer. Towards the conclusion of act 2ndwhen Nora thinks she has only
thirty-one hours to live.
Nora's fancy dress costume
Torvald chooses Nora's fancy dress costume, a Neapolitan fisher-girl's dress that he
had made for her in Capri. In effect, she is wearing it for him: the sight of her dancing
in it throws him into a state of erotic fascination. This reinforces the idea that it is
Nora's superficial and transient qualities, such as her beauty, that Torvald most

appreciates. It is significant that when the Nurse first brings out the dress (Act 2),
Nora notices that it is torn and is tempted to rip it to shreds. This may be symbolic of
the flawed state of her marriage and of her feelings about it. Mrs Linde, who is less
impetuous and more mature than Nora, suggests repairing it, and it is Mrs Linde
who decides that Nora and Torvald must be made to face the truth about Nora's
secret. She believes it would be beneficial to the marriage, though in Nora's view the
marriage, like the dress, is beyond repair.
The Tarantella
The Tarantella is a wild dance which symbolizes Nora’s inner struggle. Before the
dance Nora says "Torvald wants me to be a Neapolitan peasant girl and dance the
Tarantella that I learned in Capri.” which shows the control Torvald has over her.
The wild dancing that Nora does can be seen as her breakthrough to finally finding
her own freedom and making her own decisions. This foreshadows what happens in
the end when Nora comes to the realization that all this time she has only been
Torvald’s doll and doing what was pleasing for him, not for her, which leads to her
leaving him.
Light
Light is most often used to symbolize Nora's state of awareness. After Torvald
claims to be man enough to take everything upon himself (Act 2) and while she is
talking to Dr Rank, the light begins to grow dark. This symbolism refers to two
processes. First, Nora is using her sexual attractiveness to manipulate the dying Dr
Rank into giving her money to pay off her loan. When Dr Rank confesses his love for
her, she is shocked out of her game. She brings in a lamp, telling Dr Rank that he
must feel ashamed of himself now that the lamp has come.
Light also appears to symbolize hope and spiritual redemption when Dr Rank is
talking in code to Nora about his coming death (Act 3). He talks of death as a big
black hat that will make him invisible, an image of obliteration of life. But Nora
brings him a light for his cigar as she wishes him goodbye. Dr Rank loves her, and in
spite of her sometimes dubious behavior towards him, she has given him
understanding, compassion and acceptance. She also means at this point, it seems,
to join him in death by committing suicide. Their bond is represented on stage by
the image of them standing together in the pool of light from her match - a frame
that excludes Torvald.
Christmas tree
The Christmas tree, a festive object meant to serve a decorative purpose, symbolizes
Nora’s position in her household as a plaything who is pleasing to look at and adds
charm to the home. There are several parallels drawn between Nora and the
Christmas tree in the play. Just as Nora 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
New Year's Day is traditionally viewed as a new beginning, and the Helmers at the
beginning of the play are looking forward to just such a new beginning. Torvald is
due to start a new and better paid job at the bank, and Nora anticipates being "free"
from her debt. By the end of the play, Nora has indeed made a new beginning,
though it is of a quite different nature, consisting in leaving Torvald and her
children. Other characters too enter new phases in their life. Mrs Linde and
Krogstad begin their life together after long periods of suffering, and Dr Rank dies,
which can be seen as an end or a transition, depending on one's viewpoint.
The Symbols of openings and closing the doors-
The play begins with a door opening, and ends with a door slammed shut. The
imagery of the door throughout relares to themes of caged and free animals. It
relates to open possibilities. It relates to a sense of choice made freely and it relates
to choice determined by heredity and by social compulsions.
Discuss the treatment of deception
and lies in A Doll House
Deception is one of the most important themes within 'A Doll’s House. It brings out
the plot, outlines the characters, and shows what Ibsen was trying to show us about
women and society. Without deception there would be no play. Two of the most
interesting things about it are the decision that the audience must make. 'When is
deceiving someone wrong and when is it necessity? And the fact that as the
audience witnesses the deception they do not realize that they are being deceived
themselves.
The most obvious character in Ibsen's A Doll's House that leads a double-life, hiding
it with lies and deception, is Nora Helmer. And while her actions may not seem
horrific to a modern audience (for Nora saves her husband's life and assumes the
responsibility of repaying the loan), at the time the play was written, her actions
would have been socially abhorrent.
At the play's beginning, Nora returns from Christmas shopping—the obedient wife.
She and her husband talk about expenses. Torvald (treating her like a child)
chastises her for her irresponsible spending habits, and then gives her extra cash.

Nora listens as he chides, and may seem flighty. It is only after the play continues for
some time that we realize that Nora is pinching her pennies to pay back Krogstad,
from whom she illegally borrowed money to take Torvald to a safer climate where
he could regain his health: had Nora not done so, Torvald would have died. Torvald
never suspects his wife's activities—or how clever she is.
It is not until the end of the play that Nora's "criminal" activities come to light.
Torvald is obsessed with a fear that the public will find out what she has done,
and hisreputation will be ruined. He does not care that his wife saved his life.
Ironically, it is Nora who has a much stronger sense of values than Torvald could
ever have. While Nora does the unthinkable from a social and legal standpoint, her
every move (at the time of her deception and after) has been with her husband's
welfare in mind, rather than having a concern for the laws of an inflexible, male-
dominated society. At the end, Torvald realizes he will not be ruined—pronouncing
that they can put this "unpleasantness" behind them and return to life as usual:
The whole thing shall be nothing but a bad dream to me.
But Torvald's behavior has enlightened Nora. She can never go back to living
the social lie that has been forced upon her: to be her husband's puppet—mindless
and subservient, manipulated and controlled like a doll. The moment of her
awakening is clear—Torvald fears his ruin at her hands; she sees that her husband
cares not at all that she saved his life.
Nora's deception saves Torvald, but it also ultimately exposes society's lies, and
enables her to see the rigid and unfeeling standards by which her culture governs its
members—most especially its women. Nora sees her marriage is a lie—where she is
not valued for the devotion she brings to the union, but for her ability to please
society. Nora leaves at the play's end. She seems a compliant wife, but she deceives
society to save Torvald from death. Though her deception seems unconscionable,
the worse lie is the one she is forced to live—as if she were an automaton.
The theme of lying through the play
In Ibsen’s A Doll House, Nora and Torvald encounter common problems that many
couples have experienced in past and present relationships. Of those problems is the act
of deception, a major theme portrayed in the novel. Throughout the novel there is
constant deception caused from pre-existing issues which are also major themes in the
novel. From the beginning, Nora lies to Torvald about the simplest of things, like about
eating the macaroons. This chain of cause-and-effect could be traced back to themes such
as lying to protect an image, marrying for money and the role of women during that
period. During the period this play was written, in Italy of 1879. The role of women then
differed greatly to the role of women today. Women were not treated as equals with men,
either in relation to their husbands or society, as is clear from Torvald's horror of his
employees thinking he has been influenced in a decision about Krogstad's job by his wife.
The husband was expected to have full control of their wives because they were

considered superior to them. What defined a man’s place in society was the ability to
make and control money and finically, physically and mentally control his family. These
expectations are what caused a great deal of deception throughout the play. Nora had lied
to Torvald about the macaroons because she wanted him to feel in control. If Nora told
Torvald the truth, that she indeed had eating the macaroons, Torvald would of taken it as
disrespectful and disobedient. This incident reflects another incident, when Nora takes a
loan out from the bank, forges the signature on the paperwork, and keeps it a secret from
Torvald. Nora’s intentions were to use the loan to help Torvald to pay medical
treatments, but kept it a secret so she deceived him by keeping it a secret.
Conclusion
Throughout the novel there is constant deception caused from pre-existing issues which
are also major themes in the novel. From the beginning, Nora lies to Torvald about the
simplest of things, like about eating the macaroons. This chain of cause-and-effect could
be traced back to themes such as lying to protect an image, marrying for money and the
role of women during that period. During the period this play was written, in Italy of
1879. The role of women then differed greatly to the role of women today. Women were
not treated as equals with men, either in relation to their husbands or society, as is clear
from Torvald's horror of his employees thinking he has been influenced in a decision
about Krogstad's job by his wife.
A Doll’s House as a modern Tragedy
A modern tragedy is a play in which the tragic protagonists are ordinary middle-class or
lower-class individuals.In modern Tragedies, the hero is often the victim of social
forces.Tragedy, F. L. Lucas maintains, had three different meanings in the three periods
of literary history. In ancient times, a Tragedy meant a serious drama; in medieval times,
a Tragedy meant a story with an unhappy ending; and a modern Tragedy is a drama with
an unhappy ending.
A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen, though written in the late 1800s, is a modern tragedy as
it presents a woman's journey towards self-liberation in a patriarchal society. From the
opening scene of the play, Nora Helmer's clearly the subordinate in her marriage with
Torvald. Many of his pet names towards her are references to animals which denote that
her role in the marriage is a less than human one. Nora's positioned herself into a doll-like
role, as she accommodate Torvald's needs; there is little to no reciprocity. The tragic
heroine, Nora is an everyday woman. She is special in that she is very attractive and has
lots of admirers, but she is still, for her time period, quite a typical woman in a typical

house, in a typical financial situation, with a typical husband, and raising typical children.
Her tragic downfall began taking place when she decided to commit fraud to rescue her
husband, a decision that anyone in a similar situation can make. The plot of the tragedy
spirals from there and Nora becomes subjected to blackmail, must confide in her husband
and learns that he is not the genuinely caring, selfless person she believed him to be, all
of which are events that can happen to anyone.
A Doll's House is a social tragedy. In a time when divorce was stigmatized, Nora leaves
Torvald with the intentions of divorcing him. She is weary with the facade that she has
been keeping. Nora can no longer play house. She is so unhappy being Torvald's doll.
She can no longer pretend that all is well in the Helmer household. Ibsen is seen as the
father of modern drama. He writes of social tragedy which had not been the focus in
contemporary drama. Ibsen changes the face of modern day drama. His social tragedy in
which Nora leaves Torvald with the possible intentions of divorcing Torvald was the
beginning of modern day social tragedy.
According to Aristotle’s definition of tragedy, A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen is a
tragedy with a serious and complete action.
First of all, the clear cause-and-effect chain in the whole plot dramatizes what may
happen and “what is possible according to the law of probability or necessity.” Since the
doorbell rings and Mrs. Linde visits Nora, the whole chain starts. Then there is no
accident or coincidence chain as the role of deus ex machina to change the situation or
stop the chain so that “each action leads inevitably to the next.” For example, Mrs. Linde
asks help from Nora, so Nora asks Helmer to give Mrs. Linde a job in the bank. Helmer
decides to let Mrs. Linde take the place of Krogstad which cause all the following events
and leads to Nora’s final door-slam. This conclusion is inevitable that fits “unity of
action” by Aristotle’s definition of one of the most important elements in tragedy’s plot.
The catastrophic change of fortune of the protagonist – Nora, also contributes the tragic
element for this play’s plot. First scene reveals that Nora is a happy and childlike
character. We cannot imagine such a woman would have any discontents about her
family; however, after a series of events, she finally becomes mature and hates the
unreasonable laws as well as her deceptive husband. She eventually slams the door and
leaves her children in the last scene. Does she really not love her children? Absolutely
she loves them, and believes that it is a catastrophe for her to leave all her children. Since
the audience can envision themselves within the situation, the play generates pity. It also
generated fear in anti-feminists in Europe in the late-nineteenth century. This play’s
catastrophic feature and the effects on the audience indicate A Doll’s House is a tragedy.

Development of Nora Helmer’s character
One of the most complex characters of 19th century drama, Nora Helmer prances
about in the first act, behaves desperately in the second, and gains a stark sense of
reality during the finale of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House.
In the beginning, Nora exhibits many childish qualities. The audience first sees her
when she returns from a seemingly extravagant Christmas shopping excursion. She
eats a few desserts which she has secretly purchased. When her condescending
husband, TorvaldHelmer, asks if she has been sneaking macaroons, she denies it
whole-heartedly. With this minor act of deception, the audience learns that Nora is
quite capable of lying. She is most child-like when she interacts with her husband.
She behaves playfully yet obediently in his presence, always coaxing favors from
him instead of communicating as equals. Torvald gently chides Nora throughout the
play, and Nora good-naturedly responds to his criticism as though she were some
loyal pet.
Nora's Clever Side:
However, Nora has been leading a double life. She has not been thoughtlessly
spending their money. Rather, she has been scrimping and saving to pay off a secret
debt. Years ago, when her husband became ill, Nora forged her father's signature to
receive a loan to save Torvald's life. The fact that she never told Torvald about this
arrangement reveals several aspects of her character.
For one, the audience no longer sees Nora as the sheltered, care-free wife of an
attorney. She knows what it means to struggle and take risks. In addition, the act of
concealing the ill-gotten loan signifies Nora's independent streak. She is proud of
the sacrifice she has made. Although she says nothing to Torvald, she brags about
her actions with her old friend, Mrs. Linde, the first chance she gets! Basically, she
believes that her husband would undergo just as many hardships, if not more, for
her sake. However, her perception of her husband's devotion is quite misplaced.

Desperation Sets In:
When the disgruntled Nils Krogstad threatens to reveal the truth about her forgery,
Nora realizes that she has potentially scandalized TorvaldHelmer's good name. She
begins to question her own morality, something she has never done before. Did she
do something wrong? Were her actions appropriate, under the circumstances? Will
the courts convict her? Is she an improper wife? Is she a terrible mother?
Nora contemplates suicide in order to eliminate the dishonor she has wrought upon
her family. She also hopes to prevent Torvald from sacrificing himself and going to
prison in order to save her from persecution. Yet, it remains debatable as to whether
or not she would truly follow through and jump in the icy river. Krogstad doubts her
ability. Also, during the climactic scene in Act Three, Nora seems to stall before
running out into the night to end her life. Torvald stops her all too easily, perhaps
because she knows that, deep down, she wants to be saved.
Nora's Transformation:
Nora's epiphany occurs when the truth is finally revealed. As Torvald unleashes his
disgust towards Nora and her crime of forgery, the protagonist realizes that her
husband is a very different person than she once believed. Torvald has no intention
of taking the blame for Nora's crime. She thought for certain that he would selflessly
give up everything for her. When he fails to do this, she accepts the fact that their
marriage has been an illusion. Their false devotion has been merely play acting. She
has been his "child-wife" and his "doll." The monologue in which she calmly
confronts Torvald serves as one of Ibsen's finest literary moments. Nora Helmer's
last words are hopeful, yet her final action is less optimistic. She leaves Torvald
explaining that there is a slight chance they could become man and wife once again,
but only if a "Miracle of miracles" occurred. This gives Torvald a brief ray of hope.
However, just as he repeats Nora's notion of miracles, his wife exits and slams the
door, symbolizing the finality of their relationship.

Confined Position of Women in Marriage in Twentieth
Century through the Character of Nora and Helmer
The 1870s were dominated by strict Victorian social codes and laws that severely
restricted the rights of all women, and married women in particular. Governments
throughout Europe used the
Napoleonic Code which prevented women from engaging in financial transactions.
Many women who conducted their own business or earned their own wages chose not to
marry because the laws regarding what married women could do when it came to
finances were so limiting. By the beginning of the 20th century, things were beginning to
change as the female suffrage movement swept over Europe and the world and women
were awarded rights such as the right to own property and the right to vote. However, for
most people in the late 1870s, such eventualities were not yet even a distant dream.
Characterof Nora
Nora Helmer is the heroine of the play. Still a young woman, she is married to Torvald
Helmer and has three children. At the play’s outset, she is bubbly and carefree, excited
about Christmas and her husband’s recent promotion. Although she is frustrated by the
fact that the other characters believe she is a “spendthrift,” she does not seem to really
mind, and happily plays along with Torvald’s pet names for her, which include “skylark,”
“songbird,” “squirrel,” and “pet.” Torvald also regularly refers to her and treats her as a
child, for example, by forbidding her from eating macaroons, something she does anyway
despite her promises of total obedience to him. The animal and child imagery both reflect
Nora’s apparently innocent,
carefree nature, and suggest that her husband does not think of her as a proper adult
because she is a woman. As the play progresses, it is revealed that Nora’s disobedience
consists of more than simply eating the occasional macaroon: at the beginning of her
marriage, she secretly borrowed money from Nils Krogstad and forged her father’s
signature in order to finance a trip to Italy that was necessary to save Torvald’s life.
When Torvald finds out about the debt and fails to forgive her until he is sure that his
reputation is safe, Nora realizes that her understanding of herself, her husband, her
marriage, and even her society was all wrong. She decides that she can no longer be
happy in her life and marriage, and resolves to leave Torvald and her home in order to
find a sense of self and learn about the world. The play's final image of Nora is of an
embittered yet sophisticated, intelligent, and newly empowered woman boldly escaping
the infantilizing clutches of her old life.

Characterof Torvald Helmer
Torvald Helmer is a lawyer who at the play’s outset has recently been promoted to Bank
Manager. He is married to Nora Helmer, with whom he has three children. He does not
seem particularly fond of his children, even once saying that their presence makes the
house “unbearable to anyone except mothers.” Straightforward and traditional in his
beliefs about
marriage and society, he loves and is very affectionate towards Nora, but often treats her
more as a pet, child, or object than as a real person. His best friend is Dr. Rank who visits
him every day. However, towards the end of the play this friendship is revealed to be
something of a façade, as Torvald seems untroubled and even a little relieved at the
thought of Dr. Rank’s death. A similar occurrence happens when he finds out about
Nora’s secret debt and instantly turns on her until he realizes that his reputation is safe.
Torvald's focus on status and being treated as superior by people like Nils Krogstad,
highlights his obsession with reputation and appearances. When Nora tells him she is
leaving him, Torvald at first reacts by calling her mad and saying she is acting like a
stupid child. However, when he realizes how resolute she is in her decision, Torvald
offers to change and desperately searches for a way to stay with her. His despair as Nora
exits at the very end of the play suggests that, despite his patronizing and unjust treatment
of her.
In Ibsen's "A Doll's House", there are many clues that hint at the kind of marriage Nora
and Torvald have. It seems that Nora is a type of doll that is controlled by Torvald. Nora
is completely dependent on Torvald. His thoughts and movements are her thoughts and
movements. Nora is a puppet who is dependent on its puppet master for all of it’s the
most obvious example of Torvald's physical control over Nora can be seen in his
reteaching of the tarantella. Nora pretends that she needs Torvald to teach her every move
in order to relearn the dance. The reader knows that this is an act, but it still shows her
complete submissiveness to Torvald. After he teaches her the dance, he proclaims:
Torvald. ...When you were dancing the
chasing, inviting--my blood was on fire;
I couldn't stand it any longer--thats
why I brought you down so early--
Nora. Leave me now, Torvald. Please! I don't
Torvald. What do you mean? You're only playing
your little teasing bird game with me;
aren't you, Nora? Don't want to? I'm
your husband, aren't I?

This shows that Torvald is more interested in Nora physically than emotionally. He feels
that it is one of Nora's main duties as his wife to physically pleasure him Torvald is not
only demanding mentally and physically, but also financially. He does not trust Nora with
money. He feels that she is incapable and too immature to handle a matter of such
importance. Torvald sees Nora as a child. She is forever his little "sparrow" or "squirrel".
On the rare occasion that Torvald does give Nora some money, he worries that she will
waste it on candy, pastry or something else. So Ibsin exposes the restricted role of women
during the time of its writing and the problems that arise from a drastic imbalance of
power between men and women. Throughout the play, Nora is treated like a child by the
other characters. Torvald calls her his “pet” and his “property,” and implies that she is not
smart or responsible enough to be trusted with money. Neither
Krogstad nor Dr. Rank take her seriously, and even Mrs. Linde calls her a “child.” While
this treatment does seem to mildly frustrate Nora, she plays along with it, calling herself
“little Nora” and promising that she would never dream of disobeying her husband.
However, there are clues that she is not entirely happy with the limited position she has as
a woman.
After reading Krogstad’s black mailing letter, Torvald explodes into vulgar rage he calls
his wife a hypocrite, a liar, a criminal; he throws her father into her face. A sensible
husband cannot behave towards his wife in such a beastly way as he did, no matter what
the offence she has committed. He has every right to quiz the reason why she has
borrowed money from Krogstad in absence of his knowledge. Helmer does not do that.
Nora tries to share this part of her life with her husband in several times but finds no
serious moments to share serious matters with him because he never takes her to be a
serious being. Now his vulgar behavior opens her eyes. She comes to realize that her
existence is nothing more than a doll. Now Nora is outspoken. She realizes that their
home was nothing but a mere playroom. And she leaves Torvald. Ibsen presented through
the characters of Nora and Halmer, the confined and subordinate position of all the
women of 20th century.
Conclusion
This play focuses on the way that women are seen, especially in the context of marriage
and motherhood. Torvald, in particular, has a very clear and narrow definition of a
woman's role. He believes that it is the sacred duty of a woman to be a good wife and
mother. Moreover, he tells Nora that women are responsible for the morality of their
children. In essence, he sees women as both child-like, helpless creatures detached from
reality and influential moral forces responsible for the purity of the world through their
influence in the home. The character of Nora represents the women of her age, their
confined and subordinate position in society. And Torvald represents the domination of
male in that society. So Ibsen illustrate the restricted position of women in marriage in
20th century.

Character Analysis
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, Torvald,” she says during her climactic confrontation with
him. Nora comes to realize that in addition to her literal dancing and singing tricks,
she has been putting on a show throughout her marriage. She has pretended to be
someone she is not in order to fulfill the role that Torvald, her father, and society at
large have expected of her.
Torvald’s severe and selfish reaction after learning of Nora’s deception and forgery
is the final catalyst for Nora’s awakening. But even in the first act, Nora shows that
she is not totally unaware that her life is at odds with her true personality. She
defies Torvald in small yet meaningful ways—by eating macaroons and then lying to
him about it, for instance. She also swears, apparently just for the pleasure she
derives from minor rebellion against societal standards. As the drama unfolds, and
as Nora’s awareness of the truth about her life grows, her need for rebellion
escalates, culminating in her walking out on her husband and children to find
independence.

Torvald Helmer
Torvald embraces the belief that a man’s role in marriage is to protect and guide his
wife. He clearly enjoys the idea that Nora needs his guidance, and he interacts with
her as a father would. He 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?”
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. 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.
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.
Krogstad
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. 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.
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.

A Doll's house

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