Year 12 English Communications Supporting Study

A Dolls house

Rachel Segaer Act Summaries Act 1.

It is Christmas Eve and Nora returns home after completing the Christmas shopping and purchasing a tree. She also eats some macaroons which we later discover she is banned from eating by her husband Torvald Helmer. She hides them when her husband appears. It is discovered Helmer has recently got a job as the manager of the bank. Nora and Torvald discuss money and how Nora spends too much, Nora also requests money for Christmas from Torvald. Torvald says her reckless spending habits are inherited from her late father. Two visitors arrive one being doctor Rank a good friend to the family and the other is Christine Linde who Nora hasnt seen for 10 years. It becomes apparent that Christine has nothing in her life as her husband and mother died leaving her nothing and her brothers no longer require anything from her so she has returned to seek employment. She hopes that Torvald will help her. Nora reveals that she has borrowed money without her husbands knowledge or consent and that she is hopeful that her husbands new job will help in enabling the loan to be paid back. Krogstad arrives and his appearance shocks Christine. He asks to speak with Helmer whilst Doctor Rank speaks with Christine and Nora. Torvald says he will employ Christine. The children return home and the visitors leave. Whilst they are playing hide and seek with Nora Krogstad arrives again to blackmail Nora saying he will inform Torvald by means of a letter of a forgery she had committed on the loan papers if she didnt get him a job at the bank. This scares Nora and
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when she asks Torvalds about it he says know because of his lack or morals. He says that lying poisons the home and children. This makes Nora very upset, and she refuses to see the children.

Act 2.
The Christmas tree is stripped bare and moved out of the way. Nora is stressing about the letter from Krogstad. The nurse brings in some costumes for the fancy dress ball and it becomes clear that from now on Nora wants minimal contact with the children due to what Torvald said. Christine arrives and offers to help Nora fix her costume for the ball. She is going as a Neapolitan fisher girl and is going to dance the tarantella. Nora tells Christine that Dr Rank is suffering from a spinal disease due to his fathers debauchery. Nora pleads once again with Torvald to reconsider hiring Krogstad but he is adamant that it is not going to happen due to petty reasons. Dr Rank arrives to tell Nora that he is dying; Nora considers asking him for money but changes her mind after he confesses his love for her. Krogstad arrives and intends to expose Noras Forgery and warns Nora against suicide. He leaves a letter in the mail box containing all the information on what has happened. Christine realises who Nora has borrowed the money of and leaves to try and persuade him to change his mind. But she discovers he has left town for the night. Nora insists Torvald helps her practice the Tarantella and makes him promise that he will not read any letters until after the ball. Mrs Linde informs Nora of Krogstads trip and Nora says she only has 31hours to live.

Act 3.
Christine meets with Krogstad in Nora and Helemers house whilst they are at the ball and they confess their love for each other and decide to make a life together. They are both very happy after this Christine tells Krogstad to leave the house quick before Nora and Helmer return. Christine tells Krogstad not to get the letter back as she feels Helmer has a right to know. Helmer and Nora leave the party, Nora almost by force to find Christine in their house. She says she wanted to see Nora in her costume and Helmer is more than happy to show her off. Christine quickly tells Nora of what is happening with the letter and that she needs to tell Torvald the truth. Dr Rank stops by for the last time and leaves two visiting cards in their letterbox. Nora encourages Helmer to read all of the mail and he dies so in his study. During this time Nora changes clothes and prepares to run away, but Torvald stops her. He is furious with her and says they must continue living together but he no longer loves her and the children are to be taken out of her care. Another letter then arrives this one containing the I.O.U after opening this Torvalds mood changes and he is now happy and says how he will take care of Nora and that he understands why she did what she did. But Nora explains that she must leave Torvald and the children to make a life for herself as she wants to experience independence, and that Torvald must never contact her.
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Act 1 Questions 1. Dolls house Fake and may look happy but may not be as happy as it seems. Similar to the marriage of Torvald and Nora. o A game were one person controls the lives of a family. Similar to the way Torvald controls his wife. o A perfect image of a family, which is what Torvald wants everyone to think. o A doll is something that resembles human traits but isnt actually human, this is similar to the character Nora as she is always happy and wants the perfect lifestyle. A doll is also controlled by someone in the case of the play Nora is controlled by her husband Torvald.
2.

Nora and Helmer resemble the ideal marriage in the 19th century. They are able to live a comfortable lifestyle and the marriage seems good. Helmer uses a lot of animal imagery when referring to Nora this implies that it is a happy marriage but if analysed shows that what a childish relationship they have. The animals Helmer refers to for example squirrel and skylark are wild animals that should be free but it becomes aparent that Nora is the complete
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opposite of free. It also shows that women are not equal to men. 3. Mrs Linde is an old friend of Noras who she hasnt seen for ten years. She has returned to seek employment of some sort and after hearing that Torvald has a job at the bank she hopes that he may be able to help her get a job.
4.

Noras secret is that she borrowed 250 pounds without her husbands knowledge or consent which isnt allowed but she did it in order to save his life. This shows the lack of power women posses in the 19th century. It also shows the development of Nora as a character as in the beginning of the play she is perceived as selfish and immature, she is also viewed as driven, by the prospect of money. But this development shows that she is actually an intelligent woman and that she is willing to do anything for her husband. This also causes the reader to sympathise with Nora. Krogstad is the man Nora borrowed the money form. He possesses deceptive traits and from the lengths he goes to, to rebuild his social status he can be seen as desperate. It is evident that both Krogstad and Nora are similar as both are desperate and have gone to extreme lengths to protect and support their loved ones, i.e. Krogstard by blackmailing Nora to get him a job so he can support his children and Nora by forging her fathers signature and borrowing money without Helmers consent to save Helmers life. This conflict also shows how Naive Nora is as she doesnt understand the problem with forging the signature of her dead father because she believes it is for the right reasons.
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5.

6. Dr Rank is a best friend with the family and looks over them once a day. His problem is that he doesnt like Krogstad.
7.

Dr Ranks view on Krogstad is that he is a moral cripple. Rank despises him because he did the wrong thing and rather than him getting fired for it they promote him so they can keep an eye on him. He doesnt like this because he feels as though all of the bad people get all of the attention and all of the bad people get nothing even though they are doing the right thing. This shows that 19th centaury society doesnt like to admit they are wrong and that they like to hide the bad things away and keep those involved quiet. This links to the end of the play when Helmer realises what Nora has done and tells her she must remain quiet about it all and act as if nothing has happened. In the first act money has been central to all of the characters fortune both good and bad. It is evident that Helmer has got a new job at the bank where he will be dealing with money and also making a lot more money which is good for Nora who is in debt to Krogstad. It can also be established that Christine has returned seeking employment. Therefore it can be seen that money is central to the main characters and hence, in developing certain themes in the novel, such as the development of Nora, womens role in society and morality.

8.

9. Noras deception over the macaroons shows that she the lack of respect she has for her husbands requests. This is important as implies that she may have done other things against her husbands
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wishes. This is proven by her borrowing money from Krogstad without his knowledge or consent.
10. The

first act demonstrates how little power women had in the 19th century. This is shown by the relationship between Nora and Helmer. For example Nora isnt allowed to have a house key even though she lives in the house. This shows that she has no freedom. Also by women not being allowed to borrow money without their husbands consent shows how little power they have. It can be deduced from the evidence that Nora decorates the house to suite Helmers taste and consequently adapts his taste this shows that women are belongings to their husbands and they are trained to behave how they want.

11. Nora doesnt want to see her children at the end of the act because she is fearful that she will poison them with her presence. It can be seen that this occurs as a result of a comment made by Helmer saying that lying and acts of immorality will poison the house and affect the children. This makes Nora very fearful as she has committed this offence. This shows how much Nora believes her husband and how seriously she takes everything he says. It also shows that she doesnt follow her own feelings as she doesnt think what she did was wrong but after listening to her husbands speech she is doubtful.
12. It

can be deduced by comparing the opening and closing lines that a lot has changed in the household. It can be established that there a lot of complications arising such as what Nora is going to do about the loan, and how she is afraid of hurting
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her children. It also evident that in the opening line Noras main concern is hiding the Christmas tree before it is decorated so it will surprise the children but by the end of the act her primary concern is her actions corrupting her children. Therefore it can be concluded that Nora is developing as a character.

Act 2 questions. 1.The conversation between Nora and Anne- Marie gives a sense that a tragedy may occur because Nora asks the nurse how she thinks the children would cope without her and how Anne Marie coped leaving her child. This implies that Nora may be planning on leaving her children.

2. The tarantella was danced solo by a person that had been bitten by a tarantella, i.e. been poisoned. This is similar as she has been bitten, by Krogstad and has been poisoned by him. Implying that he is causing her a lot of pain and suffering. 3. It is established that Dr Rank has a spinal dieses called Spinal tuberculosis which was inherited form his father. His father was with a lot of different women which and over indulged during his life which caused Rank to inherit this disease. This causes the reader to feel sympathetic towards him. By Rank telling Nora this it also suggests that they may have feelings for Nora. This discovery also develops the theme of hereditary as it can be seen that Nora also has been told she has inherited traits form her father. 4. At first when Nora is asking Torvald to hire Krogstad she asks playfully by referring to herself as a squirrel and skylark. She also promises him things and asks in a childish tone. Which shows she changes how she acts when around her husband. But when he declines her request she resorts to begging and becomes rather desperate for him to do as she asks. Nora also brings up her father and Helmer says that unlike Noras father he has a good reputation to uphold and it can be destroyed by him doing things his wife asks of him. This develops the theme of womens roles in society during the 19th century as it can be seen that men do as they wish and dont listen to their wives suggestions. 5. By Helmer saying he will be strong when the real crisis comes he is saying he will support Nora and they will be able to work through the situation together, however it is seen that this is not the
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case. When Helmer discovers what Nora has done rather than realising it was an act of love he is furious with her and says that he no longer loves her until the I.O.U is returned after which time he returns to the loving husband figure. It can be concluded that this contradicts his previous statement about being strong when the crisis occurs. It can also be implied that he may not be as strong as he seems when Rank asks Nora not to tell Helmer he is dying because he is so sensitive. This shown shows lack of strength. 6. The final reason Helmer gives for not wanting to reemploy Korgstad is that they were childhood friend and on Christian name terms. This is now something Krogstad abuses, and he uses this power to belittle Helmer and show off in front of friends. This develops the theme of power as it is evident that Helmer is a man with a great reputation to uphold and Krogstad wants to regain his former social status and will do this at the cost of Helmer. 7. During the end of the act Dr Rank reveals that he is dying. But he doesnt directly say it he uses imagery which links to the theme of money which is prominent in the play. He refers to his illness as going bankrupt as in this era it is kind of the same as dying as without money or employment it is very hard to live. It also links to the theme of hereditary as he inherited the disease form his father he also refers to his father in this act and says that it is a shame that he didnt get to indulge in anything and he still suffered. Rank says the poor spine which didnt get and pleasure out of them. This could also mean that he didnt have a good relationship with his father. Nora responds to the revelation in a very childish manner by saying that he should cheer up
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and she says he is in a bad mood. This shows Noras lack of social awareness and that she can be immature. 8. Nora was going to ask Dr Rank to lend her the remaining money she has on her loan to Krogstad but changes her mind after he confesses his love for her. This shows that she doesnt want to ruin their relationship. During this conversation she makes reference to her father and says that although she loved her father the most she always had more fun being with the servants. This is because they didnt tell her what to do. She compares this to the relationship she has with Rank and the relationships she has with her husband. She says that Rank is like the servants. This also shows that she has been controlled by men her entire life. 9. Ms Linde plans to help Nora by going to see Krogstad and asking him to get the letter back. She says that there was once a time when Krogstad would have done anything for her which shows that they had a previous relationship and shows why she reacted when she first saw Krogstad once she returned. 10. It seems fairly likely that Nora is contemplating suicide as her life is very stressful at this point in the story. The use of blackmail and manipulation have an effect on the dramatic feel of the act as it can be seen that Krogstad is manipulation Noras emotions and telling her what she will and wont do this also shows how dominant men are during this time period. It adds drama as it makes the reader wonder what Nora is going to do about her situation. And whether she will actually commit suicide.
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11. The wonderful thing Nora is referring to is her husband trying to take the blame for the loan, she says that it musnt happen because of her loyalty to him. This also develops the theme of morality as it is evident that Nora doesnt want her husband to take the blame for her problem. But is also shows how Nora is morally unsound as she is being deceitful to her husband about the loan and the problems she is having with Krogstad. 12. Nora has decided by the end of the second act that she has only twenty four and seven thirty one hours left to live. This manes that after Helmer reads the letter explaining what Nora did she will no longer be alive. This is because she feels she will have to resort to suicide. This shows the guilt she is feeling and it also foreshadows what Helmers reaction will be when he finds out. This being that he will be furious and Nora will resort to killing herself.

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Act 3 questions. 1. When Krogstad and Christine meet in the Helmer

household it becomes evident that they both have unresolved feelings for one another. This develops the theme of freedom as it can be seen that now Christine is free from her family duty she can live her life the way she wanted. It also becomes apparent in this meeting that Christine has much more life experience than Nora and hence, has a much greater maturity level. l this is shown by the things they discussed and the hardships Christine endured to get to where she is today. It also becomes clear that Christine thinks that Helmer should read the letter as she believes it will give them a fuller marriage. 2. We learn that the relationship between Krogstad and Miss Linde is one that is based around love and couldnt work because of issues in life; it also has a lot more depth than the Helmer marriage. It can therefore be implied that life outside the dolls house isnt as peachy as the Helmer marriage this also shows the oblivious nature of the Helmers. Therefore it can be concluded that life outside of the Helmer marriage is difficult. 3.Miss Linde and Nora have very different views of work and life this is due to the way they have been bought up. It is established early in the play that Nora has been taken care of and supported
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financially by the men in her life for as long as she can remember thus, causing her to have little interest in work and also causing her to live a very spoilt and reckless lifestyle but within the boundaries of her husbands wishes. However as Nora develops as a character her views on work and life change and by the end of the play she wants to live an independent life and find work. This could be due to the influence of Miss Linde. It is evident that Christine has lived a hard life and has had to have constant financial income to support her family. However she has had to fund this not her husband. This has given her a greater appreciation for money than Nora and also gives her more life experience as she has had to face the challenges in life where as Nora hasnt. 4.The sexual tension between Nora and Helmer is shown in this act by the conversation between them after they leave the ball. It can be seen in this passage that Helmer thinks of Nora as a possession and he says that she belongs to him. But because of the development of Nora she is no longer obeying the wishes of her husband and does not give in to his requests. This shows that she is beginning to realise what she must do to have independence which she has never experienced in her life. This makes things worse for Nora as she now feels even guiltier for lying to him about the loan and eventually she asks him to go and check the mail. This also implies that she has accepted what is going to happen and just wants to get it over and done with. 5. Although the masquerade is seen as a positive event in the play it is also symbolic. It also symbolises the marriage of Helmer and Nora. This is
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evident as it can be suggested that they have both deceived each other through their actions and they are living this pretend marriage, i.e. wearing a mask. It is only when Nora leaves the marriage that the masks are removed and they begin to live proper lives. 6. When Helmer read Krogstads letter he was furious with Nora and couldnt believe what she had done. He was very worried about his social status and tole Nora that he no longer loved her and that she must remain living with him but she has nothing to do with him or the children anymore. This shows that to Helmer social positioning is more important than his wife. He also makes reference to her father and says that he should have foreseen something like this happening. This develops the theme of hereditary and shows that children inherit traits form their parents. It also shows that women are objects that belong to their husbands, this is shown by Helmer telling Nora what is going to happen and what she must do. It is further seen that once the I.O.U is returned Helmer forgives Nora and acknowledges that she acted out of love and he says that he will guide her and cherish her. This shows that he still thinks of Nora as his possession. 7. Nora left Helmer because she felt as if the marriage was fake. She referred to the marriage and herself as being a doll living in a dolls house. This links to the title of the play and shows how Nora was trapped in the marriage. She came to the conclusion that they never had a relationship and Helmer never loved her but rather thought it was fun being with her. This shows the final development of Nora. It can be seen that from the first act she has changed form a obedient house
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wife that would do anything fir her husband to an independent woman who wants to experience life. Therefore this develops the theme of developing an individual identity. 8. When the secret is revealed rather than discussing what Nora did Helmer just flew into a rage and didnt give Nora a chance to explain. Therefore it can be established that Helmer cared more about his social status than his relationship with his wife. This is effective in giving the reader a better understanding of Helmer and finally giving an insight as to what his true colours are like. 9. Ibsen called the play a dolls house as it described the main themes in the play and the main character Nora. It is established that some of the main themes of the play are, love/duty, freedom and developing an individual personality, and the title of the play links to these themes. It is evident that Nora is a loyal wife and has a duty of care to her husband and in being loyal becomes his possession or his doll. Helmer uses Nora as his toy and thinks of her as just something to play with. Until she forms her own opinions and lets them be heard after which she is no longer his possession or his wife. Therefore the name of the play A dolls house has symbolic meaning and links to the major themes of the play.

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Theme analysis Developing an individual personality/ difficulty of maintaining an individual personality. This theme is developed through characterisation, and the actions of the main character Nora and her husband Helmer. At the beginning of the play she possesses qualities which make her seem more of a child to Helmer than a wife. This is what makes their relationship effective. It is evident that Helmer treats Nora as a child through stager directions such as when he wags his finger at her. This action is commonly used when telling of a child. By Helmer treating Nora as a child he is preventing her from developing her own personality and hence, develops the theme. This theme is evident to them in the play as it is what, makes their marriage work and also what tears it apart. This is because it causes Nora to realise that she hasnt had the chance to
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become an individual person and do things in life by herself. Ibsen uses images to develop the idea of developing and the difficulty of maintaining a individual personality through the characters Helmer and Nora. It is seen that Helmer uses animal imagery when talking to his wife and calls her such things as his squirrel and his sqanderbird. All wild animals that shouldnt be kept locked up in a cage. This is similar to the war Nora is being treated. Torvald says to Nora, its incredible what an expensive pet she is for a man to keep. This implies that he also thinks of Nora as his pet. When Torvald speaks to Nora he uses a very patronising tone which shows that he is in charge of the relationship. When he says things such as for now on this is what you shall be to me, my poor, helpless, bewildered little creature. In this passage he doesnt refer to Nora as his wife but a possession which shows that he still hasnt accepted her as his wife. It also shows how hard it must be for Nora to develop a personality as even after their argument he still does not speak to her as an equal but still as an inferior and just expects her to forgive him. It can also be established that Nora has changed by the end of the play and developed her own personality. When Helmer asks her isf she has changed clothes she says to him, yes I have changed, not only does this mean she has changed clothes it also signifies that she has changed as a person. Therefore it can be proven that the language used by the characters develops the theme of developing a personality and the struggle it is to maintain it. The use of stage directions also develops the theme as it is established that the house itself is suited to Helmers taste and not Noras this shows that she has adapted to
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Torvalds mindset and doesnt have her own opinions on how the house should be decorated. This shows she hasnt developed her own personality. Quotes are imbedded into answers to previous questions.

Hereditary The theme of hereditary is developed through the characters Dr Rank and Nora. It is established that they have inherited traits from their fathers. It is seen that Dr Rank has inherited a spinal disease from his fathers indulging and Nora is constantly told form Helmer that she has traits from her father. Rank uses the symbolism of his spinal disease to discuss how he feels about having an inherited disease. Rank
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says especially a poor spine that never got any pleasure out of them. This indicates he feels he has missed out on thing in life because of his father, but he doesnt make a direct reference to himself wehen saying this. This shows that symbolism is important in developing the theme of developing the theme hereditary. When Nora and Rank are talking about ranks spinal disease they talk about how it was inherited by his father. They dont speak ill of his father which shows the respect they have for their parents but query his life choices. It can be seen that the language used was accepting which shows that children are to just accept what their parents do no matter how it will affect them. There are stage directions used to develop this theme. Quotes: Helmer- Its in your blood these things are hereditary Nora. When talking about Noras problem with Money. Nora- oh I wish Id inherited more of papas qualities. Shows that she wants to be more like her father. Perhaps a stronger figure. Helmer: al your fathers recklessness and instability has been handed on to you.

Money Money is a central theme in the play and is central to the good and bad things that occur in the story. The characters that are involved in this theme are Helmer, as he has got a new job at the bank which will give him a better income. He is also very savvy with money and
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doesnt like to spend a lot. Nora is also linked to this theme as she is always told from Helmer that she spends too much but she is actually paying back a secret loan. Therefore this theme develops the readers understanding of the character. Krogstad is also linked to this theme as it is him who Nora borrowed form and his character is developed due to the idea of money, i.e. his past is revealed and his personality is shown. Rank uses images of his body being bankrupt to reveal that he is dying this is relevant to the money theme as it shows that he has nothing left but not in a money sense but in a health sense. This reveals that if a character has no money than it is like dying. Nora uses childish language when making reference to money, especially when asking Torvald for more. Her further naivety with money is also shown when Krogstad informs her of the legal consequences of her forgery with the loan. This implies that Nora has a childish mindset with money and is very uneducated about it. Both Krogstad and Helmer are very informed with money and have a mature mindset with it. This poses the idea that men have more knowledge and hence, power than women during the nineteenth century. It is seen that when Torvald talks about never borrowing money Nora moves towards the stove this is a place of emotional warmth and comfort. At this stage we are unaware that Nora has borrowed money but is gives the reader a hint that she may be hiding something. Therefore it can be seen that stage directions develop the theme of money. Quotes that develop the theme: Helmer- No debts, never borrow. Shows his views towards money.
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Truth The theme of truth is developed through the characters Nora, Miss Linde and Krogstad. It is established that all of these characters involvement on the theme is due to Noras secret loan. It is seen that Miss Linde and
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Krogstad both wanted the truth to be told and despite Miss Linde being Noras friend when she and Krogstad got together she told him to leave the letter rather than asking for it back. This shows that they wanted the truth. It can be proven that Nora was deceitful to her husband through her actions. Dr Rank was also truthful to Nora when he confessed his love to her. Even though he was aware she was married. The symbol of the macaroons shows Noras childish nature. It also shows that Nora can be untruthful to her husband. In the beginning of the play when she denies eating and macaroons suggests that she may also be lying about other things. Which is later discovered to be true as she is lying about borrowing money. She later uses the symbol of the macaroons to hide the bigger secret of the loan by telling the maid to put lots out with the evening meal. This works as Helmer takes his mind of the mail and focuses on the macaroons. Therefore it can be proven that the symbol of the macaroons is a effective symbol in developing the theme of truth. The tone of language used when Nora is told to tell the truth about her loan is fear. This suggests that she knows if she tells the truth she will get into trouble with her husband. It also suggests the little power married women have in the 10th century. It can be further established that when Helmer talks about lies and corruption poisoning the house Nora is distraught this implies how seriously she takes what the husband says it also implies that being untruthful is something that is frowned upon. When Nora is lying about something or trying to hide something she moves away from her husband this is shown at the end of act one when Helmer returns home after Krogstads visit. When helmer is trying to talk to
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Nora she moves around the Christmas tree to get away from him. Tihs indicates that she is afraid. Quotes that develop the theme: Helmer Because a atmosphere of lies poisons and contaminated the home. Shows that Helmer has a zero tolerance for lies. This will be later investigated when he discovers Noras secret.

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Power The theme of power is developed through the male characters as it is them who have the power during the play. It is established that Helmer has complete authority over through his actions and the way he speaks to her. It is also evident that Krogstad has power over Nora as it was him she borrowed the money of and now has to pay back which gives him power over her. This is relevant to their positions in the play as both of them want to have more power than the other and they both use Nora to try and gain this power. For example Krogstad using Nora to get him reemployed at the bank. Helmer also uses Nora as a toy to show his high social status. This also shows how little power women had during the nineteenth century. Helmer uses animal imagery to show the power he has over his wife by calling her things such s his per suggests that he has ownership over her. It is further seen when the IOU is returned and he says that she has a little heart suggests that they have a father child relationship and hence, he has authority over her. Therefore it can be seen the use of animal imagery and by referring to Nora as a child develop the theme of power. Helmer uses a patronising and demanding tone when speaking to his wife to show he is the dominant one on the relationship. For example when he says things such as I shall guide you and i shall counsel you. Shows that he will turn her into what he wants her to be. This implies that language shows how Helmer has power over Nora. Helmer does things such as wag his finger at Nora and pulling at her ears which symbolises telling of a child to further show his power over Nora. Therefore stage
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directions further show what power Helmer has over his wife Nora. Quotes that show Power: it means she has become his property in a double sense. This implies that men have the power in the relationship and women are merely possessions. If rumour had got around that the new vice president let his wife tp persuade him to change his mind. Also shows that men do not listen to the opinions of their wives as is is shunned during this time period.

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Freedom The theme of freedom is shown by the actions of Nora in the final act of the play. It is apparent that by her final actions she is setting herself free and getting away from the domineering actions of her husband and the previous actions of her father. When Nora says Im changed, not only means she has changed her clothes but also symbolises her new found freedom. As it means she has changed from the obedient wife she once was to an independent woman. The tone Nora has in the final act is much more assertive and shows how much she has grown in confidence in comparison to the first two acts. It furthermore shows that she has realised what she needs to do to make her life better and that she has realised that she is a doll in a dolls house. When Helmer hears the door close he knows that Nora has left him for good. This stage direction symbolises that Helmer is no longer in control and Nora has escaped the cage Helmer had her in and is going to live an independent life. Quotes: i have a duty to myself. This shows that Nora is finally thinking of herself first, and hence, setting herself free.

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Morality The idea of morality is explored through the actions of Krogstad and Nora. Krogstad has forged a signature and was shunned from the community because of it. But it is also evident that Nora has forged a signature, but because it wasnt discovered until later in the play she wasnt persecuted for it. But when it was discovered it was Helmer that was going to suffer for it as it is the mens responsibility to control their wives actions. The relevance of this theme to their position in the rest of the play is that it shows the lack of education women had during the nineteenth centaury it has further relevance as it explores the ideas of blackmail and corruption. This is important as without this theme Helmers true side wouldnt have been seen nor would Nora have the courage to stand up for herself. A symbol that develops the theme of morality is the letter to Helmer explaining what Nora has done. It develops the theme as it allows Helmer to understand that there may be circumstances were one needs to do something wrong in order to help others. It also shows that Helmer isnt as strong and supportive as he previously implied he was. When Helmer talks about Krogstad being a moral cripple he speaks with an aggressive tone and says that he is poisoning his home and children. This indicates how frowned upon it is in the society it is also an example of irony as Helmer is unaware at this time but his wife has also committed the same crime. This gives insight as to how he will react when he finds out what she has done. Therefore language develops the theme of morality.
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Nora is very unsettled in the house throughout the play especially after visits from Krogstad. This shows that she has trapped herself into a situation and cant escape. i.e. she is in a cage. This also implies that her conscience is playing up on her. She also does things to keep herself busy such as cleaning clothes from the floor and decorating the Christmas tree to distract herself from her problems. This implies that she may not be as morally corrupt as Krogstad but instead just made a mistake. Quotes: Theres a moral cripple in with Helmer at this very moment. Shows how community shunned Krogstad for his forgery but dont care about reasoning. When Helmer is discussing Krogstads crime to Nora and says how frowned upon it is.

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Love/Duty The idea of love and duty is shown through the actions of Nora. It is seen that she will do anything to save her husbands life and it is this that drives her to borrow money and also what causes her to end the marriage. She says she borrowed the money out of love but later she says she never loved him which implies that perhaps she only acted out of duty to save him. This theme is relevant to the development of Nora in the play as it is what causes her to realise what is wrong with her life and how to change it. I.e. leave her husband. No symbols that represent Love and Duty. An example of love is when Christine and Krogstad reunite and reform their relationship, it is evident that when she speaks to him she is honest and uses a realistic tone especially when talking about why she left him originally. Christine also provides an example of Duty when she married her previous husband so she could financially support her family. When she speaks of her previous husband she speaks with a sad tone. This shows the two different themes, love and duty. At the end of the play Helmer collapses onto the chair distraught that Nora has left him. This shows that he did love her and doesnt know what to do without her. This develops the idea that although Helmer may have taken Nora for granted he actually loved her inside. But is shows that Nora never loved him but was perhaps just
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with him for convenience and because it was all she ever knew. Quotes: Helmer- Can you neglect your most sacred duties, your duties to your husband and children. Shows that it wasnt a proper marriage but Nora was obligated to her husband and children.

Appearance/ Reality/ Illusions The idea of appearance vs. reality is explored through the Helmer marriage. This is because it looked as though it was perfect to begin with but as the story progresses all of the faults became visible until it became inexistent. Helmer uses a lot of pet names when talking to Nora. This isnt uncommon in relationships and marriages but in the case of the Helmer marriage is symbolises the control Helmer has over Nora, which proves that the marriage is an illusion. At the beginning of the play when Nora and Helmer speak to one another they use tones and language which imply the marriage is perfect but by analysing the conversations it can be established that the way Helmer speaks to Nora suggests a father child relationship which then leads to it being suggested that the marriage isnt as perfect as it may initially appear. The use of stage directions shows how fake the Helmer marriages. For example when they communicate in the first act it is mainly through separate rooms with a door blocking any view of each other. This suggests secrets and skeletons in the closet which is later revealed to be Noras secret of borrowing the money. This also
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suggests they do not have a close relationship which is also revealed later in the play by Nora saying Does it occur to you that this is the first time we two, you and I, man and wife, have ever had a serious talk together?. Hence, it is evident that the use of stage positioning develops the theme of appearance vs. reality. Quotes: Nora: weve been married for eight years. Does it ever occur to you that this is the first time we have ever had a serious talk together. This shows that the marriage has been fake or an illusion. It has been something that they have become accustomed to i.e. not talking about any serious problems and it hasnt been a problem until a serious topic arises like the one with Nora and the loan. Responsibility- parent The idea of responsibility as a parent is explored through Nora and Anne Marie. Although Nora feels she is doing the right thing for her family by saving Torvald she is actually in Torvalds eyes morally poisoning them. She also shows little responsibility for the children at the end of the play when she leaves her marriage and children to find a new life for herself. Anne Mare also shows little responsibility for her children by leaving her daughter to take up a job as a nanny. When Nora is speaking to her children about the incident with the dog in the first act she tells them that dogs dont bite lovely baby dolls. This implies that her children are also trapped in the household. It also suggests that she is on a similar level to them because she is often referred to as a doll. When Nora is speaking to the nanny about if she left what would happen to the children she uses a defeated tone but she also queries how Anne Marie did it. This shows that she feels responsible for the children.
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However at the end of the play when Helmer says she can no longer see them her mindset changes and she becomes aware that she doesnt have to be responsible for them anymore. When Nora is playing with the children it shows that she wants to have responsibility for the children and that she enjoys spending time with them. It also further develops her childish nature, and could suggest that, that is why she gets along with them so well. Quotes: N/A

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