Henrik Ibsen's play A Doll's House is summarized in three sentences: The play follows Nora Helmer, who has kept a secret about borrowing money from Nils Krogstad to save her husband's life. When Krogstad threatens to reveal Nora's secret, she starts questioning her role as wife and mother in her marriage to Torvald Helmer. By the end, Nora realizes she has been treated unfairly and decides to leave her family to find her own identity and freedom outside of her role as a doll-wife.

1. Prepared by Anjali Rathod
A Doll’s House by
Henrik Ibsen

2. Name : Anjali M. Rathod
Sem : 3
Roll No : 2
Enrollment No : 4069206420220024
Subject : A Doll’s House
Contact Info : rathodanjali20022002ui@gmail.com
Submitted to : S. B. Gardi Department of English , MK
Bhavnagar University

3. 01.
About the play
02.
Characters
03.
Act 1,2,3
04.
Themes
05.
Quotes
06.
About the
Author
Table of contents

4. About the Author
 Born : March 20, 1828, Skien , Norway
 Died : May 23 , 1906 , Kristiania
 Notable Works : A Doll’s House, An Enemy of the People,
Brand, Hedda Gubler, Little Eyolf
 Movement/ Style : Realism
 Profession : playwright, poet
 Nationality : Norwegian

5. About the Play
 Three acts play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen.
 Published in Norwegian as Et dukkehjem in 1879 performed the same year.
 The play is a landmark in the development of modern drama and is often
cited as a foundational work in the realism movement.
 Nora has been keeping a big secret. She borrowed money in the past to save
Torvald's life, and she had to do something sneaky to get it. Now, a man
named Krogstad knows her secret and is using it to threaten her.
 Nora starts to question her role as a wife and mom. She realizes that she's
been treated unfairly and hasn't been able to be herself. Eventually, she
decides to leave her family to find her own identity and freedom.

6.  Nora Helmer
 Torvald Helmer
 Christine Linde
 Nils Krogstad
 Dr. Rank
Characters

7.  The play sets in the stage for the unfolding drama. The action takes place in the
Helmers' comfortable middle-class home, beautifully decorated for Christmas.
Nora Helmer is busy preparing for the holiday and Torvald Helmer has just been
promoted to a new job at the bank.
 Mrs. Christine Linde, arrives at the Helmers' home seeking employment. She is a
widow in need of work and asks Nora to recommend her to Torvald for a job at the
bank. Nora agrees to help Christine and hints that her husband is in a position to
influence the hiring decision.
 The act concludes with a sense of tension and secrecy as Nora is left grappling
with the impending threat from Krogstad and her hidden past actions.
Act 1

8. ● Nora continuing her preparations for the Christmas festivities. She is
preoccupied with thoughts of Nils Krogstad's blackmail threat, which weighs
heavily on her mind. She is determined to find a way to resolve the situation
without revealing her secret to her husband, Torvald.
● Nils Krogstad confronts Nora at her home, reminding her of the debt she owes
him and the potential consequences of her forgery. He also reveals that he
knows about her dishonesty in securing the loan. Nora desperately tries to
persuade Krogstad to change his mind and keep her secret hidden. She even
begs him to consider her family's well-being.
● Nora as she struggles to resolve the impending crisis while maintaining her
façade of being the ideal wife. The characters' secrets and vulnerabilities
become more pronounced, setting the stage for further revelations and
conflicts in the final act of the play.
Act 2

9. ● Nora is still desperately trying to keep her secret from her husband, Torvald. She believes
that if she can somehow manage to pay off her debt to Nils Krogstad, the crisis will be
averted.
● Torvald finally reads Krogstad's letter, which contains the evidence of Nora's forgery. He
is shocked and outraged, feeling betrayed by his wife's actions. Torvald's true character is
revealed as he becomes more concerned about his own reputation and social standing
than his wife's well-being.
● Christine Linde manages to persuade Nils Krogstad to return the incriminating letter to
her, as she hopes to protect Nora from the impending scandal. Krogstad, moved by
Christine's love and her offer to reconcile with him, decides to let Nora off the hook.
● Nora comes to understand the true nature of her marriage and the shallow values that
have guided her life. She makes a fateful decision that will change her life forever.
Act 3

10.  Gender Roles: "A Doll's House" explores the constraints and expectations
placed on women in 19th-century society. Nora's journey represents the struggle
for self-discovery and autonomy in a patriarchal world.
 Marriage and Family: The play delves into the complexities of marriage and
family life. It raises questions about the authenticity of relationships and the
sacrifices individuals make for the sake of societal norms.
 Deception and Identity: Deception and the concealment of one's true self are
recurring motifs in the play. Nora's secret and her decision to leave her family
stem from a desire for personal authenticity.
 Morality and Ethics: The play confronts questions of morality and ethics,
particularly in Nora's act of forgery. It prompts audiences to consider the moral
implications of her actions and the societal pressures that drove her to them.
Themes

11. -Henrik Ibsen
(A Doll’s House)
“Our Home has been nothing but a
playroom. I have been your doll-
wife , just as at home I was papa’s
doll- child; and here the children
have been my dolls”.

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