Type of play
realist modern prose drama
Historical Context
Late 19th century, Dominated by strict Victorian social codes and laws that severely restricted the rights of women, Napoleonic Code - prevented women from engaging in financial transactions, ADH caused scandal for its criticism of 19th century marriage c
Personal Context (family)
Born 1828, Grew up in small lumber town on the east coast of Norway, Mother Marichen Altenburg was the cultured daughter of the richest merchant, father Knud Ibsen ran the general store in Skien.
Rumor had it, that it was a marriage of convenience (financ
Education Ibsen
Could not afford basic education, mother taught him who was talented artist
University was too expensive so he started an apprenticeship as a pharmacist in Grimstad, eventually moved to Kristiansand (Oslo today). Never qualified for university but became
Ibsen's financial situation
He himself was on the verge of bankruptcy and fled his creditors to Italy as his theatre exceeded his budget, vicious cycle of debt (spent majority of his young adult life in debt, also had to support one child that he had early in an affair)
Ibsen's Wife
Suzannah's sharp humor perhaps encouraged him to find the comedic perspective on cowardice which emerges in Torvald's ironic treatment
Laura Kieler
Family friend Laura Kieler who wrote a sequel to "Brand" and wanted funding for the publishment of a play, but he denied. He encouraged her to tell her husband that she had contracted secret debts when he was seriously ill to finance a southern holiday. S
Realism
Showed people in ordinary houses their often tragic lives shaped by heredity or pressure from the past like the dying Dr. Rank.
Nora:
Heroine of play. Outset: bubbly and carefree, excited about Christmas and Torvald's recent promotion, happily plays along with pet names. Animal and child imagery reflect Nora's apparently innocent, carefree nature. Disobedience: money/forging signature a
Torvald:
Lawyer, recently promoted to bank manager. Does not seem particularly fond of his children. Straightforward and traditional in his beliefs about marriage and society. Loves and is very affectionate towards Nora, but often treats her as a pet/object/child.
Kristine Linde
Old friend of Nora's. Marriage was loveless/based on need for financial security, no children. Used to be in love with Krogstad, who was too poor to support her family. Searches for new job to earn money and survive independently fairly modern woman who
Nils Krogstad
At the beginning antagonist of play. Unscrupulous and dishonest, blackmails Nora. In the past committed a crime of forgery that ruined his reputation, making it difficult to find a reputable job. Once in love with Kristine Linde, not enough money to suppo
Dr. Rank
Doctor, best friends with Torvald and Nora, visits them every day. Suffers from spinal tuberculosis (caused by father's vices). Unmarried and lonely, in love with Nora. Cynical about live, rejoices when he finds out that is illness is terminal, insists th
Love and marriage
Exploration of love and marriage, Appear to be happily married at the beginning, Loving marriage stands in contrast with the lives of the other characters (Mrs. Linde and Krogstad's marriages were based on necessity rather than love/were unhappy, Dr. Rank
Gender
Restricted role of women, problems that arose from a drastic imbalance of power between men and women. Nora is treated like a child (pet and property), implies that she is not smart or responsible enough to be trusted with money, either Krogstad or Dr. Ra
Money and work
Need for money affects all characters in the play, Money symbolizes the power that the characters have over one another (Torvald's ability to dictate how much Nora spends on Christmas gifts, Debt that Nora owes Krogstad allows him to blackmail her, Nora a
Deceit
Nora appears to be a dutifully, obedient and honest wife, but she is hiding serious secret from Torvald --> renders all her statements about never disobeying him/hiding anything from him deceitful. Mrs. Linde insists that she ought to confess to Torvald i
Individual vs. society
Nora: spends most of the play putting others before herself, worries about impact of debt on husband and children not herself. Both women find a sense of meaning in their lives through serving others and performing the caring, obedient role that society r
Christmas tree
Symbol of family happiness and unity as well as the joy Nora takes in making her home pleasant and attractive. Tree is stripped and candles burnt out at the beginning of act two --> represents the end of Nora's innocence and foreshadows the Helmer family'
Macaroons
Symbol of disobedience and deceit. Torvald has banned Nora from eating them, eats them in the opening of the play, claims she never disobeys Torvald which is proven false. Lies to Dr. Rank about having been given some by Mrs. Linde. After giving a particu
The tarantella
Symbolized a side of Nora that she cannot normally show --> fiery, passionate dance that allows her to drop her fa�ade of the perfect mild-mannered Victorian wife. Nora uses performance to please Torvald and the tarantella is no exception - he admits that
The doll's house
Few mentions early on in the play (i.e. when Nora shows Torvald the dolls she bought for her daughter). When nora plays with her children she also refers to them as her "little dollies". Nora tells Torvald that both he and her father treated her like a do
Nora! Just like a woman. Seriously though, Nora, you know what I think about these things. No debts! No borrow! There's always something inhibited, something unpleasant, about a home built on credit and borrowed money
Act 1, speaker: Torvald, themes: love and marriage, money and work
I would never dream of doing anything you didn't want me to
Act 1, Speaker: Nora to Torvald, themes: love and marriage, gender, deceit, individual vs. society
Oh, what a glorious feeling it is, knowing you've got a nice, safe job and a good fat income
Act 1, Speaker: Torvald, themes: money and work, individual vs. society
Oh, sometimes I was so tired, so tired. But it was tremendous fun all the time, sitting there working and earning money like that. Almost like a man.
Act 1, Speaker: Nora, themes: gender, money and work
Oh, I think I can say that some of us have a little influence now and again. Just because one happens to be a woman, doesn't mean...People in subordinate positions, ought to take care they don't offend anybody...who...hm
Act 1, Speaker: Nora, themes: love and marriage, gender, individual vs. society
I am not so heartless that I would necessarily want to condemn a man for a single mistake like that
Act 1, Speaker: Torvald about Krogstad, themes: deceit, individual vs. society
Just think how a man with a thing like that on his conscience will always be having to lie and cheat and dissemble; he can never drop the mask, not even with his own wife and children. And the children - that's the terrible part of it, Nora...A fog of li
act 1, speaker: Torvald, Nora and Krogstad mentioned, themes: love and marriage, deceit, individual vs. society) --> terrifying for Nora/deceit = poison
When a poor girl's been in trouble she must make the best of things
act 2, speaker: nursemaid, themes: love and marriage, gender, deceit) --> forced by circumstances to sacrifice own happiness for others
You see Torvald is so terribly in love with me that he says he wants me all to himself. When we first married, it even used to make him sort of jealous if I only as much as mentioned any of my old friends back home. So of course I stopped doing it.
act 2, speaker: Nora, themes: love and marriage, gender --> possessive
A man's better at coping with these things than a woman
act 2, speaker: Nora, themes: gender, money and work) --> believes that women are less capable than men
If it ever got around that the new manager had been talked over by his wife...As long as the little woman gets her own stubborn way...! Do you want me to make myself a laughing stock in the office? Give people the idea that I am susceptible to any kind o
act 2, speaker: Nora, themes: love and marriage, gender, money and work, individual vs. society
Now Dr. Rank, cheer up. You'll see tomorrow how nicely I can dance. And you can pretend I'm just doing it for you - and for Torvald as well, of course.
act 2, speaker: Nora, themes: love and marriage, deceit, gender --> delight in flaunting her sexuality and flirting (scandalous at the time)
I want to get on my feet again Mrs. Helmer; I want to get to the top...For the last eighteen months I've gone straight; all that time it's been hard going: I was content to work my way up, step by step. Now I'm being kicked out, and I won't stand for bei
act 2, speaker: Krogstad, themes: money and work, deceit, individual vs. society --> struck by the same ambition and greed for money and status that affects Torvald
You can't frighten me! A precious little pampered thing like you...
act 2, speaker: Krogstad, theme: gender --> does not take her seriously because she is a woman
Tell me what to do, keep me right - as you always do
act 2, speaker: Nora, themes: love and marriage, gender
But my dear darling Nora, you are dancing as though your life depend on it
act 2, speaker: Torvald, themes: love and marriage, gender --> foreshadowing
What else is there to understand, apart from the old, old story? A heartless woman throws a man over the moment something more profitable offers itself.
act 3, speaker: Krogstad, themes: love and marriage, gender, money and work, individual vs. society --> fails to understand the concept of sacrificing one's own happiness for the sake of others, men not able to understand women at the time
Without work I couldn't live. All my life I have worked, for as long as I can remember; that has always been my one great joy. But now I'm completely alone in the world, and feeling horribly empty and forlorn. There's no pleasure in working only for your
act 3, speaker: Mrs. Linde, themes: love and marriage, gender, money and work, individual vs. society --> believes selfishness is not good for her, feels her life is meaningless if she cannot be of service to others
Helmer must know everything. This unhappy secret must come out. Those two must have the whole thing out between them. All this secrecy and deception, it just can't go on
act 3, speaker: Mrs. Linde, themes: love and marriage, deceit --> her steadfast belief in honesty triumphs over her promise to Nora
His suffering and his loneliness seemed almost to provide background of dark cloud to the sunshine of our lives
act 3, speaker: Torvald, themes: love and marriage, individual vs. society --> unfeeling and selfish reaction to Dr. Rank's death, basis of his happiness is highly superficial and dependent on the idea that he has a better life than others, shows that he
The thing must be hushed up by all costs. And as far as you and I are concenred, things must appear to go on exactly as before. But only in the eyes of the world, of course...From now on, there can be no question of happiness. All we can do is save the b
act 3, speaker: Torvald, themes: love and marriage, deceit, individual vs. society --> respectability matters more to him than his own happiness, the happiness of others, or love. It also suggests that he believes that, no matter how badly he treats Nora,
A hypocrite, a liar, worse than that, a criminal", "miserable woman", "Feather-brained woman
act 3, speaker: Torvald
I wouldn't be a proper man if I didn't find a woman doubly attractive for being so obviously helpless
act 3, speaker:Torvald, themes: love and marriage, gender --> distorted ideas about gender at the time affected marriage and relationships
For a man, there is something indescribably moving and very satisfying in knowing that he has forgiven his wife - forgiven her, completely and genuinely, from the depths of his heart. It's as though it made her his property in a double sense: he has, as
act 3, speaker: Torvald, themes: love and marriage, gender --> does not believe she is an autonomous adult, way to behave in a marriage
I have been your doll wife, just as at home I was Daddy's doll child. And the children in turn have been my dolls. I thought it was fun when you came and played with me, just as they thought it was fun when I went to play with them. That's been our marri
act 3, speaker: Nora themes: love and marriage, gender, individual vs. society --> metaphor of doll's house, marriage in which man controls wife compared to doll's house (daring assertion)
I believe that first and foremost I am an individual, just as much as you are - or at least you are trying to be. I know most people agree with you, Torvald, and that's also what it says in books. But I'm not content anymore with what most people say, or
act 3, speaker: Nora, themes: love and marriage, gender, individual vs. society)