A Doll’s House
Summary
In the beginning of the play the protagonist Nora Helmer is at her home, when an old friend of hers stops by. Her name is Mrs. Linde; she is hoping that Mrs. Linde will find her a job. Helmer finds Mrs. Linde a job with no problem. The two friends begin to share challenges and obstacles that have occurred in their lives. Nora Helmer begins to explain that when her husband Torvald was sick she faked her father’s signature in order to get money. Because of this she is now is severe debt by a man named Krogstad. She never was able to tell her husband of this loan. However, when her husband is promoted she thinks that she will finally be able to pay back the money; her excitement is short lived when Krogstad approaches her and explains to her that his job was given to Mrs. Linde and that she must make her husband help him to keep his job at the bank or that he will tell Mr. Helmer about her little loan. She then tries her best to save Krogstad’s job but fails. She becomes very worried so she asks an old friend of hers Dr. Rank for some advice. However, this friendly visit takes a turn when Dr. Rank begins to explain his feelings for Mrs. Helmer. Also, the Helmer’s go to a ball which Mrs. Helmer performs a dance at. Her husband is upset with her and starts to speak to her as if she were a small child. Mrs. Linde explains to Nora that she liked Krogstad and that maybe she could persuade him. With no success Nora contemplates killing herself because she is sure that her husband will discover the crimes that she committed. In the beginning of Act 3 Mrs. Linde and Krogstad meet and pick up where they left off in their relationship. They both agree that it is time that the Helmer’s come face to face with the truth, even if it hurts. After returning from the ball Mr. Helmer finds Krogstad’s note about the crime and he becomes very angry with her. He pretty much says that he will remain married to her only for the sake of the children. Later, Krogstad drops another note off saying that he has found love again and will no longer threaten the family. Mr. Helmer then apologizes to his wife and claims that he still loves her. However, Nora realizes that she must leave her husband and children in order to discover who she actually is. Mr. Helmer asks her to stay but she leaves anyway shutting the door behind her.
Character Analysis
Nora Helmer- At the beginning Mrs. Helmer seems happy with her life. She does not yet see that she is treated as if she were a plastic doll. We discover that she took out a loan in order to save her husband from sickness. She does not tell her husband because she is afraid of his reaction. She is threatened by Krogstad, but she is still happy and moves on with her life. She shows an incredible amount of courage and determination throughout the play. Later in the play Nora, discovers something about herself that she never knew before. Her whole marriage was a lie. She acting like someone else and could not be herself. After her husband finds out that she has been keeping a secret from him he becomes angry and this is the last straw for Nora. She decides to leave her husband and children in order to find out who she really is.
Torvald Helmer- He is the husband of Nora Helmer. He believes that the man is the leader of the family and he treats his wife as if she were below him. When Torvald becomes sickly his wife remains by his side. Later in the play it is discovered that Torvald is actually the childish one. He does not like Krogstad or his morals. Torvald is the type of person that cares what others think about him and he pays very close attention to his reputation. The readers can tell that Torvald cares more about people’s views of him than his own wife. When he finds out that Nora has been lying to him he is angry and when she decides to leave he begs her to stay for the sake of their family. She refuses and leaves anyway. He loses hope that she will ever return.
Krogstad- A lawyer who works for Mr. Helmer, he is in love with Mrs. Linde. He is also the antagonist of the play. He does nothing to help Nora with the crime that she committed. In a way he is letting her suffer more. He blackmails Nora in order to keep his job at the bank. He has no sympathy for her. However, later in the play when Nora wants to kill herself he talks her out of it, convincing her there is another way. Nora and Krogstad are similar in that they both have committed crimes. Because of this Krogstad has a bad reputation that he eventually wants to regain. Throughout the play we begin to understand why Krogstad did the things he did. We begin to look past his villainous actions and see that he is a nice gentleman. He writes a letter to the Helmer’s apologizing after he has rekindles his relationship with Mrs. Linde. He basically tells them in the letter that he will no longer bother them.
Setting
A Doll’s House is set in Europe, during the late 1870’s. However, the play is set up in Norway, where the author is from. The Helmer’s house is pretty much the same of any normal family during this time period. The Victorian time period plays a major role in the development of the play. The men overruled the woman; the wives raised the children as the men worked. The play mostly takes place in one room, so it is the audience’s job to imagine the outside scenes. The play was first published in 1879 and caused many conflicts, because of the housewife’s role in the family. Ibsen expressed the belief that women were not allowed to be themselves during this time. The men made all the rules, and laws. The reason for the play was to emphasize the idea that everyone should be able to be themselves and not be controlled by another person or society. A Doll’s house is the world’s most performed play. A Doll’s house was the second in a series of realistic plays. The title fits very well with the setting because Nora is literally living in a dollhouse. Her husband controls every move she makes as if she was a puppet with strings attached to her. The book caused so much conflict mostly because Nora decided to leave her family, that Ibsen wrote an alternative ending called "a barbaric outrage" where Nora decides that her children are more important than herself and finding who she actually is.
Types of Conflict
Man vs. Man- Nora’s struggle with Krogstad who blackmails her about her crime. Another is her selfish and controlling husband. She is treated like a doll.
Man vs. Society- Nora has to overcome the fact that during this time period women were expected to take care of the children and be housewives while the men went out and made the money. Nora wanted to discover who she actually was, so she went against society.
Major themes
The Sacrificial Role of Women- Nora is forced to sacrifice her life to society. She cannot do what she wishes and is forced to be a housewife, rather than discover herself. Also, in the play the nanny had to give up her life and child in order to work for Nora.
Parental Duties- All of the characters believe that a parent is responsible to be honest to their children, because after all their children will follow in the footsteps of their parents. This is shown when Dr. Ranks’ father dies from a disease and it is because of his father’s wrong doings that Dr. Rank had multiple affairs. Also, after finding out that Nora lied to him, Mr. Helmer does not let Nora see her children.
The Unreliable of Appearances-Our first impressions of the characters are eventually proven wrong at the play progresses. At first we think of Nora as a childish character, but then we realize that she is smart, just hiding behind her husband. We felt that Mr. Helmer was a strong and independent character but he ended up being childlike and selfish. The characters were not the only misleading thing, the situations throughout the play also proved to be obscured.
Symbols
Christmas Tree- This is an important symbol in the play because it is a decoration. It represents Nora had how she was just pretty to look at. She didn’t really mean anything, just like the tree is pleasing to look at when it is all decorated. We see this when Nora refuses to be seen in her dress before the ball.
Macaroons- These cookies symbolize Nora’s childlike actions. A child would sneak the cookies, just as Nora hides her crime from her controlling husband.
A Doll’s House- Even though this is the title of the play it is also an important symbol. This represents the life that Nora lives every day, and the society she lives in. How her husband treats her like if she were just a doll. She is not supposed to be intelligent and is expected to act as a housewife taking care of the children and the home.
Image
(above)
Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOuFocD10hU
Sources
Bradford, Wade. "A Doll's House: Plot Summary." About.com Plays / Drama. N.p., n.d.
Web. 31 Mar. 2013.
"A Doll’s House." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2013.
"A Doll's House." Enotes.com. Enotes.com, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2013.
"A Doll’s House at The Space." Blogsindependentcouk. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2013.
Summary
In the beginning of the play the protagonist Nora Helmer is at her home, when an old friend of hers stops by. Her name is Mrs. Linde; she is hoping that Mrs. Linde will find her a job. Helmer finds Mrs. Linde a job with no problem. The two friends begin to share challenges and obstacles that have occurred in their lives. Nora Helmer begins to explain that when her husband Torvald was sick she faked her father’s signature in order to get money. Because of this she is now is severe debt by a man named Krogstad. She never was able to tell her husband of this loan. However, when her husband is promoted she thinks that she will finally be able to pay back the money; her excitement is short lived when Krogstad approaches her and explains to her that his job was given to Mrs. Linde and that she must make her husband help him to keep his job at the bank or that he will tell Mr. Helmer about her little loan. She then tries her best to save Krogstad’s job but fails. She becomes very worried so she asks an old friend of hers Dr. Rank for some advice. However, this friendly visit takes a turn when Dr. Rank begins to explain his feelings for Mrs. Helmer. Also, the Helmer’s go to a ball which Mrs. Helmer performs a dance at. Her husband is upset with her and starts to speak to her as if she were a small child. Mrs. Linde explains to Nora that she liked Krogstad and that maybe she could persuade him. With no success Nora contemplates killing herself because she is sure that her husband will discover the crimes that she committed. In the beginning of Act 3 Mrs. Linde and Krogstad meet and pick up where they left off in their relationship. They both agree that it is time that the Helmer’s come face to face with the truth, even if it hurts. After returning from the ball Mr. Helmer finds Krogstad’s note about the crime and he becomes very angry with her. He pretty much says that he will remain married to her only for the sake of the children. Later, Krogstad drops another note off saying that he has found love again and will no longer threaten the family. Mr. Helmer then apologizes to his wife and claims that he still loves her. However, Nora realizes that she must leave her husband and children in order to discover who she actually is. Mr. Helmer asks her to stay but she leaves anyway shutting the door behind her.
Character Analysis
Nora Helmer- At the beginning Mrs. Helmer seems happy with her life. She does not yet see that she is treated as if she were a plastic doll. We discover that she took out a loan in order to save her husband from sickness. She does not tell her husband because she is afraid of his reaction. She is threatened by Krogstad, but she is still happy and moves on with her life. She shows an incredible amount of courage and determination throughout the play. Later in the play Nora, discovers something about herself that she never knew before. Her whole marriage was a lie. She acting like someone else and could not be herself. After her husband finds out that she has been keeping a secret from him he becomes angry and this is the last straw for Nora. She decides to leave her husband and children in order to find out who she really is.
Torvald Helmer- He is the husband of Nora Helmer. He believes that the man is the leader of the family and he treats his wife as if she were below him. When Torvald becomes sickly his wife remains by his side. Later in the play it is discovered that Torvald is actually the childish one. He does not like Krogstad or his morals. Torvald is the type of person that cares what others think about him and he pays very close attention to his reputation. The readers can tell that Torvald cares more about people’s views of him than his own wife. When he finds out that Nora has been lying to him he is angry and when she decides to leave he begs her to stay for the sake of their family. She refuses and leaves anyway. He loses hope that she will ever return.
Krogstad- A lawyer who works for Mr. Helmer, he is in love with Mrs. Linde. He is also the antagonist of the play. He does nothing to help Nora with the crime that she committed. In a way he is letting her suffer more. He blackmails Nora in order to keep his job at the bank. He has no sympathy for her. However, later in the play when Nora wants to kill herself he talks her out of it, convincing her there is another way. Nora and Krogstad are similar in that they both have committed crimes. Because of this Krogstad has a bad reputation that he eventually wants to regain. Throughout the play we begin to understand why Krogstad did the things he did. We begin to look past his villainous actions and see that he is a nice gentleman. He writes a letter to the Helmer’s apologizing after he has rekindles his relationship with Mrs. Linde. He basically tells them in the letter that he will no longer bother them.
Setting
A Doll’s House is set in Europe, during the late 1870’s. However, the play is set up in Norway, where the author is from. The Helmer’s house is pretty much the same of any normal family during this time period. The Victorian time period plays a major role in the development of the play. The men overruled the woman; the wives raised the children as the men worked. The play mostly takes place in one room, so it is the audience’s job to imagine the outside scenes. The play was first published in 1879 and caused many conflicts, because of the housewife’s role in the family. Ibsen expressed the belief that women were not allowed to be themselves during this time. The men made all the rules, and laws. The reason for the play was to emphasize the idea that everyone should be able to be themselves and not be controlled by another person or society. A Doll’s house is the world’s most performed play. A Doll’s house was the second in a series of realistic plays. The title fits very well with the setting because Nora is literally living in a dollhouse. Her husband controls every move she makes as if she was a puppet with strings attached to her. The book caused so much conflict mostly because Nora decided to leave her family, that Ibsen wrote an alternative ending called "a barbaric outrage" where Nora decides that her children are more important than herself and finding who she actually is.
Types of Conflict
Man vs. Man- Nora’s struggle with Krogstad who blackmails her about her crime. Another is her selfish and controlling husband. She is treated like a doll.
Man vs. Society- Nora has to overcome the fact that during this time period women were expected to take care of the children and be housewives while the men went out and made the money. Nora wanted to discover who she actually was, so she went against society.
Major themes
The Sacrificial Role of Women- Nora is forced to sacrifice her life to society. She cannot do what she wishes and is forced to be a housewife, rather than discover herself. Also, in the play the nanny had to give up her life and child in order to work for Nora.
Parental Duties- All of the characters believe that a parent is responsible to be honest to their children, because after all their children will follow in the footsteps of their parents. This is shown when Dr. Ranks’ father dies from a disease and it is because of his father’s wrong doings that Dr. Rank had multiple affairs. Also, after finding out that Nora lied to him, Mr. Helmer does not let Nora see her children.
The Unreliable of Appearances-Our first impressions of the characters are eventually proven wrong at the play progresses. At first we think of Nora as a childish character, but then we realize that she is smart, just hiding behind her husband. We felt that Mr. Helmer was a strong and independent character but he ended up being childlike and selfish. The characters were not the only misleading thing, the situations throughout the play also proved to be obscured.
Symbols
Christmas Tree- This is an important symbol in the play because it is a decoration. It represents Nora had how she was just pretty to look at. She didn’t really mean anything, just like the tree is pleasing to look at when it is all decorated. We see this when Nora refuses to be seen in her dress before the ball.
Macaroons- These cookies symbolize Nora’s childlike actions. A child would sneak the cookies, just as Nora hides her crime from her controlling husband.
A Doll’s House- Even though this is the title of the play it is also an important symbol. This represents the life that Nora lives every day, and the society she lives in. How her husband treats her like if she were just a doll. She is not supposed to be intelligent and is expected to act as a housewife taking care of the children and the home.
Image
(above)
Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOuFocD10hU
Sources
Bradford, Wade. "A Doll's House: Plot Summary." About.com Plays / Drama. N.p., n.d.
Web. 31 Mar. 2013.
"A Doll’s House." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2013.
"A Doll's House." Enotes.com. Enotes.com, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2013.
"A Doll’s House at The Space." Blogsindependentcouk. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2013.