A Doll’s House – Act One

Summary:

 N arrives with Christmas shopping.

 N/T discuss household expenses.
 T- teases N. About eating macaroons/sweets.
 Arrival of 2 visitors: Linde and Rank
 L asks N to use influence on H to get her a job.
 N tells L her secret
 K comes to see H
 R, N, L all discuss K’s corruptions
 H offers L a job
 N plays with kids. Receives a shock.
 K (moneylender) asks N to use influence to keep his job. Threatens her.
 N forged father’s signature on IOU.
 H lectures N about lying. N diverts H with talk of the upcoming party.
 H says K corrupts his kids.
 N then refuses to see her children.

Vocabulary:

Stove Prominent feature; heart of house; stage directions which demand N to

warm/replenish.
Krone Currency  coming into use.
Ducks-and-drake Old fashioned expression meaning to squander money.
Steamer Common mode of transport
Dollers Former national currency
Telegram New means of communication
Note of Hand Handwritten promise  IOU

Pages 24 – 28

 Ibsen’s title suggests that location is important.

 Nora is making her way upstairs the audience has a chance to observe the house without the
characters.
 Stage naturalism – representation of plausible situations on sets designed to look as realistic as
possible – new in 1879.
 Upper-middle-class room would have been novel audience
 Used to more aristocratic locations for drama – already responded to visible to clues.
 Household – pretentions to culture – the engravings point to an interest in art.
 Piano – expensive item – suggests reasonable prosperity – as does Nora’s Christmas tree.
 Norway – land of pine trees – Christmas tree luxury item for families in this period.
 Audience – expectations on observing that the room has four doors.
 Popular drama of the period depended on intrigue – so many interests to a single living room suggest
this will feature in the plot: doors – key image.
 Bell rings before Nora’s entrance – clue that she does not possess her own key.
 Nora’s first word – “Hide”
 Festive tree, high spirits and her generosity to the porter imply that this will be a domestic comedy
and its intrigues light-hearted.
  Reinforced by laugh.
 H – No intentions of leaving his study till he registers the word “bought” – which brings him out
quickly.
 Variation on a comic device – the double take – where someone briefly ignores important information
before shock suddenly dawns; the laughter springs from the actor’s rapid change of expression.
 Here his rush to the door marks H as a potential figure of fun – fussy about money.
 No threat of poverty apparent.
 Difference between male and female attitudes to spending is at the level of comedic stereotyping still
evident in the more old-fashioned kind of TV sitcom.
 Helmer’s names for his wife – “skylark” and “squirrel” may sound patronising and she has no
nickname for him
 “If only you knew what expenses we skylarks and squirrels have – suggests that animal names are a
private joke in a happy relationship.
 H labours the point that Nora is impractical – he derides her attempts to make Christmas decorations
– consistent with a light comedy about a dizzy young wife with a sensible husband.
 Indications of deeper issues beneath the comic surface
 Nora – without a key; her reluctance to open or knock on H door implies that she does not have
access to all her house.
 H interrogation about cakes seems playful – any husband might tease his wife about breaking a diet
 The line “you’ve given me your word” – suggests a disturbing lack of trust.

Pages 28 - 38

 Two female characters – sharply contrasted.

 L looks older.
 Clothes – show she is poor and a widow – C 19 th mourning conventions were strict and it is likely that
she would wear shabby black or grey.
 Contrasts to Nora – her remarks suggest she considers Nora to be stylishly dressed.
 L garments indicate she has been travelling
 Nora – fusses about chairs – as she often does – gravitates to the stove – a source of domestic
warmth and comfort.
 L function in the scene is a traditional one – she is the confidante whose function is to listen to the
heroine’s secrets.
 Ibsen gives her a more active role – she has her own story.
 She has faced the poverty/bereavement with which H jokingly threatens N – she values work for its
own sake.
 A mirror in which Nora can view herself – not as what she is – but what she could become.
 Ensuring revelations change our understanding of Nora.
 N – competent at handling money
 Silliness she assumes in cajoling money from H is a conscious performance; she may even look
different to us
 We re-evaluate her attractive clothes as bargains rather than extravagances.
 Nora’s image see’s to be going alterations.
 Nora can envisage a time when H is tired of her
 She has also greatly enjoyed earning money – “like being a man”
 Change in view for H
 It is N who the doctors turned too to explain his illness
 H lacked the strength of character to deal with such information and she does not think his pride
could cope with financial dependency on her.
  Re-evaluate the house itself as a place of secrets and happiness

Pages 39 - 44

 After the quiet duologues the stage is suddenly busy.

 Arrivals/departures seem at first to have little dramatic purpose beyond prolonging suspense
 Audience – curious to know why N is uncomfortable in the presence of K and she is clearly not going
to explain to her guests
 Emerging theme: responsibility: R/L conducts a short debate which uses K as an example – should a
responsible society tolerate his moral weakness and give him a chance to redeem himself through
honest work?
 Or does this deprive a “better man” of a job?
 N – Claims to be bored of this rather abstract discussion.
 N – Starts to distribute macaroons – guests are faced with a dilemma: will they take responsibility for
telling H about the forbidden sweets, or will they conceal the truth?
 Despite upright debate – both gobble them down and remain silent
 Tiny comic moment suggests taking responsibility for one’s actions, or owning up to a lie is not easy.
 Nora’s greed – is funny and her sudden urge to swear makes her amusingly like a child with a sugar
rush.
 Excessive eating can also be a symptom of suppressed rage
 N does not swear on front of T – perhaps here she is symbolically “eating her words”
 Arrival of children opens up the question of responsibility to the family.
 Fathers of the period had less engagement than mothers
 T seems comically anxious to offload the,, hastening them with “this is no place for anyone but a
mother”
 N – keen to be with them; dancing, cuddling and taking off their wet things
 Reflection of her childlike nature – but at the same time – her concern for the nurse’s comfort shows
that she is a considerate employer
 Ibsen’s lines/detailed stage directions should be taken as a series of cues for the actress to improvise
with the children
 Allow her to give an impression of ease and spontaneity – indicating that N is a devoted and practised
mother rather than an indulging whim.

Pages 44 - 51

 Blackmail, compromising documents and villainous moneylenders were the stock-in-trade of Scribe
 Coined the term – piece bien faite – well-made play to describe structure he had devised to maximise
the thrills and discipline the often extravagant and emotional style of the drama of his time
 Ibsen – directed dozen of his plays – despised them
 K sudden entry after tantalising hints shows the same adroit manipulation of suspense
 Tone of the scene is different – no heroes or villains – but complex or fallible characters
 N reveals a snobbish discourtesy towards K as a member of the inferior class.
 She tells her children he is a strange man
 We have already heard H lecture N about paying one’s creditors
 Compassion N has shown to L and R and the nurse is instinctive - not a principle she applies to the
world at large
 K reminder of their arrangement is a deft piece of exposition which provides us important information
 The painstaking way he takes her through the story step by step also helps us realise that her horizons
have been narrowed by her upbringing – she believes motive is as important as legality.
 K is implacable/desperate
  Blackmailers in well-made plays of the period demanded large sums of money, or sex, from the
helpless heroine
 K – wants respectability – irony – he wants to be just like T
 He tries to make clear to N that she has committed a crime
 K – a mirror in which N can view herself – if the independent woman showed her what she could
become
 K – scared and deceitful criminal that N will become if she doesn’t face her problem
 K exit prompts a flurry of activity on N part; decorates Christmas tree not only to distract herself from
anxiety but to perform the role of the pretty and carefree wife that T wants her to be

Pages 51 - 54

 T entry comes as a surprise

 The space is beginning to resemble a trap in which N is helpless
 His questions reinforce the impression; he clearly knows that K has been there
 Pressures N – who admits things are not the case – K did not ask her to conceal his visit.
 T seems more anxious to put N in the wrong than to think about K
 “songbird” image – stresses her status as a pet – and as a creature in a cage – underlining the idea
that a submissive and therefore truthful wife is an important part of the furniture of his peaceful
home
 N weaves the subject of K in and out of a discussion of her projected fancy dress – interesting
 Begins conversation about the party as a topic that will please and distract T.
 “everything seems so stupid and pointless” – suggests that she is offering him a cue to enter a
different conversation – perhaps about K
 T crushes it patronisingly
 T – radical strategy to reorganise the bank
 K under pressure
 Her “poor Krogstad” may reflect dawning compassion for the “stranger” as well as an attempt to
influence her husband.
 N – great deal of practice manipulating her husband
 Irony of T talking about liars shows Ibsen handling with great assurance one of the developing
conventions of naturalistic theatre
 Casually words spoken by one character have a devastating effect on another
 T viewpoint – chance to show off his skill in argument – which he expects Nora to admire
 N – genuinely afraid she could corrupt her children
 Ibsen’s stage direction tells the actress playing N to come “closer behind him” – hence her husband
cannot see the look on her face but we can.
 T manipulates N into promising she will drop the subject – forcing her to shake hands – he is making
her give her word.
 Previously made her give her word not to eat sweets
 He expects to control her behaviour – even in trivial matters
 N – physically and mentally agitated
 N – Refuses to see her children – and is also afraid of herself.
 Curtain falls – audience will not only wonder how the blackmail plot will play out, but how this woman
who has already begun to change will deal with new/frightening idea that her crime may have made
her an unfit mother

Sparknotes – Comprehensive Analysis

The transaction between Nora and the porter that opens A Doll’s House immediately puts the spotlight on
money, which emerges as one of the forces driving the play’s conflicts as it draws lines between genders,
classes, and moral standards. Though Nora owes the porter fifty øre (a Norwegian unit of currency), she gives
him twice that amount, presumably because she is infused with the holiday spirit. While Nora likes to spend
and allows the idea of buying presents to block out financial concerns, Torvald holds a more pragmatic view of
money, jokingly calling Nora a spendthrift and telling her that she is completely foolish when it comes to
financial matters.
Torvald’s assertion that Nora’s lack of understanding of money matters is the result of her gender (“Nora, my
Nora, that is just like a woman”) reveals his prejudiced viewpoint on gender roles. Torvald believes a wife’s
role is to beautify the home, not only through proper management of domestic life but also through proper
behavior and appearance. He quickly makes it known that appearances are very important to him, and that
Nora is like an ornament or trophy that serves to beautify his home and his reputation.
Torvald’s insistence on calling Nora by affectionately diminutive names evokes her helplessness and her
dependence on him. The only time that Torvald calls Nora by her actual name is when he is scolding her. When
he is greeting or adoring her, however, he calls her by childish animal nicknames such as “my little skylark “and
“my squirrel.” By placing her within such a system of names, Torvald not only asserts his power over Nora but
also dehumanizes her to a degree. When he implies that Nora is comparable to the “little birds that like to
fritter money,” Torvald suggests that Nora lacks some fundamental male ability to deal properly with financial
matters. Though Torvald accuses Nora of being irresponsible with money, he gives her more in order to watch
her happy reaction. This act shows that Torvald amuses himself by manipulating his wife’s feelings. Nora is like
Torvald’s doll—she decorates his home and pleases him by being a dependent figure with whose emotions he
can toy.
In addition to being something of a doll to Torvald, Nora is also like a child to him. He shows himself to be
competing with Nora’s dead father for Nora’s loyalty. In a sense, by keeping Nora dependent upon and
subservient to him, Torvald plays the role of Nora’s second father. He treats her like a child, doling out money
to her and attempting to instruct her in the ways of the world. Nora’s gift selections—a sword and a horse for
her male children and a doll for her daughter—show that she reinforces the stereotypical gender roles that
hold her in subservience to Torvald. Nora sees her daughter the same way she has likely been treated all of her
life—as a doll
Nora’s first conversation with Mrs. Linde plays a key role in establishing Nora’s childlike, self-centered, and
insensitive character. Though she purports to be interested in Mrs. Linde’s problems, Nora repeatedly turns
the conversation back to her own life with Torvald. Nora’s self-centeredness is further demonstrated in her
revelation that she failed to write to Mrs. Linde after her husband passed away. It is only now, three years
after the fact, that Nora expresses her sympathy; up to this point, she has made no effort to think beyond
herself, and the fact that she does so now seems only a matter of polite reflex. Like an impetuous child, Nora
does not filter her thoughts, expressing what comes to mind without regard for what is and what is not
appropriate, as when she tactlessly comments that Mrs. Linde’s looks have declined over the years. Though
she recognizes that Mrs. Linde is poor, she unabashedly delights in the fact that she and Torvald will soon have
“pots and pots” of money. She does not recognize that such comments might be hurtful to her old friend.
From a structural point of view, Nora, as the drama’s protagonist, must develop over the course of the play.
Because her first conversation with Mrs. Linde shows Nora to be childlike in her understanding of the world, it
becomes apparent that Nora’s development will involve education, maturation, and the shedding of her
seeming naïveté. Whereas Nora clings to romantic notions about love and marriage, Mrs. Linde has a more
realistic understanding of marriage, gained from her experience of being left with “not even an ounce of grief”
after her husband’s death. Nora’s incredulity at Mrs. Linde’s remark indicates to Mrs. Linde, and to us, that
Nora is sheltered and somewhat unsophisticated. The thread between Nora’s initial interactions with Torvald
and Mrs. Linde is the tension between Nora’s childish nature and her need to grow out of it.
As someone who has experienced an existence that is anything but doll-like, Mrs. Linde seems poised to be
Nora’s teacher and guide on her journey to maturity. Mrs. Linde recounts hardship after hardship and sacrifice
after sacrifice—a far cry from the pampering that Nora receives from Torvald. At the same time, both Mrs.
Linde’s and Nora’s marriages involve sacrificing themselves to another in exchange for money. Nora becomes
her husband’s plaything and delights in the comforts he provides her, while Mrs. Linde marries her husband
for money so that she can support her sick mother and dependent younger brothers. Again and again in A
Doll’s House, women sacrifice their personal desires, their ambitions, and their dignity. While Nora marries for
her own welfare, however, Mrs. Linde does so for the welfare of her family.
Unlike many of the dramatists who came before him, Ibsen doesn’t portray rich, powerful, or socially
significant people in his plays. Rather, he populates his dramas with ordinary middle-class characters. Ibsen’s
language too is commonplace. Though his dialogue is uncomplicated and without rhetorical flourish, it subtly
conveys more than it seems to. For instance, Nora’s insensitivity to Mrs. Linde’s plight manifests itself when
she speaks of her three lovely children immediately after learning that Mrs. Linde has none. That Ibsen’s
dialogue is apparently simple—yet full of loaded -subtext—sets Ibsen’s drama apart from earlier and
contemporary verse plays.
Whereas the conversation between Torvald and Nora at the beginning of A Doll’s House seems one between a
happy, honest couple with nothing to hide, in the latter half of Act One we see that the Torvald household is
full of secrets and deception. The most minor example of this deception is Nora’s lying about the macaroons.
Because eating a macaroon seems like such a trivial matter, one can argue that lying about it is highly
insignificant. Yet one can also argue that the trivial nature of eating the macaroon is the very thing that makes
the lie so troubling. Indeed, the need to lie about something so insignificant—Nora lies twice about the
macaroons, once to Torvald and once to Dr. Rank—speaks to the depths of both her guilt and the tension in
her relationship with Torvald.
A far more serious case of deception concerns the loan Nora illicitly acquired in order to save Torvald’s life.
Though this deception is of far greater magnitude than the lies about the macaroons and involves a breach of
law (Nora is guilty of forgery), we can understand and forgive Nora for her actions because she is motivated by
noble and selfless intent. In both instances of deception, Nora lies because of Torvald’s unfair stereotypes
about gender roles. If Torvald could accept his wife’s help and didn’t feel the need to have control over her
every movement, Nora would not have to lie to him.
When Nora suggests that Torvald find Mrs. Linde a job, Torvald again shows his biases concerning women’s
proper roles in society by immediately assuming that Mrs. Linde is a widow. Torvald’s assumption shows that
he believes a proper married woman should not work outside the home. Also, as Torvald departs with Mrs.
Linde, he says to her, “Only a mother could bear to be here [in the house],” suggesting that any woman who
wants a job must not have children. These words contain a veiled expression of pride, since Torvald is pleased
that his home is fit only for what he believes to be the proper kind of woman: a mother and wife, like Nora.
After Nora reveals her secret to Mrs. Linde, Nora’s and Mrs. Linde’s versions of femininity slowly begin to
converge. With knowledge of her noble act, we see Nora’s character deepen, and we see that she possesses
more maturity and determination than we previously thought. What prompts Nora to reveal her secret about
having saved Torvald’s life by raising the money for their trip abroad is Mrs. Linde’s contention that Nora has
never known hard work. Although Mrs. Linde’s accusation of Nora facilitates the pair’s reconciliation, what
motivates the two women here is unclear. Ibsen does not explicitly reveal whether Mrs. Linde’s irritation at
Nora stems from envy, annoyance, or even concern. Similarly, Nora’s defensive response could signify that she
is hurt, competitive, or simply itching to tell someone her secret. All that is clear is that both Mrs. Linde and
Nora are proud to have helped those they love by sacrificing for them. Their common experience of sacrifice
for others unites them even though they come from different economic spheres and forms the basis for their
rekindled friendship.
As Act One draws to a close, we see Nora wrestling with new problems of fear, guilt, and wrongdoing. Her
conversation with Krogstad reveals Krogstad as the source of the loan Nora used to pay for her family’s trip to
Italy. Although the taking of the loan constitutes a crime because she forged a signature to get it, Nora takes
pride in it because it remains one of the few independent actions she has ever taken. Nora is also proud that
she is able to influence her husband, as she boasts to Krogstad. Nora’s boasts about influencing Torvald reveal
her desire to feel useful and important. That Nora points out that even though she is a woman Krogstad should
respect her influence over bank policy suggests that she senses and fears rejection of her significance on
account of her gender. Perhaps she must combat this idea even in her own mind.
Although Nora holds some influence over Torvald, her power is extremely limited. Paradoxically, when
Krogstad asks Nora to exert this influence on Torvald on his behalf, Nora perceives his request to be an insult
to her husband. Because Krogstad’s statement implies that Torvald fails to conform to the societal belief that
the husband should be responsible for all financial and business matters by letting Nora sway him, Nora
recognizes it as an insult to Torvald for not being a proper husband. Torvald, for his part, believes that Nora is
completely useless when it comes to matters of business, but he agrees to help find a job for Mrs. Linde in
order to make his “little squirrel” happy. He also shows that he believes parenting is a mother’s responsibility
when he asserts that a lying mother corrupts children and turns them into criminals, suggesting that the
father, while important in economic matters, is inconsequential to his children’s moral development.
Krogstad wants to keep his job at the bank so that he can become reputable again, but his decision to gain
credibility through blackmail shows that he is interested only in reforming his appearance and not his inner
self. Torvald too is preoccupied with appearances, something Nora understands and uses to her advantage.
She knows she can put her husband in a good mood by mentioning the costume that she will don at the dance.
The thought of Nora dressed up and looking beautiful placates Torvald, who takes great pleasure in the beauty
of his house and his wife.
Torvald’s remark about Krogstad—“I honestly feel sick, sick to my stomach, in the presence of such people”—
illustrates his deep contempt for moral corruption of Krogstad’s sort. While he thinks that such a bad character
is in direct contrast to his “sweet little Nora,” we are aware that Krogstad and Nora have committed exactly
the same crime—forgery. Torvald, then, has unwittingly referred to Nora when he scorns “such people.”
Torvald’s unknowing condemnation of the actions of the woman he loves is an excellent example of dramatic
irony, a literary device that the makes the audience privy to details of which certain characters are ignorant.