essay questions in a doll's house

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'A Doll's House' Questions for Study and Discussion

Henrik Ibsen's Famous Feminist Play

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A Doll's House is an 1879 play by Norwegian writer Henrik Ibsen , which tells the story of a discontented wife and mother. It was highly controversial at the time of its release, as it raised questions and criticism about the societal expectations of marriage, especially the subservient role women were expected to play. Nora Helmer is desperate to keep her husband Torvald from discovering that she forged loan documents, and thinks if she is revealed, he will sacrifice his honor for hers. She even contemplates killing herself to spare him this indignity.

Nora's being threatened by Nils Krogstad, who knows her secret and wants to reveal it if Nora doesn't help him. He's about to be fired by Torvald, and wants Nora to intervene. Her attempts are unsuccessful, however. She asks Kristine, a long-lost love of Krogstad's, to help her, but Kristine decides Torvald should know the truth, for the good of the Helmers' marriage.

When the truth comes out, Torvald disappoints Nora with his self-centered reaction. It's at this point Nora realizes she has never truly discovered who she is but has lived her life as a plaything for the use of first her father, and now her husband. At the end of the play, Nora Helmer leaves her husband and children in order to be herself, which she is unable to do as part of the family unit.

The play is based on a true story, of Laura Kieler, a friend of Ibsen's who went through many of the same things Nora did. Kieler's story had a less happy ending; Her husband divorced her and had her committed to an asylum.

Discussion Topics

• What is important about the title? Who is the "doll" Ibsen refers to?
• Who is the more significant female character in terms of plot development, Nora or Kristine? Explain your answer.
• Do you think Kristine's decision not to prevent Krogstad from revealing the truth to Torvald is a betrayal of Nora? Does this act ultimately hurt or benefit Nora?
• How does Henrik Ibsen reveal character in A Doll's House ? Is Nora a sympathetic character? Did your opinion of Nora change from the beginning of the play to its conclusion?
• Does the play end the way you expected? Do you think this was a happy ending?
• A Doll's House is generally considered a feminist work. Do you agree with this characterization? Why or why not?
• How essential is the setting, both in terms of time period and location? Could the play have taken place anywhere else? Would the final outcome have had the same impact if A Doll's House had been set in the present day? Why or why not?
• Knowing that the plot is based on a series of events that happened to a female friend of Ibsen's, did it bother you that he used Laura Kieler's story without it benefiting her?
• Which actress would you cast as Nora if you were to stage a production of A Doll's House ? Who would play Torvald? Why is the choice of actor important to the role? Explain your choices.
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113 A Doll’s House Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best a doll’s house topic ideas & essay examples, 👍 interesting topics to write about a doll’s house, 🎓 good essay topics on a doll’s house, ❓ a doll’s house essays questions.

• Feminism in “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen Nora is referred by her husband as a songbird, a lark, a squirrel, names that suggest how insignificant she is to her.
• A Doll’s House Modernism Theme In A Doll’s House, one of the outstanding depictions of this way of thinking was seen at the end of the play; in other words, the overall plot of the story has been used to […]
• Freedom in Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” Literature Analysis In Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, the main character, Nora is not an intellectual, and spends no time scouring books or libraries or trying to make sense of her situation.
• A Doll’s House by Norway’s Henrik Ibsen It’s ironic when Torvald says that he pretends Nora is in some kind of trouble, and he waits the time he can rescue her.
• Drama Analysis: A Doll’s House This paper analyses the position of a woman in society, the aspect of social life as well as the importance of responsibility in the drama A Doll’s House.
• Relationships in “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen He cares mostly about his money and reputation, and through his pressure and arrogance, he makes Nora believe that her life has to only be devoted to her husband and children.
• Analysis of Setting, Character Development, and Symbolism in the Play A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen. In the play, the author creates the unity of setting so as to underscore the feeling that the main heroine Nora is the prisoner of her life.
• Liberation of Women: “A Doll’s House” Analysis While in some scenes the lights are turned off, towards the end of the play the intensity of light increases especially when Nora is talking to her husband. This is escalated towards the end of […]
• Marriage in Plays “A Doll’s House” and “Fences” The revelation of her husband’s true character and perspective on life causes Nora’s disillusionment with her relationship and the institution of marriage in general.
• Comparison of Nora From A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen and Elisa From The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck The story of John Steinbeck describes only one day of life of the character, while Henrik Ibsen uses three acts in order to provide the whole picture and to describe the rise of the conflict […]
• The Interpretation of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House Presented by Patrick Garland The role of women in the society of the 19th century is a rather controversial point for the discussion in literature because of the fact the end of the century can be characterized as the […]
• “A Doll’s House” and “Death of a Salesman” Comparison The main conflict of the play is thoroughly intergenerational and lies in Willy’s inability to accept the decision of his older son Biff, as the latter is willing to leave town to go to farmland […]
• “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen Review Thus, in the story, the main theme, which is the sacrificial role of female characters, is supported by the conflict of societal standards and personal intentions alongside symbolic elements.
• “The Father” and “A Doll’s House” Resting on these facts, it is possible to analyze some works which belong to the same period of time in order to understand the main ideas of the epoch and the authors message to readers.
• “A Doll’s House” by H. Ibsen: Do Desires Have a Gender? In the end, many of the characters’ desires are shaped by social norms that are imposed on them, and while some characters choose to go along with society’s expectations of them, others revolt and seek […]
• Setting’s Influence: “A Doll’s House” and “The Handmaid’s Tale” This paper focuses on the setting in the works A Doll’s House and The Handmaid’s Tale and its impact on the characters and the author’s context through the prism of the chosen historical periods, culture, […]
• Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” Analysis The purpose of this paper is to discuss the prominent elements of fiction used in A Doll’s House as the most vivid example of Ibsen’s approach, analyze the applied dramatic techniques, and describe different layers […]
• Personal Freedom in A Doll’s House, A Room of One’s Own, and Diary of a Madman In Chapter Three of Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own, the protagonist attempts to make sense of the nonsensical elements of female history, namely, how it could be that “in Athena’s city, where women […]
• Feminism in “A Doll’s House” by Ibsen Benhabib’s chapter, “Feminism and the Question of Postmodernism,” highlights the connection between feminism and postmodernism in contemporary society. Nasrin examines the role of feminism in enforcing justice and human rights activism.
• Deception in “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen It is important to note that the topic of deception and self-deception in Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” is of paramount criticality in order to understand the underlying message and characters’ actions.
• Semiotic Analysis of “A Doll’s House” by H. Ibsen Nora is in an intermediate position between a man and a tree, decorating the tree and allowing her husband to such behavior.
• Henrick Ibsen’s A Doll’s House Nora’s father is mentioned quite often in the play, a fact that makes him equal to his daughter because of the deeds of the daughter.
• Parents as Failed Role Models: A Doll’s House and Fight Club The drinking culture of parents revealed in the story of the Fight Club underscores the elements that increase children’s exposure to alcohol and drug taking.
• “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen He watches and describes the atmosphere of all-absorbing illusion in the society, drawing attention to the rights and destiny of a woman in it. The core of this illusion is a woman’s position in society, […]
• Plays Comparison: Pygmalion, A Doll’s House and Trifles This especially appears to be the case in the situations when what happened to be the actual truth, simply does much of a logical sense in the concerned person’s eyes.
• The Play “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen: Feminist Themes Hossain’s article explores the manifestations of the ideas of post-modernist feminism in the play through the analysis of the main character’s development and the overall social order where women were subordinate to men.
• Positive Role Model in “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen To sum up, A Doll’s House presents the harsh life of the mother and wife, Nora, who is trapped with her husband with no choices and goals.
• Feminism in “A Doll’s House” Play by Ibsen Her father used to refer to her as his doll-child, and he used to play with her in the same way she used to play with him. As a result, near the end of the […]
• Similarities and Differences in “The Little Foxes” and “A Doll’s House” The same parallel exists with Ibsen’s Nora, who realized that to her husband, she was a doll to be played with and admired.
• Ibsen’s A Doll’s House Play From a Biographical Perspective Later in the play, the reader learns that this is a childhood trait and she cannot allow her husband to feel obligated to her.
• The Play ‘A Doll’s House’ The play A Doll’s House is the best play the audience is presented to. Besides, the actors must come up to the audience from behind the scenes because the viewer does not need to […]
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• Symbolism in “A Doll’s House” Play by Henrik Ibsen The main objective of the play “A Doll’s House” is to advocate for the ability of each individual in making decisions that are not based on the influences of other persons around him or her. […]
• Drama: A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen Given actions at the end of the play, she may appear to be a villain, but, in fact, she is a victim of her circumstances she was driven to her decision by the blackmail and […]
• The Change of Gender Roles This similarity is one of the most important to focus on the structure of the narrative. In both plays, the main actions of the characters are not directly described by the authors.
• “A Doll’s House”, “The Storm” and “The Victims” Even though Nora is loyal to her husband in the “Doll’s House”, she is brave enough to look forward to a future on her own due to her husband’s unwillingness to become more considerate.
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A Summary and Analysis of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

A Doll’s House is one of the most important plays in all modern drama. Written by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen in 1879, the play is well-known for its shocking ending, which attracted both criticism and admiration from audiences when it premiered.

Before we offer an analysis of A Doll’s House , it might be worth recapping the ‘story’ of the play, which had its roots in real-life events involving a friend of Ibsen’s.

A Doll’s House : summary

The play opens on Christmas Eve. Nora Helmer has returned home from doing the Christmas shopping. Her husband, a bank manager named Torvald, asks her how much she has spent. Nora confides to her friend Mrs Linde that, shortly after she and Torvald married, he fell ill and she secretly borrowed some money to pay for his treatment. Mrs Linde is looking for work from Nora’s husband.

She is still paying that money back (by setting aside a little from her housekeeping money on a regular basis) to the man she borrowed it from, Krogstad – a man who, it just so happens, works for Nora’s husband … who is about to sack Krogstad for forging another person’s signature.

But Krogstad knows Nora’s secret, that she forged her father’s signature, and he tells her in no uncertain terms that, if she lets her husband sack him, Krogstad will make sure her husband knows her secret.

But Torvald refuses to grant Nora’s request when she beseeches him to go easy on Krogstad and give him another chance. It looks as though all is over for Nora and her husband will soon know what she did.

The next day – Christmas Day – Nora is waiting for the letter from Krogstad to arrive, and for her secret to be revealed. She entreats her husband to be lenient towards Krogstad, but again, Torvald refuses, sending the maid off with the letter for Krogstad which informs him that he has been dismissed from Torvald’s employment.

Doctor Rank, who is dying of an incurable disease, arrives as Nora is getting ready for a fancy-dress party. Nora asks him if he will help her, and he vows to do so, but before she can say any more, Krogstad appears with his letter for Torvald. Now he’s been sacked, he is clearly going to go through with his threat and tell his former employer the truth about what Helmer’s wife did.

When Mrs Linde – who was romantically involved with Krogstad – arrives, she tries to appeal to Krogstad’s better nature, but he refuses to withdraw the letter. Then Torvald arrives, and Nora dances for him to delay her husband from reading Krogstad’s letter.

The next act takes place the following day: Boxing Day. The Helmers are at their fancy-dress party. Meanwhile, we learn that Mrs Linde broke it off with Krogstad because he had no money, and she needed cash to pay for her mother’s medical treatment. Torvald has offered Mrs Linde Krogstad’s old job, but she says that she really wants him – money or no money – and the two of them are reconciled.

When Nora returns with Torvald from the party, Mrs Linde, who had prevented Krogstad from having a change of heart and retrieving his letter, tells Nora that she should tell her husband everything. Nora refuses, and Torvald reads the letter from Krogstad anyway.

Nora is distraught, and sure enough, Torvald blames her – until another letter from Krogstad arrives, cancelling Nora’s debt to him, whereupon Torvald forgives her completely.

But Nora has realised something about her marriage to Torvald, and, changing out of her fancy-dress outfit, she announces that she is leaving him. She takes his ring and gives him hers, before going to the door and leaving her husband – slamming the door behind her.

A Doll’s House : analysis

A Doll’s House is one of the most important plays in all of modern theatre. It arguably represents the beginning of modern theatre itself. First performed in 1879, it was a watershed moment in naturalist drama, especially thanks to its dramatic final scene. In what has become probably the most famous statement made about the play, James Huneker observed: ‘That slammed door reverberated across the roof of the world.’

Why? It’s not hard to see why, in fact. And the answer lies in the conventional domestic scenarios that were often the subject of European plays of the period when Ibsen was writing. Indeed, these scenarios are well-known to anyone who’s read Ibsen’s play, because A Doll’s House is itself a classic example of this kind of conventional play.

Yes: the shocking power of Ibsen’s play lies not in the main part of the play itself but in its very final scene, which undoes and subverts everything that has gone before.

This conventional play, the plot of which A Doll’s House follows with consummate skill on Ibsen’s part, is a French tradition known as the ‘ well-made play ’.

Well-made plays have a tight plot, and usually begin with a secret kept from one or more characters in the play (regarding A Doll’s House : check), a back-story which is gradually revealed during the course of the play (check), and a dramatic resolution, which might either involve reconciliation when the secret is revealed, or, in the case of tragedies, the death of one or more of the characters.

Ibsen flirts with both kinds of endings, the comic and the tragic, at the end of A Doll’s House : when Nora knows her secret’s out, she contemplates taking her own life. But when Torvald forgives her following the arrival of Krogstad’s second letter, it looks as though a tragic ending has been averted and we have a comic one in its place.

Just as the plot of the play largely follows these conventions, so Ibsen is careful to portray both Torvald Helmer and his wife Nora as a conventional middle-class married couple. Nora’s behaviour at the end of the play signals an awakening within her, but this is all the more momentous, and surprising, because she is hardly what we would now call a radical feminist.

Similarly, her husband is not nasty to her: he doesn’t mistreat her, or beat her, or put her down, even if he patronises her as his ‘doll’ or ‘bird’ and encourages her to behave like a silly little creature for him. But Nora encourages him to carry on doing so.

They are both caught up in bourgeois ideology: financial security is paramount (as symbolised by Torvald’s job at the bank); the wife is there to give birth to her husband’s children and to dote on him a little, dancing for him and indulging in his occasional whims.

A Doll’s House takes such a powerful torch to all this because it lights a small match underneath it, not because it douses everything in petrol and sets off a firebomb.

And it’s worth noting that, whilst Ibsen was a champion of women’s rights and saw them as their husbands’ intellectual equal, A Doll’s House does not tell us whether we should support or condemn Nora’s decision to walk out on her husband. She has, after all, left her three blameless children without a mother, at least until she returns – if she ever does return. Is she selfish?

Of course, that is something that the play doesn’t answer for us. Ibsen himself later said that he was not ‘tendentious’ in anything he wrote: like a good dramatist, he explores themes which perhaps audiences and readers hadn’t been encouraged to explore before, but he refuses to bang what we would now call the ‘feminist’ drum and turn his play into a piece of political protest.

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2 thoughts on “A Summary and Analysis of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House”

This powerful play foretold the 1960’s monumental epic of Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique, A similar awakening for middle class women, of their unnamed discontent within a marriage. Both paved the the way to the Feminist Movement of the 1970’s where with increased consciousness of economic inequities, women rebelled, just as Nora had done. Homage is owing to both Ibsen in his era and Friedan in hers. Today there are increasing numbers of women serving as Presidents of their nations and in the USA a female Vice-President recently elected to that prestigious office.

I remember reading the play while being a college student. It seemed so sad but at the same time so close to real life. Maybe our lives are quite sad after all.

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A Doll's House

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A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Act Summaries & Analyses

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Examine the pet names Torvald uses for Nora , like “skylark” and “squirrel.” What do these names say about how Torvald sees Nora? Why might Ibsen have chosen these particular nicknames?

There are three women in this story: Nora , Kristine , and Anne Marie. What do their different experiences say about the pressures women faced at the end of the 19th century?

Every scene in the play takes place in the living room of Torvald and Nora’s house. Why do you think Ibsen chose to confine the action to this single room?

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A Doll's House Essays and Answers - A Doll's House Study Guide

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Essay questions and answers on A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen - Set 1

The essays below are mostly in marking scheme format. With points that examiners check.

It should be noted that in an exam situation, essays should be written in prose and not point form as in some of the examples below. In an exam, the "Introduction", "Body" and "Conclusion" titles should not be added in your essays. The examples below just guide on the format that your essays should take.

1. “Women are largely unappreciated for the roles they play in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House.” With illustrations, discuss the validity of this statement.

Introduction All over the world, women do a lot to people around them but many a time, their roles and service to others around them go unappreciated. Women in the play, A Doll’s House by H. Ibsen do a lot that is not appreciated even by people who are close to them or no one seems to notice what they are doing.

Accept any other relevant introduction 2 marks

Points of interpretation/ Body/ Content

• Christmas decoration When the play opens, Nora is busy preparing for Christmas. She is secretly adorning the Christmas tree to unveil it as a secret to the family (p.1). During the previous Christmas, we are told that she shut herself up for three weeks making ornaments for Christmas tree. Helmer reveals: “it was the dullest three weeks I ever spent!” (p.8). his confession shows that he did not appreciate what she was doing to ensure that family has a happy Christmas.
• Loan Nora gets little money from her husband for daily family use but despite her financial obligation to Krogstad, she affords to buy clothes, gifts and toys for her children and the servants (p. 4). This is a great sacrifice on her part which goes unappreciated by her husband’s trip to Italy for his healing; she repays the loan for long using the pocket money she gets from him (p.21). She hopes that her husband would own up the guilt after discovering the secret about the loan and to prevent him from being blamed for her mistake, she is ready to kill herself once such a wonderful thing occurs. Despite all these sacrifices and selfless acts, her husband does not seem to appreciate her actions for at the end, when he discovers the secret, he refuses to forgive her and quickly makes thoughtless decisions against her. This is a great break of trust, a big betrayal to Nora who has lived all her life trying to please and care for husband.
• Selflessness Mrs. Linde has also done a lot that easily escapes the notice of those around her. She marries a man who is not her choice but is financially stable for the sake of her bedridden mother and two brothers. She says, “My mother was alive then, and was bedridden and helpless, and I had to provide for my two younger brothers; so, I did not think I was justified in refusing his offer” (p.14) Nora is not appreciated by Helmes for the sacrifices she makes for the family e.g. clothes or Torvald’s health improvement
• Peacemaker Linde decides to go back to Krogstad to save his reputation and to try to protect Nora and her family from Krogstad who is determined to expose Nora’s forgery. She wants to work not for herself but for someone else for she tells Krogstad, “Nils, give me someone and something to work for” (p.88). This reveals her selfless nature, an attribute that Krogstad doubts by saying, “I don’t trust that. It is nothing but a woman’s overstrained sense of generosity that prompts you to make such an offer of yourself” (p.88). Linde also plays a great role in helping Nora Navigate the turbulent waters in her marriage and home after her secret gets threatened to be revealed to her husband. She promises to talk to Krogstad, arranges a meeting with him and even reasons that Mr. Helmer should know about the secret to save the marriage (p.90). Despite the fact that all her actions might go unnoticed, it is clear that she has played a great role towards the play’s resolution.

Conclusion Women should be appreciated for the invaluable and integral roles they play in the society.

Accept any other valid conclusion.   (2marks)

2. Women play key roles in the society but more often than not their roles are never recognized. Using illustrations from A Doll's House support this assertion. 

• Men and women play different roles in the society but more often than not, the roles of women are overlooked as they are only seen as home makers whose area of specialization is child bearing in addition to acting as husband pleasers. This makes men who are considered as providers to be more appreciated than women. However, the reality is that women too play great roles in the society.
• Nora is a woman who plays a great role of saving her husband after his illness. The doctor recommends that they go south for some time so that Helmer can get better. The family has no resources to finance such a trip but Nora takes it upon herself to get a loan to finance the trip. Most people, Helmer included, assume that Nora got the money from her father
• We see Nora struggling to repay the loan where she tries to save as much as possible from what is given to her by her husband for domestic upkeep. Even when she is asked what she would want as a Christmas present, she asks for money which makes Helmer conclude that she is a spendthrift. Mrs Linde too considers Nora extravagant not knowing the sacrifices she makes to repay the loan. We learn that the previous Christmas, Nora had to lock herself in for days pretending to be doing some crotchetry when in reality she was doing some copying for people in order to get money to repay the loan. This shows that many people do not recognize her role in saving the husband's life.
• Mrs Christine Linde is another woman who has played a major role in the well-being of her family yet no one seems to recognize this. We learn that she was forced to sacrifice her love for Krogstad who had nothing to offer her by marrying a rich man that she did not love. She did this so as to provide for her ailing mother and also to support her younger brothers.
• After the death of her husband, she engages in odd jobs so as to support her mother and brothers and now that they are dead she feels the need to go slow on her struggles. Ironically people do not appreciate the sacrifice but rather judge her negatively as is insinuated by Norah when he asks her about her dead husband who left her nothing.
• Hellen, the maid, is also portrayed as a woman who plays a great role in the society yet her role is not recognized and appreciated. We learn that she was Nora's nanny who is now taking care of Nora's own children. Ironically, she had to leave her daughter behind so as to take care Of Nora. Bringing up someone else's kid is a major sacrifice on her part and she even goes on to take care of Nora's own children. She explains to Nora that she had to do it since she was needy and could not come over with her own child.
• Nora, Mrs Linde and Hellen are women who have played major roles especially in regard to providing for their families. Sadly, their roles are not appreciated by anyone. The society should stop looking down upon women and start appreciating the things they do for their families.

3. “Appearances are often misleading.” Validate this statement basing your illustrations from Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House.

INTRODUCTION

It is human nature to judge a person from their outlook and not from who someone is from the inside. A well-dressed person, for example may be given special treatment over a shabbily dressed one. The character of a person, however, cannot be judged from how the person appears from the outside. This is well illustrated by Henrik Ibsen in A Doll’s House.

POINTS OF INTERPRETATION

• Nora has an unwavering trust in her husband Helmer. She believes that he really loves her and would come to her defense even when Krogstad publishes information concerning her fraud act. This stems from the way Helmer treats Nora with affection. She is however astonished when Helmer scolds her when he learns of the forgery. He goes ahead to restrict her from involving herself with the children.
• Nora trusts that Christine would put in a word for her and convince Krogstad to recall the letter, unread. This is after Nora had helped Christine secure a job by convincing Helmer to hire her. Once the opportune moment presents itself, Christine asks Krogstad not to recall the letter so that Helmer can read and know what ails the family. This results to disintegration of Helmer’s marriage.
• The marriage between Nora and Torvald Helmer looks perfect yet it is not. Helmer refers to Nora using affectionate pet names and spoils her by giving her more money. He believes that Nora is perfect and could not hide secrets from her yet Nora is hiding the secret of the borrowed loan. Actually, Helmer knows that Nora took money from her father yet she took it from Krogstad and forged her father’s name in order to get the money.
• Nora seems like a spendthrift and a spoilt wife yet she works tirelessly. Both Christine and Torvald accuse Nora of being inexperienced and a spendthrift. She discloses to Christine that she does copy work and has to scrape off every penny in order for her to repay Krogstad. She spent sleepless nights the previous Christmas in order to make ornaments to decorate the Christmas tree.

In conclusion, it is true to say that a book should not be judged by its cover.

4. “Desperate situations call for desperate measures.” Referring closely to A Doll’s House, write an essay in support of this statement.

• Nora becomes desperate when she is informed by the doctors that her husband is very ill and needs to go to Italy for a year to recover yet they have no money. She takes a loan with Krogstad, an individual of questionable character who blackmails her later.
• Nora becomes desperate again when her husband fires Krogstad yet the latter threatens to expose both Nora and Helmer on the matter of Nora’s forgery. This leads Nora to plan for suicide to save her husband.
• Krogstad is desperate to regain his reputation which won’t happen if he is fired. He blackmails Nora to try and secure his position in the bank.
• Linde forfeits her relationship with the person she loves because he is penniless. This is because her mother is very sick and there are two younger brothers to fend for. Mrs. Linde marries a rich man to take care of herself, her mother and her brothers.
• Nora has to work in secret to get money to repay the loan from Krogstad. Out of desperation, she has to sacrifice any money due to her for her personal needs to pay both instalments and interest.

Accept any other valid points. Mark any 4 points 3:3:3:3 =12 marks Introduction: 2 marks Conclusion: 2 marks Language competence: 4 marks

5. Women in A Doll’s House challenge society’s perception of the female gender. Write an essay justifying the assertion. (20 marks)

Introduction

• In A Doll’s House, Nora, Linde and Hellene, outstrip the accepted social practices of the time by promoting women empowerment. (Any other relevant introduction)

Points of interpretation

The candidates should describe the event, the character involved and the background to the event as well as pointing out how the traditional role of women is challenged.

• W1: Nora secures a loan so as to take Helmer to Italy for treatment.
• W2: Hellene finds a job as a nanny so as to care for her child.
• W3: Mrs. Linde finds a job so as to care for herself and is supportive of her siblings and mother.
• W4: Nora decides to leave her husband and children and refuses to submit to her submissive role.
• In conclusion, the female characters challenges the stereotype afforded to women living in a male-dominated society. (Any suitable conclusion)

Language 0-4 1mk 5-7 2mks 8-10 3mks 11-12 4mks

6. The society presented in the play, A Doll’s House, is rotten! Using Nora, Torvald, Dr. Rank and Krogstad, discuss the truthfulness of this statement in reference to the aforementioned play.  (20mks)

Isben’s A Dolls House shows how this society is corrupt. Many characters are involved in one ways or the other with morally unacceptable behavior.

• To begin with, Nora forges her father’s signature to secure a loan when her husband got ill and could not raise the required amount for his treatment, Nora decided to take matter into her own hands. She went to borrow money from the bank(Krogstad) in the process Nora had to have some written documents to her to secure the loan. She then decided to forge her father’s signature which later come to haunt her.
• Secondly, Kregstad forging someone’s name to illegally get access to his money. As an employee of the bank, he took advantage of his position to exploit his clients. His act was later reveled and he was to face the law (punishment) but got himself out of it through corrupt ways. “…but Krogstad did nothing of that sort; he got himself out of it by a cunning trick, and that is why he has gone under altogether …”pg 46.
• Moreover, Dr. Rank secretly admiring Norah despite knowing that she’s a wife to Torvald his close friend. Dr. Rank still wants to have an affair with her. He feels Nora should be in his company as much as she is in Torvald’s. This clearly shows the level of rot that is portrayed in this society. When Nora tells him that she is certain that Torvald would willingly give his life for her. Rank interjects and says that it’s not Torvald only who can do that. This insicuates that he’s willing to do anything for her because of what he feels for her. “…do you think he’s the only one who would gladly give his life for your sake? I was determined you should know before I went away …”pg 68
• Finally, Torvald giving Mrs. Linde a job at the bank, he uses his position as the manager of the bank. He uses his position as the manager of the bank to offer Mrs. Linde a job illegally without any due process followed as a public institution, we expect that after the position Krogstad was holding fell vacant after his dismissal, the due process of recruitment and interviews were to follow. This didn’t happen. Instead, Torvald just offered it directly in his house to Mrs. Linde. This is being corrupt and illegal use of the one’s position and power. Pg 58 “… it is his/Krogstad’s post that I have arranged Mrs. Linde shall have …”

In conclusion, it is clear that corruption runs in the veins of most characters in this play for us to achieve a corrupt free society, the root causes of corruption should be identified and addressed promptly.

7. Women are generally loving and self- sacrificing. Validate this statement basing your illustrations on the play ‘A Doll’s House’ by Henrik Ibsen  (20mks)

Introduction In today’s society, a person who claims to love you or really concerned about you would go to any level to show how much they care. Nora and Mrs. Linde clearly brings out this in the plays, A Doll”s House.

• Nora, proves her true love and concern when she risks by forging her father’s signature in order to acquire money for the sake of her husband’s health. She goes against societal expectations and provides financial support to Helmer when he fell ill and takes him to Italy to recover. This clearly portrays her love towards her husband.
• Nora sacrifices her comfort, a good and comfortable life and good clothes too in order to look for money and save as much as she can to pay the loan. She does odd jobs like embroidery and crocheting, she also saves some money given by Torvald and buys herself cheap and simple clothes with an aim of saving for the payment of the loan. Torvald also reminds her how she shut herself up for three weeks during the last Christmas Holiday making ornaments. This clearly portrays her love and sacrifice for her family.
• Mrs. Linde also sacrifices her happiness when she abandons Krogstad whom she really loved for a richer man. She did this in order to get money to take care of her sick mother and younger siblings. Later on the old man dies leaving her Childless, poor and lonely. This is real sacrifice for the sake of love.
• Christine Linde also sacrifices her honour and pride when she approaches Krogstad and apologies to him for her actions. She explains her reason for leaving him and asks him if they can come together as she feels empty and has no one to mourn for and no one to care for. Krogstad accept their proposal. This clearly brings Linde as a selfless person who is able to sacrifice for the sake of love and concern.
• Ann sacrifices her comfort in order to take of Nora and later Nora’s Children. Anne leaves her own daughter behind and moves in with Nora’s family to become Nora’s nurse. Nora had no mother and Ann fitted in the gap with lots of love. Even Nora wonders how Ann had the heart to give up raising her own child in order to work but it is clear that Anne had to make this sacrifice in order to fend for her own family. She gladly takes care of Nora’s children and contends herself with letters from her daughter on important occasions such as her wedding.

In conclusion, it is clear that a person who loves and is concerned about another becomes selfless and goes to any extent to prove this as brought out in the essay.

8. Using illustrations from the ‘A Doll’s House’ by Henrik Ibsen, Show how lies and deceit are exposed in the play   (20mks)

• Whenever people find themselves in a difficult situation, they use lies to cover up for their actions. This is clearly potrayed by Henrik Ibsen in his play ‘A Doll’s House’.
• As the play begins, Nora behaves like an obedient and honest wife. However, this is not her real character.
• She does not want to reveal to her husband that she had loaned money from Krogstamnd to facilitate their trip to Italy.
• Krogstad deceit is exposed. He commits a forgery. This act of deceit destroys his reputation that he fins it difficult to get employed.
• Dr. Rank also comes out as deceitful and dishonest. He has been deceiving both Nora and Torrald for years about the depth of the depth of his feeling for Nora. Only when she attempts to seek his financial help does Nora finally see beneath the surface to the doctor’s real feelings. He has been lusting for his best friend’s wife all those years.
• Torrald, who has been deceived throughout most of the play, is finally revealed in the final act to be the one most guilty of deception. He has deceived Nora into believing that he loved and cherished her, while all the while he had regarded her as little more property.

(Mark any other well illustrated point)

9. The past always catches up with the present, sometimes with some unintended consequences. Using the play, A Doll's House, explain this statement.

The choices that we made in the past have consequences that show up in our present lives, sometimes, influencing it negatively.

• Nora Helmer made a choice in her first year of marriage that later leads to the breakdown of something for which she had worked so hard and persevered a lot of humiliation to preserve. It was a choice she had made out of her great love for her husband. Torvald Helmer was seriously sick because of overwork and the doctors had recommended that he takes a holiday in the warmer climes in Italy. Nora tried giving hints to make him get a loan for the trip and eventually told him to get it, but he would hear none of it In this society, only men could get loans with minimal obstacles. Nora takes a loan of 250 pounds to save her husband. The loan is given by Krogstad who gives almost 'impossible conditions' and Ann has to forge not only her father's name but also his signature. Three days after the loan was extended, her father dies.
• She patiently repays the loan for eight years. She has to skim some household expenses, work long hours on her knitting and get a copy typist work to put together enough to repay the loan and also keep her home running. By 'good luck', her husband gets a job at a bank as a manager. Krogstad is also employed in the same bank. In a twist of fate, Krogstad engages himself in some indiscretion, forgery, and in Helmer's housecleaning task, the first assignment is to get rid of Krogstad as he cannot work with the likes of him. Krogstad blackmails Nora to plead his case to keep his job or else he reveals her past indiscretion. But there are some complications. First, Mrs. Linde, an old school friend of Nora, and a girlfriend to Krogstad has requested for the job through
• Nora, and it has been given. In any case, Nora's guiles and white lies will not sway Helmer who has even written a dismissal letter.
• Matters go from bad to worse. Krogstad relents about the letter and tries to retrieve it. This is after they have had a discussion with his old girlfriend Mrs. Linde, and made up. Mrs. Linde is of the opinion that the letter should be read to end the lies and the hypocrisy in the house. Though apparently Krogstad tried to retrieve the letter from the mailbox, he did not succeed, Helmer discovers the secret the wife has kept hidden for years. He is upset that his image in the society will suffer a battering due to his wife's thoughtless actions. Ironically, he does not even pause to ask why she had done it in the first place. In his estimation, his wife should not even be a mother. She will contaminate the children, a belief current in the society that vices among parents destroy the children eventually. He does not even contemplate living as man and wife with such a contaminated wife and tells her that they can only live as brother and sister for appearance's sake.
• Nora is upset. She feels betrayed that this is what her husband feels. In fact, she is disappointed because he does not even take the burden of her shame, or even try to understand. His cruel judgment is devastating considering that she did it for him. She has always tolerated his openly condescending attitude towards her, petting her with the diminutive little this or that, reducing her to a play thing, a doll. She was Little Squirrel, Little Skylark, Little Doll, terms degrading whatever the intention. She has always lived in his shadow in accordance with social expectations.
• Helmer 'offers' her a lifeline, and 'forgives' her for her treachery. The chutzpah of the man is truly unbelievable. Nora has had enough of the marriage and she feels she is not the woman for the patronizing and utterly insensitive Helmer. She will no longer be a pet, a doll for him or the society to play with and she is walking out of the marriage to go and rediscover herself. NO pleading or even appeal to her religion or conscience is going to change her.
• Thus, we can conclude that our present circumstances are usually the consequences of the choices we have made in our paste Nora made a decision out of a deep love for her husband, not to lose him, but ironically the decision comes back to split them up. The marriage she sought to preserve is broken up. The consoling grace though, is that she comes to realize the kind Of man.

10. A marriage founded on falsehood and secrets is bound to fall apart. To what extent do you agree with the statement? Draw your illustrations from the play A Doll's House

Marriage should be founded on mutual trust between the wife and husband. Any sort of secret or insincerity between them is bound to bring irreparable damage to the marriage once the truth comes in.

• Nora has many secrets and falsehoods that she keeps behind her husband. She secretly borrows a loan from Krogstad to fund her husband's trip to Italy for his recovery. She has kept this matter a secret from him for eight years and is not ready to reveal it to him any time soon. The secret is finally revealed when Krogstad writes a letter to her husband that exposes the forgery. Helmer reacts angrily to this discovery and Nora angry that he does not understand her, decides to walk out of the marriage.
• Nora also is not sincere on how she uses the money she gets from Krogstad. She saves most of it to repay Krogstad's loan. She says that she has survived on cheap clothes and also keeps borrowing money from him to service the loan. All this is discovered at the end of the play. They react differently to the discovery making their marriages to break.
• Nora cheats Krogstad that there was nobody who had visited him when he was way while Krogstad has just left the room where he had been pleading with her to speak to her husband to prevent the sack. As she cheats him thus, her husband has just met with him as he leaves the house. Nora's speaking to Krogstad and refusing to admit it reveals a very serious weakness in the marriage. It shows mistrust and underscores the dark secrets that Nora has been keeping behind her husband. Finally, some of these actions contribute to the dissolution of the marriage.
• Nora cheats her husband that she has forgotten the dance practice and dances poorly so that she can compel her husband to help her practice. The truth is that she has not forgotten how to dance but wants to buy time so that her husband cannot open the letter box. She and Christine have agreed to keep him as much as possible from his letters so that she can speak to Krogstad first. Nora instead should just be open with her husband and tell him the truth. She increases tension in their marriage and is the one who suffers most. Finally, the truth comes out and the marriage breaks.

It is important for a couple to be sincere with each other no matter the seriousness of the matter. This can help prevent far-reaching damage to their marriage.

11. How could the submissive, selfish and silly Nora of the first two acts transform herself into an independent woman by the end of the last act? Is the transformation realistic?

While Nora puts on a convincing performance of being a submissive, selfish and foolish woman during the first act, there are early signs that this is not the real her. When she asks Torvald for more money despite having just been on a spending spree, she appears selfish and grasping. But we soon discover, in her conversation with Mrs Linde, that she is not squandering the money to satisfy her own desires, but using it to pay off the loan she took out in order to save her husband's life. In doing so, she has denied herself new things so that her husband and children can have all they need. Her arranging the loan and the trip to Italy - and her subsequent careful management of money and of her secret - show an astonishing strength of character. In addition, she secretly takes jobs to pay off the loan, a step towards the independence she finally embraces. But in the first two acts, Nora does not dare to acknowledge her own strength, let alone use it. There are many reasons for this. Chief among them are that her beloved Torvald, and society in general, would not comfortably countenance such strength in a woman. So it is easier for Nora to keep her head below the parapet rather than risk the consequences of showing herself as she is.

Nora's submissiveness to Torvald is not all it seems. By playing the doll-child according to his wishes, she manipulates him into the role of indulgent father-figure. But in spite of her skill at 'managing' him, there is one instance in which she desperately wants him to adopt the manly and dominant role: she wants him to rescue her from the ruin caused by Krogstad's revelations. When he fails to provide the strength she needs, she realizes that she no longer loves him, as he is not the man she thought him. It is almost inevitable that she is forced to find that strength within herself. Her realization that she wants to pursue her independence is not so much a transformation as an awakening to a strength she has possessed all along.

12. In what way does A Doll's House explore social issues?

A Doll's House shines a searchlight on Victorian society, drawing attention to its hypocrisy and use of public opinion to suppress individuality. The critic Bjorn Hemmer, in an essay in The Cambridge Companion to Ibsen, wrote: "The people who live in such a society know the weight of 'public opinion' and of all those agencies which keep watch over society's 'law and order': the norms, the conventions and the traditions which in essence belong to the past but which continue into the present and there thwart individual liberty in a variety of ways."

Torvald lives by society's norms, and when faced with a choice of whether to support his wife or society, he sides with society. When he realizes that she has broken the law in forging her father's signature on the loan document, he never questions the morality of such a law: it is left to Nora to do that. His aim is to preserve the appearance of respectability and ensure his continued acceptance in society. He has become so shaped by society's conventions that he cannot see his wife's suffering. In The Cambridge Companion to Ibsen, Gail Finney writes that in Ibsen's own notes for this play, he notes that a mother in modern society is "like certain insects who go away and die when she has done her duty in the propagation of the race." This view is confirmed by Torvald's rejection of Nora when he discovers her secret; he says she is not fit to bring up their children if her reputation is tarnished. For Torvald, public life has obscured and overtaken private self. In order to find out who she is and what she wants, Nora has to reject the life that society prescribes for her as a wife and mother, and strike out on her own. "I am going to see," she tells Torvald in Act 3, "who is right, the world or I."

But this is not simple. The nineteenth century saw a huge shift from the old social order of self-improvement within a stable rural society to a new social order founded on money. But women at the time could not control money without the authority of the man who 'owned' them, be it husband, brother or father. Single and lone women like Mrs Linde had more control over their lives and money than married women, who were discouraged from taking jobs and had to surrender money matters to their husbands. But as Mrs Linde's story shows, having no male 'provider' brought its own problems.

In sum, women had little power. Power lay with people like Torvald, who is a banker and lawyer. Torvald is able to dictate the fate not only of his family but of Mrs Linde (by giving her a job) and Krogstad (by giving away his job). He is gratified by the prospect of sacking Krogstad because he disapproves of his morality. In effect, the Torvalds of this world defined morality. As we have seen with regard to Nora's crime, they also defined the law, and therefore, who was a criminal. It is worth noting that Ibsen based the episode of Nora's forgery on a similar 'crime' committed by a female friend of his, which ended tragically for her, so he was drawing attention to what he saw as a genuine social problem. He supported economic reform that would protect women's property and befriended European feminists.

Other social issues addressed in the play include how women should be educated, both for the responsibilities of family and for self-fulfillment; the right of women to define their role in the family and society; the degrading effects of poverty on self-fulfillment (as with Mrs Linde and the Nurse); and the scourge of venereal disease (as suffered by Dr Rank).

13. How do different characters use the words "free" and "freedom"? How does the use of these words change throughout the play?

• It is Torvald who introduces the concept of freedom in the play, claiming that "There can be no freedom or beauty about a home life that depends on borrowing and debt." He defines freedom in economic terms, as befits an age where power depended upon money. He is also adopting society's values, as debt was disapproved of and considered a sign of moral degeneracy. The dramatic irony behind his words lies in the fact that Torvald would not have any life at all if his wife had not gone into debt, though he does not realize this.
• Like Torvald, Krogstad sees freedom as moral respectability in the eyes of society. His job at the bank is the means by which he will "cut [himself] free" from the stigma of his "indiscretion" of forgery. The problem with this approach is that his "freedom" depends upon the whim of his employer, who also sits in moral judgment on him and can withdraw his job if he finds that he falls short in that respect.
• Mrs Linde feels proud that by working hard, she was able to support her brothers and mother, and "I was privileged to make the end of my mother's life almost free from care." Like Torvald, she is defining freedom in economic terms. But she is operating at a lower economic level than he is. She is talking of being able to provide the necessities of life, whereas he is talking of the relative luxury of being free from debt.
• In Act 1, Nora is delighted that soon she will have paid off her debt to Krogstad and will be "free from care, quite free from care; to be able to play and romp with the children; to be able to keep the house beautifully and have everything just as Torvald likes it!" At this point, she defines her freedom in terms of the very things that (as she later realizes) restrict her: her role as a submissive wife and mother.
• By the end of Act 2, Krogstad's letter revealing Nora's debt and forgery of her father's signature is sitting in Torvald's letterbox. Nora, who fears yet hopes that Torvald will shield her by taking the entire blame upon himself, means to disappear or commit suicide, thereby saving him from disgrace. She tells him: "Then you will be free." Thus Torvald will maintain his respectability by means of Nora's obliterating herself from his world.
• At the end of the play, Nora has been awakened to Torvald's narrow-mindedness and no longer sees freedom in terms of bondage to him or obliteration of herself. On the contrary, she defines freedom for herself and Torvald as complete independence from each other, as she leaves the marriage to forge a new life for herself: "I set you free from all your obligations. You are not to feel yourself bound in the slightest way, any more than I shall. There must be perfect freedom on both sides."

14. Compare Torvald’s and Nora’s attitudes toward money.

Torvald and Nora’s first conversation establishes Torvald as the member of the household who makes and controls the money and Nora as the one who spends it. Torvald repeatedly teases Nora about her spending, and at one point Mrs. Linde points out that Nora was a big spender in her younger days. These initial comments paint Nora as a shallow woman who is overly concerned with -material delights. Yet Nora’s generous tip to the porter in the play’s opening scene shows that she is not a selfish woman. More important, once the secret of Nora’s loan is made known to the audience, we see that Nora’s interest in money stems more from her concern for her family’s welfare than from petty desires. We realize that the excitement she has expressed over Torvald’s new, well-paying job results from the fact that more spending money means she can finally pay off her debt to Krogstad. While Torvald seems less enthralled by money because he doesn’t talk about it except to chastise Nora for her spending, he is obsessed with having a beautiful home, including a beautiful wife. He considers these things important to his reputation, and keeping up this reputation requires money. Although Torvald accuses Nora of wasting money, Nora spends her money mostly on worthy causes, whereas Torvald uses his for selfish, shallow purposes.

15. Why does Torvald constantly reprimand Nora for her wastefulness and foolishness while simultaneously supporting her behavior? What insight does this contradiction give us into Torvald and Nora’s relationship?

Torvald perceives Nora as a foolish woman who is ignorant of the way society works, but he likes Nora’s foolishness and ignorance because they render her helpless and therefore dependent on him. It soon becomes clear to us that Nora’s dependence, not Torvald’s love for Nora as a person, forms the foundation of Torvald’s affection for her. In Act One, Torvald teases Nora about wasting money but then tries to please her by graciously giving her more. Similarly, he points out her faults but then says he doesn’t want her to change a bit. He clearly enjoys keeping Nora in a position where she cannot function in the world without him, even if it means that she remains foolish. In general, Torvald disapproves of any kind of change in Nora’s constant, obedient demeanor because he needs to control her behavior. When Nora begins to dance the tarantella wildly in Act Two, he is unsettled. In Act One, Nora says that it would humiliate Torvald if he knew he was secretly in debt to her for his life, indicating that Torvald wants the power in his marriage to be one-sided rather than mutual.

16. Compare and contrast Mrs. Linde and Nora at the end of the play.

By the end of Act Three, both Nora and Mrs. Linde have entered new phases in their lives. Nora has chosen to abandon her children and her husband because she wants independence from her roles as mother and wife. In contrast, Mrs. Linde has chosen to abandon her independence to marry Krogstad and take care of his family. She likes having people depend on her, and independence does not seem to fulfill her. Despite their apparent opposition, both Nora’s and Mrs. Linde’s decisions allow them to fulfill their respective personal desires. They have both chosen their own fates, freely and without male influence. Ibsen seems to feel that the nature of their choices is not as important as the fact that both women make the choices themselves.

Using specific examples, discuss how Ibsen's "progress from one work to the other" is due to a "perpetual scrutiny of the same general questions regarded from different points of view."

19. The past always catches up with the present sometimes with some unintended consequences. Basing on the play A Doll's House, justify the above statement.

• Most of the characters in the play, have a past (history) that has made the present day a rough and worrisome time.
• One's presen life will be affected and in many were dependent on their past. In 'A Doll's House, characters such as Nils Krogstad, Christine have a past that is altering their present situation
• Nora thought she could borrow money, forge a ignature and still come out unscathed. These past actions cause Nora too much trouble.
• Helmer gets seriously ill, doctors recommend they go to Italy. Helmer cannot take a loan, he gets angry when Nora hints they should. Nora,.....would like to go abroad like other young wives 
• Nora takes the matter into her own hands, borrows 250pounds from Krogstad, lies that her father gave her the money. To solve her dying father trouble and anxiety, she forges his signature
• When Krogstad's position at the book is threatened he blackmails Nora. Nora does everything possible to hide. She is forced to overwork - does crotchet work
• She is almost committing suicide, Suffers emotionally
• Krogstad is later affected by the consequences of his deceitful achon
• He forged a signature was caught but never admitted to his crime. He got out of it through ..a cunning trick,
• He has had to fight and work barelessly in order - to regain any ounce of respect that he had lost Dr. Rank for instance calls him a morally diseased person who goes out sniffing 
• The rigid society has made it nearly impossible for him to move beyond his pash crime(s), These circumstances force Krogstad into money business (shylock). he loans Nora money. His past is the driving factor behind why he blackmails Nora
• Krogstad will do anything to keep his job in order to slowly improve his reputation for his son's sake. He says " my sons are growing up; for their sake I must try and win back as much respect as I can in the town This post in the bank was the first step up for me and now your husband is going to kick me downstar again into the mud" . Krogstad's past illegal acts hurt him, and leads to his termination at the bank.

Torvald Helmer. - like a loving, caring husband gives her money when she droops her

• assures her (Nora) that he would give up his blood for her sake
• He even wishes that Nora might be threatened by some great danger
• He treats her like a doll and calls her pet names and she has to adopt his likings. Nora confessess that she had been simply transferred to Helmer both treated her like a doll
• Helmer arranged everything recording to his own taste
• Both Helmer and papa have wronged her
• She has never been happy but merry
• Consequences - Helmer begs Nora to live with him under the same roof as brother and sister
• She decides to leave Krogstad. She marries a rich man
• Krogstad's prospects seemed hopeless, then with a sick mother and two young brothers to take care of Mrs Linde did not think she was justified in refusing his offer
• Though she was privileged to make the end of Ther mother's life almost free from care, her action comes to haunt her later. When the husband died, there was nothing left she had to turn her hands low anything first a small shop them a small school ... the last 3 years seemed like one long working day with no rest
• She is so bitter... with no one to work for ...l am like a shipwrecked woman clinging to some wreckage - no one to mourn for, no one to take care for my life is dreadfully emply and I feel so forsaken

20. Human relationships are bound to break during hard times. Using relevant examples of the actions of female characters from Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, write an essay in support of this statement.

Introduction When human beings face challenges, there are always attempts to overcome them. In the process of trying to solve the problem, they are bound to be misunderstood by their partners which can bring to a breakup an otherwise strong relationship/ bond. This is the case of female characters in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House.

• When Nora’s husband falls ill, the doctor recommends that he has to be taken for treatment in the South. This brings about a situation worth making a decision about. As things stand, Nora does not have any income to sustain the trip. She however has to save her husband’s life. In her quest to save her husband, she decides to seek for a loan from Krogstad who draws a bond that needs to be signed by Nora and her father. At this point however, Nora’s father is equally very sick and Nora cannot imagine taking for him the bond to sign. In this confusion, Nora decides to forge her father’s signature and as a result receives 250 pounds from Krogstad which enables them to travel to Italy. Torvald is hence treated. Later, Nils betrays Nora by writing a letter informing Torvald how the money to take him to Italy had been acquired. Helmer cannot take this lying down as a man. He calls Nora all sorts of names and even bars her from interacting with the children. This makes Nora very angry as she had done that out of her love for her husband. She decides to walk out of her marriage with Helmer.
• After Helmer has read the letter from Krogstad revealing the secrets of the bond, Helmer is so furious. He refers to Nora as a criminal, a hypocrite and a liar. This is despite the fact that Nora saved his life by acquiring the loan from Krogstad and taking him to Italy for treatment. In fact, Helmer warns Nora against interacting with the children as she would poison their minds. This situation is beyond Nora’s comprehension as she cannot believe that her husband can be that ungrateful. Even when Krogstad writes another letter forgiving Nora and promising not make the whole issue public, Nora is still adamant to forgive Helmer, she acted out of good will but Helmer abused her and looked down upon her. She decides to end the marriage by walking out on her family. She did not want to continue living in their family house yet she Helmer had barred her from being around the children.
• Mrs. Linde decides to give up on the man she loves for a richer man. Faced with an ailing mother and two young brothers, she has no choice but to choose the tougher option. She believes that the rich man would take care of her financial needs and help her take care of her family. As a result, her marriage with Krogstad collapses. Even though her mother eventually dies and the two brothers are old enough to take care of themselves, her marriage is no more as she tells Nora that even her rich husband had died and she had no one to live for. She had to put up with loveless marriage for her mother and brothers, when her husband dies, she finds no reason to mourn just because it was by sacrifice that she got married to him.
• Mother and daughter are also separated. Anne, Nora’s nurse, sacrifices her comfort in order to take care of Nora, and later Nora`s children. Anne leaves behind her own daughter behind because she had no means to take care of her and moves in with Nora`s family to become Nora`s nurse. Nora had no mother, and Anne filled in this gap with lots of love. Nora wonders how Anne had the heart to give up raising her own child in order to feed her own family. She gladly takes care of Nora`s children too, and contents herself with letters from her daughter on important occasions such as wedding.
• It is evident that human relationships can sometimes be affected by difficult circumstances which
• lead to separation of people who are otherwise supposed to be together. Marking points Introduction 2mks. Four well illustrated points 3:3:3:3. Valid conclusion 2mks. Language up to 4 marks.

21. Henrik Ibsen: A Doll's House. "Self sacrifice must be rewarded" Write a composition in support of this statement drawing your illustrations from A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen.

Some characters in A Doll's House are portrayed as selfless. They give up their comfort and time in order to keep others. This is eventually rewarded . Mrs Linda abandoned Krogstad whom she loves and marries a rich man for the sake of her family. In the end, her brothers become independent. Nora sacrifices a lot for the sake of her husband Helmer. He is awfully sick and needs urgent care. Ehen they get married, Torvald leaves his office work becasue there is no prospect of promotion. With a view to providing for his family, he works early and late. In the process, he overworks himself and falls dreadfully ill. The doctor tells Nora, his wife, that the only remedy is for him to take a rest in the south (Italy). The trip would cost a tremendous amount of money. Since her husband would not allow Nora to borrow the money and would not accept help from a woman, Nora is forced to borrow 250 pounds from Krogstad and forge her father's name since he was ill. A woman is not allowed to borrow without her husband's consent. She taked Torvald to Italy where they stayed for a year. They take the journey after Tvar is born. Torvals comes back from the trip and is sound as a belt. Indeed, Nora makes a huge sacrifice for the sake of her husband. In addition, Nora sacrifices for the sake of her three children. She leaves her home fearing that she may corrupt her three children. Due to the societal expectations, she is convinced that she is a corrupt person as a result of her lies and pretentious nature her marriage to Torvald is full of deception. She lies about trivial things like eating macaroons to serious issues like borrowing money from Krogstad and telling her husband that she got it from her father. Torvald convinces her that such an atmosphere of lies infects and poisons the whole life of a home. Fearing to deprave her own children and poison her home, Nora chooses to leave. Leaving her children is an act of self-sacrifice. She does it for their sake. At the end, she achieves independence from her suffocating marriage and gains freedom to try and understand her role in society. Mrs Linda also sacrifices for the sake of of her mother and brothers. She abandons Nils Krogstad whom she loves and marries a rich man whom she did not love or the sake of her family - her helpless mother and two little brothers. Nils prospects at that time seemed hopeless, she is proud and happy to make the end of her mother's life almost free from care. She is also proud of what she does for her brothers since they are since independent. This indeed was a big sacrifice on Mrs Linda's side. Lastly, Anna the nurse is also a selfless woman. She sacrifices her hapiness for the sake of Nora and her three children. She leaves her own child among strangers. Nora wonders how she would abandon her own child and she says she was obliged to since little Nora had no other mother than her. Nora says that she was a good mother to her when she was little. Anna benefits by getting a good place to live and also gets a salary.

22. “Outward appearance cannot be an indicator of someone’s character or value”. Write an essay to validate this assertion citing relevant examples from the play, A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen.

• People make assumptions based on first impressions. Characters project an outward look, which contradicts their true character and intention. This is shown in the play. A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen.
• Krogstad is not who most people think he is. He is presented as immoral but later proves to be caring and considerate. Rank says he is immoral and of questionable character. He starts by blackmailing Nora over the loan issue. Mrs. Linde promises to come back to him and these changes him. He promises to change and starts by returning the bond to Nora; proving to be good and considerate.
• Torvalds appears morally upright but turns out to be cowardly and selfish. He refuses the idea of borrowing a loan. He prefers honesty and upright life. He disposes of Krogstad saying that he is immoral. He however hid Nora's father's similar crimes. In the end, he turns out to be a coward and immoral. He calls Nora a horrible creature and refuses to understand that taking a loan was a sacrifice to save his life.
• Nora is presented as a naïve woman but turns out to be indigent and self-conscious. The husband thinks she is a spendthrift but she is wiser than as presented. She procures a loan to save Torvalds’s life. She works to repay the loan without the husband's knowledge. She challenges the gender roles that deny women the room to borrow loans without their husband's consent. she also forges her father’s signature. Later, she decides to leave Torvalds. She proves to be inept and knowledgeable and not the Doll that Linde and Ann think she is.
• Dr Rank is a bosom friend but in the end, he reveals his lust toward Nora, his friend’s wife. He is always at their house and spends time there. He is also Nora's confidant. One time he confesses his undying love and goes ahead to flirt with her. This shocks Nora. It was on purpose to be close to Nor. He proves a hypocrite.
• In conclusion, the characters in A Doll’s House are complex and cannot be understood without taking a closer look at Nora, Torvald, Krogstad, and Dr Rank.

23. The society can inhibit one from having personal freedom. Write an essay to validate this statement referring closely to Nora, in the text, A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen.

In the text A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, the community prevents/restrains an individual from exercising liberty in their day to day lives as seen when Nora has to work secretly and when she is unable to make independent decisions.

• The society inhibits married women from taking a loan without their husband’s consent. During the first year of Nora and Helmer’s marriage, Helmer overworks himself and becomes dreadfully ill. The doctors come to Nora and tell her that Helmer is in a dangerous condition and that they need to live in the South for him to recover. Nora tries all means to persuade Helmer to take them to South without success. She tells him how much she wants to live broad like other young wives. She tries tears and entreaties and that he ought to remember the condition she is in. She hints to him that he might raise a loan and this makes him nearly angry. Helmer calls Nora a thoughtless woman and tells her he cannot indulge in her whims and caprices. With no other option left, Nora devices a way out of the difficulty by taking a loan of 250 pounds from Krogstad without Helmer’s consent. This is against the law as Mrs Linde reminds her that a wife cannot borrow without her husband’s consent. In the process of keeping this as a secret from Helmer, Nora suffers anxiety to the point of contemplating suicide. When Helmer learns about this, he abuses Nora and forbids her from raising her own children. Nora is forced to leave her marriage.
• Nora has to work in secret in order to repay the loan that she took for Helmer’s treatment. Nora acquired a loan of 250 pounds through Krogstad which she had to pay in installments. Nora admits to Mrs Linde that it had not been easy for her to meet the engagement on time and many a times she has been at her wits end. she further admits that it has been always so dreadfully difficult to manage the instalments. She has had to save a little here and there by not spending more than half of Torvald gives her for shopping/housekeeping/ she has had always bought the simplest and cheapest things but it was often very hard on her. She had had to go to an extent of devising ways of earning money. last winter she locked herself up doing copying work until quit late at night and desperately tired but it she felt tremendous pleasure to work and earn money. She declares that it felt like a man.
• Nora lacks financial freedom. After the Christmas shopping Nora is excited to inform Torvalds what she had got for the children and the maid. However, Torvald is quick to reprimand her by calling her a spendthrift. He asks her if she has been out wasting money again. He tells her that they can’t spent money recklessly. He calls her a featherhead when Nora proposes that they should borrow money until the next quarter when his salary will be due.
• Nora’s lacks the opportunity to make independent decisions. For the Tarantella dance Torvald dictates the kind of dress that Nora should wear during the party. Nora informs Mrs Linde that Torvald wants her to go to the Steinborgs dressed as a Neopolitan fisher-girl and dance the Tarantella that she learnt at Capri. Mrs Linde observes that Nora is going to keep up the character and Nora confirms that that is what Torvald wants of her. Torvald had had the dress made for Nora but now it is all so torn. Mrs Linde offers to mend it as the trimming had come unsewn here and there. When Helmer finds out the truth about Nora’s secret loan and the forgery he is incensed and berates Nora. Nora takes off her fancy dress and puts on her everyday dress, as a sign of liberation. She sermons Helmer to sit down for a talk and tells him that it is a settling of accounts P. 108,109. She highlights the fact that for the eight years of her marriage they have never had a serious conversation on any serious subject because Helmer belittles her for being a woman. Helmer tells her that he could not have shared with her worries that she could not help him to bear, showing his demeaning nature.
• Nora has to bear with Helmers domineering nature for the sake of peace in their home. During the settling of accounts, Nora informs Torvald that she had greatly been wronged, first by her father and then by him. She tells Torvald that her father told her his opinion about everything and she never differed from him because he would not have liked it. He called her his doll child. She feels that she was transferred from her father’s hand into Torvald’s. She has now acquired his taste and arranges everything according to his taste. She argues that she had been living with Torvald like a poor woman, just from hand to mouth for she merely exists to perform tricks for him. She feels that a great sin had been committed against her by Torvald and her father and it is their fault that she has made nothing of her life. In conclusion, it is evident that societal limitations can hinder someone from fulfilling their obligations.

24. ‘Desperate times calls for desperate measures’. Write an essay showing the truth of this statement using characters from ‘A Doll’s House’ by Henrik Ibsen. (2mks)

INTRODUCTION( 2 MKS)

Sometimes individuals find themselves in a situation in which they have to react desperately and hence suffer the consequence or make others suffer.( Accept any other valid introduction i.e general /contextual/generalspecific.)

CONTENT ( 12 MKS)

• Loan Nora loved her husband Torvald and found herself in a desperate situation as she tried to source money to finance their trip to Italy as per the recommendations of the doctor. This was the only way Torvald would recover from over-working himself. Nora had tried convincing her husband to take a loan but that nearly got him angry. She tried asking to be taken for a vacation like other pregnant wives but totally refused. Having no other option Nora procured a loan from Krogstad behind Torvalds back. She also forged her father’s signature since he was very ill and she did not want to cause him any trouble. She later lied to Torvald that it was a gift from her father. For 8 years Nora kept the loan procurement deal a secret and would repay by installments from her savings of household expences and doing jobs such as writing and embroidery.
• Abandoned Love Mrs. Linde is another character who finds herself in a desperate situation. She had two younger siblings and a bedridden mother . She accepts a marriage proposal from an old rich man who was capable of taking care of her financial needs . In return she had to forfeit her love for Krogstad because he was not financially stable . Mrs. Linde had to endure a loveless and childless marriage for the sake of her family. Later her very sick mother dies and her two younger siblings are all grown and no longer need her help .She decides to go look for a job to sustain herself and find someone to live and work for.
• Blackmail Krogstad finds himself in a desperate situation as his sons are growing. Previously he had committed an indiscretion in his profession . He wants to rebuild his reputation for sake of his sons. Having no other alternative Krogstad decides to blackmail Nora to speak on his behalf to Torvald who has been promoted as the bank manager. Krogstad puts pressure on Nora that she should make sure that Torvald does not dismiss him from his position as clerk if not she goes down with him. This post had already been given to Mrs. Linde courtesy of Nora . Nora suffer psychologically and emotionally but Krogstad does not care about the money all he wants is to make his reputation change positively in the society and was ready to give his life for that. Nora’s persistence to speak on his behalf leads to the immediate dismissal of Krogstad. This in return makes Krogstad revenge by sending a letter to Torvald explaining the indiscretion that Nora had commited 8 years ago in regard to the loan procurement. Torvald reads the letter and gets very angry with Nora he calls her a criminal and even prohibits her from taking care of the children as she will infect them with her immorality. Eventually Nora realizes that she has been living with a total stranger and quits her marriage.
• Adopted daughter The nurse in a desperate move to cater for her daughter’s needs ends up giving her away for adoption . She does this because the man who had got her pregnant was irresponsible and did not care for their financial needs. The society in which they lived in did not appreciate single mothers. The nurse despite playing motherly role to Nora and later Nora’s children, which she does so well but misses out on taking care of her own daughter .She only gets communication from her daughter when getting baptized and married but only through a letter.

CONCLUSION (2 MKS)

From the above illustrations it is clear that the characters acted out of desperation .( Accept any other relevant conclusion) AWARD 2:3:3:3:3:2 + 4mks Language= 20mks

25. A Doll’s House is a play that shows that during tough times, the call for wisdom in choosing the best option is quite prudent. Write an essay to show the truth of this statement drawing your illustrations from the play.

Introduction: The introduction must capture the two sides of the question that when one is desperate he or she is supposed to make a wise decision (s) that will work for them. The candidate’s input in the introduction must be seen. At one point in our lives, we have encountered difficult moments and it is prudent we act quickly and wisely to resolve the problem for our own benefit and that of our immediate family members. It does not help when we stand aloof and choose to complain about it. The decision we make will go a long way in preventing much worse situation. Nora, Linde and Krogstad in A Doll’s House use wisdom to resolve challenging problems in their lives; consequently, saving their reputation. Accept any other relevant introduction.

• Nora decides to take a loan to save her husband’s life Torvald has been sick because he has been overworking himself dreadfully. The doctor recommends to Nora that he urgently needs to go south for medication. The family can’t raise the money to cater for travel and medical expenses as the whole venture is expensive to the family, as it will cost 250 pounds, a tremendous amount of money. Again, the society forbids women from borrowing without the consent of their husbands. The situation is made worse as Helmer doesn’t entertain borrowing and refuses to entertain her whims and caprices. Nora hatches a desperate though prudent plan to forge her father’s signature thus saving him a lot of anxieties during his last days. She uses this to obtain a loan of 250 pounds from Krogstad. The family spends one year in Italy and they come back when Helmer is as sound as a bell healthy wise
• Nora discretely pays the loan Nora has to pay back the loans she borrows from Krogstad in terms of quarterly interest and monthly instalments as per their agreement. When Helmer gives Nora cash for the family upkeep, she prudently spends some of the money and uses the rest to repay the loan since the burden of repaying this loan is weighing on her. She is desperate and works like a man by doing crotchet work, needle work, embroidery and copy work to supplement the repayment schedule. She locks herself every evening late in to the night for three weeks the previous Christmas doing such work. She is also forced to buy the simplest and cheapest of things and this makes Helmer question her spending habits thus calling her a spendthrift. She also has to learn how to make Helmer give her money which immediately seems to melt in her hands, though she uses the same in the repayments.
• Nora cleverly secures Mrs.Linde the much needed job. When Linde visits Nora, she requests that Nora helps her secure a job. Nora approaches Helmer over the same and he olliges but this means he will dismiss Krogstad and replace him with Mrs. Linde. Nora finds herself between a rock and a hard place. She therefore pleads with Helmer to spare Krogstad. Krogstad threatens Nora that he would have no choice but to disclose her murky business.Pg.76. She is even forced to reveal the secret to Linde that she forged a signature to procure a loan. However, Helmer is determined to dismiss him, forcing Nora to come up with strategies to divert her husband’s attention from the letter that Krogstad drops in his letterbox which includes pleading with him, dancing tarantella, demanding Helmer coach her for the whole night. (Pg8 1, 84) By doing this she manages to keep the secret of the loan deal for some little more time.
• Nora’s self-realisation makes her walk out on a sham marriage. Helmer is agit ted by Nora’s defense of Krogstad and sends Krogstad the dismissal letter. Krogstad revenges by disclosing that Nora committed a fraud as she secretly borrowed 250 pounds from him. This irks Helmer who calls Nora a criminal, a liar, a hypocrite and tells her he shall not allow her to bring up the children lest she also corrupts them. He also tells her that she will remain in his house but not as his wife anymore for he no longer loves her. Nora is shocked by his outburst since she had done it out of love and in fact had saved his life. She had not expected such a reaction from him since he had said he would shelter her from any danger that would threaten her. In fact, though she had been psychologically disturbed prior to this revelation (pg. 76, 77, 80) she had thought that a wonderful thing must happen. Probably, Helmer would defend her once Krogstad makes the threat real. It is against this backdrop that she gives back her marriage of eight years. She could not bear the betrayal from her husband. She prudently decides to go on a quest of self-discovery and tells Helmer that if they would ever reunite, both of them must be so changed that it would he a real wedlock and this gives Helmer some bit of hope at the end.
• Mrs. Linde selflessly sacrifices her love for Krogstad for the sake of her family Mrs. Linde has an ai1kng mother and young siblings to take care of but she has no means of income. The mother is sick, helpless and bedridden. She is in a relationship with Krogstad who cannot support her financially since his prospects seem hopeless at that time. To save the situation, she prudently dumps Krogstad and marries a wealthy old man who approaches her and offers to marry her. This is a man she does not love but she feels justified in accepting his offer since she will be able to take care of the family interests at the time. She is able of take care of her mother till she dies free from care. Her younger brothers are now well off since they have got situations and can shift for themselves, thus they need her no longer.
• Mrs. Linde comes to the rescue of Krogstad Unfortunately, the wealthy old man passes on and his business which was a precarious one crumbles down thus leaving her with no inheritance, not even children or even grief. In her joblessness and desperation, she attempts to run a small shop, work at a small school but fails. She feels she can no longer stay in the back water anymore and goes to Nora’s town in search of some work. While at Nora’s home she also has a job offered by Helmer. She also initiates her reunion with Krogstad since she has been lonely and yearns for someone to live for and work for. The two forgive one another and reconcile. She is a happy woman after this prudent decision. She also makes Krogstad write a letter withdrawing his threats to Helmer and returns Nora’s bond, citing something good that has happened to him (a happy change of fortunes).
• Anne decides to leave her daughter with strangers/ decides to quit her relationship with the wicked man. Daughter grows up well and she is confirmed and married and happy to invite her mother for both occasions. The wicked man did not do a single thing for her. She get a good place by being Nora’s nurse who did not have a mother to raise her. She also nurses Nora’s children P.51

Conclusion When we find ourselves in difficult situations such as Nora and other characters found themselves in, we ought to do all we can to reverse the situation regardless of our reputation

Marking points:

• The character;
• Background information leading to the desperate situation/decision
• The desperate prudent / wise action/decision made/reaction
• The anxiety the pain/the stress/the suffering that goes with the situation
• The outcome of the decision/result/consequence/benefit 

26. “Helping one person might not change the world, but it could change the world for a person and leave you happy.” Verify this statement using illustrations from the play “A Doll’s House.” (20 mks)

Introduction Any relevant introduction.

• Mrs Linde is much in need of a job to keep her occupied and busy. She hopes that Torvald can get her something to do. Nora assures her that Torvald must help her. She says that she would think of something to please Torvald, before broaching the subject of offering Mrs Linde a job. Nora sours that she would be happy if she could be of some use to her friend.
• Mrs Linde jilts Krogstad her true but penniless lover for a richer man she did not love to take care of her bedridden mother and her two younger brothers. She is proud to have offered such help and happy that she made her mother’s last days free from care and her brothers are now grown and can shift situations for themselves. (pg 17)
• Nora is proud and happy for having saved Torvald. She is glad that it is through her that she raises money for the journey that saw Torvald’s health restored in Italy. She says that Torvald comes back as sound as a bell and since then he has not had an hours illness.
• Mrs Linde is ready to help Nora talk to Krogstad after he drops a letter in the letter box. This is the letter that is to expose the secret Nora wouldn’t like the husband to know. Mrs Linde offers to go to Krogstad so that he claims back his letter unread. She hopes that just like in the past, Krogstad would be glad to help her. She then leaves for Krogstad’s only to find he has already travelled out of the town.

Conclusion Any relevant conclusion.

27. The society in A Doll’s House is portrayed as one that inhibits personal freedom. Show the truth of this statement using Nora. ( 20Marks)

• Nora has to bear with Helmers domineering nature for the sake of peace in their home. During the settling of accounts, Nora informs Torvald that she had greatly been wronged, first by her father and then by him. She tells Torvald that her father told her his opinion about everything and she never differed from him because he would not have liked it. He called her his doll child. She feels that she was transferred from her father’s hand into Torvald’s. She has now acquired his taste and arranges everything according to his taste. She argues that she had been living with Torvald like a poor woman, just from hand to mouth for she merely exists to perform tricks for him. She feels that a great sin had been committed against her by Torvald and her father and it is their fault that she has made nothing of her life.

In conclusion, it is evident that societal limitations can hinder someone from fulfilling their obligations.

28. Drawing examples from Henrick Ibsen's "A Doll’s House," write a composition to illustrate the validity of the statement below. (20 marks) "True motherhood comes from self sacrifice to one’s family.”

INTRODUCTION Many have failed in their responsibilities to their families as many more succeed. Motherhood goes beyond giving birth or siring a child. It includes actively being involved positively in their life. At the family level, it includes the provision of meaningful sustainability to ones entire family. That is what is seen in the set text, A Doll's House, by Henrick Ibsen in the following instances.

• Nora, out of love and concern, takes a loan from Krogstad to enable her travel to Italy for the husband to get well.
• Christine sacrifices her love for Krogstad in order to find a way of helping her ailing mother and two younger siblings.
• Nora, convinced that her children aught to grow in a clean family environment, sacrifices her marriage,and walks out of her marriage.
• Nora, sacrifices her personal comfort to enable her family get all they need. She buys clothes and gifts for her children,and house provisions, and making her house be exactly as Tovarld wants it. These she does by denying herself good clothes as any woman would want. She also works hard and late on typing and crocheting to enable her meet her monthly loan repayments obligation.
• The nurse fails as mother for failing to be available for her daughter. Blaming it on the father of her daughter, she claims if working as Nora's nurse could give her good prospects then it was better. She an obvious an absent mother. The evidence we have is only the letters she(daughter)writes during her confirmation and when she was getting married respectively.
• Tovarld, from a professional point of view, states that those who have gone under( failed) early in life have had a bad mother. Asked by Nora why not father, he says mothers have a greater role and influence on children but agrees that fathers too. He gives example of Krogstad who is struggling to cleanse his reputation and image for the sake of his growing children. He has been a failure to them.

CONCLUSION As demonstrated above, true motherhood is in proper upbringing of children,conscious desire to provide to ones family, and being present to ones family members.

29. Money is a potential source of confusion and instability in the society. Write an essay that touches on this assertion with reference to Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House.

Points of interpretation shall elucidate how many caused conflicts among

• Nora and Krogstad
• Nora and Torvald
• Krogstad and Mrs. Linde
• Torvald and Krogstad

30. Self-sacrifice and love is what is required for the sake of the family. Using Nora in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, write an essay in support of the above statement.

Introduction: Any relevant introduction

• Forgery . Nora secretly, against all the legal odds, forges her father’s signature and borrows money to help treat her husband.  She chooses to help her sick husband instead of her father, ( pgs 13,17-20,36-41)
• Insults . Nora tolerates Torvald’s decrees and condescension all the time for the sake of their family. ( Pgs2, 3, 6, 20, 57, 61, 95-97,102-120)
• Secret . Nora must fight to hide her loan from her husband Torvald because these knows he would never bring himself to accept that a woman did all this for him.  It would lower his self-worth.  And so she work in secret to pay off her loan because he fears to embarrass her  husband since it is illegal for a woman to secure a loan without her husband’s permission and thefore,with this she has to endure Krogstad’s blackmail. (Pgs12, 1921, 48, 72-76)
• Upkeep . Nora keeps the family warm and protected for weigh years despite her fears and tribulations. (Pgs 13, 30-31, 49-51) – Crotchet work, embroidery- Copying
• Children . Nora’s abandonment of her children is act of self-sacrifice. Despite her great love for them- manifested by her interaction with them and her great fear of corrupting them – she chooses to leave them, Nora truly believes that the nanny will be a better mother and that leaving her children is in their best interest. ( 103-120 )
• Loan . She struggles to repay the loan and its accruing interests from her partime work and house savings .(Pgs 13,21-22)
• Love. .Nora chooses her husband over her father yet the latter’s condition seems worse as he is critically ill.  She tells Mrs.Linde that did not want to bother her father with the bond.  She therefore forged his signature.  Her dies a few days a few days later, on 29 th September. (pgs 19-22)

Conclusion: Any valid conclusion

31. Juana is the pillar of strength for her family. Show the validity of this statement using illustrations from The Pearl by John Steinbeck.

The society in A Doll’s House is portrayed as one that inhibits personal freedom. Show the truth of this statement using Nora. ( 20 mks) In the text A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, the community prevents/restrains an individual from exercising liberty in their day to day lives as seen when Nora has to work secretly and when she is unable to make independent decisions.

32. Too much preoccupation with one’s own interest can easily lead to self-destruction.” Write an essay to validate this statement using illustrations from Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House.

• In Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, characters who are self-centered and do things for personal gain end up hurting themselves.
• Torvald in his quest to guard his reputation lacks consideration for Nora. Despite Nora’s sacrifice by borrowing money from krogstad after forging her father’s signature he sees her as one who is out to destroy his status by calling her a liar, hypocrite and unfit to be a mother to his children. Nora after learning this decides to walk out of the marriage.
• Tovarld is reluctant to retain krogstad in his job since he believes 6that other people will think that his wife who influenced his decisions to do so. He wants to come out as someone who is independent in thought. Krogstad in a desperate attempt to retain h9iis position at the bank exposes Nora’s forgery which in turn hurts the husband
• Krogstad’s attempt to retain his position at the bank ends up hurting him. He blackmails Nora and tells her to influence the husband’s decision and when Nora is not able to do so he ends up losing his job as he is dismissed by Tovarld.
• Dr Rank frequently visits the Tovarlds since he is interested in winning Nora’s heart. And when he Nora comes to know of his intentions she rejects him. (pg 97-98)
• Torvald dismisses Krogstad from the bank for a rather petty reason. Krogstad is struggling to keep his job at the bank, in order to take care of his sons and to redeem and clear his name.
• Eventually, Krogstad sends the damning letter about Nora’s secrets to Torvald making him angry, insolent and openly inconsiderate. Nora decides to leave him and their marriage breaks.
• In conclusion, being selfish may cause pain to us. This insensitivity always goes unrewarded, surely.

33. “There is a lot of betrayal in our society”. Write a composition to support this statement drawing your illustration from the play “A doll House”, By Henrik Ibsen (20marks)

(Introduction 2 mks) Most people betrays others by deceiving who trusted them, failing to honor an agreement or simply disappointing a person who has put trust in them. A marriage partner may betray his or her partner by breaking the vow or being unfaithful; A politician betrays the citizens by not honoring his or her campaign pledges/Betrayal run through the play as show by characters such as Helmar, Krogstad and Christine.

• Helmer betrays his wife Nova by not defending and understanding her when he finds out the secret she has been keeping from him. Nova had hoped and feared for the wonderful thing to happen when Helmer finds out that she had lied and sacrificed her comfort and money to pay the loan that save his life. She had hoped that Helmer would take the guilt upon himself because Nova committed the forgery to save his life. To her wild disappointment, Helmer tells her that he can work day and night for her, bear sorrow for her but no man can sacrifices his honor for the one he loves. She also realizes that the Helmer has been treating like a doll to amuse and entertain himself. This make her realize she has been living with a stranger all a long and she decides to leave him.
• Krogstad betrays Nova by failing to Keep the secret a bond the loan he had advanced her. When Helmer is promoted to the managerial position in the bank he threatens to fire Krogstad, who also works in the bank, claiming that he is corrupt and describes him as morally diseased. Helmer also says that he feels sick in the presence of such people Krogstad blackmails Nova by telling her to use her influence and ensure that he(Krogstad) is not fired or else he would divulge the secret. When Helmer becomes adamant and refuses to be influenced by Nova. Krogstad makes good his threat and drops a letter with Helmer abuse and reprimand Nova.
• Christine (MrsLinde) betrays Krogstad, her trust but broke lover. When she realizes that she needs money to take care of her helpless and bed ridden mother and two younger brothers, she abandons her true love Krogstad ( because his prospects seemed hopeless then pg 86) and gets married to arichg man who later dies and his business collapses leaving her with nothing. The two meet again at Nova’s hase when Linde is looking for job and Krogstad is there to talk to Nova impending dismissal with an aim of blackmailing her. Christine explains the reason for her betrayal and then reconcile(pg 86-88)
• Linde also betrays Nova when She fails to help Nova by convincing Krogsta to withdraw his threat(letter)When Linde and Krogstad meet, they talk about their past and decides to reconcile. When Krogstad suggest that he will ask for his latter back, MrsLinde says that you must not recall your latter pg 90 arguing that there are too many lies between the Helmer. She takes advantage of Nova’s predicament to get back at her true love which make Nova feel betrayed pg93( To Christine suggestion that Nova “must tell her husband about it all(secret) Nova responds “I knew it” which express he disappointment and feelings of betrayal by Christine.
• Nova betrays her husband by borrowing a loan behind his back and keeping it a secret. Although the money was borrowed with an intention of saving his life, he feels betrayed that Nova has helped to get the loan by someday he consider “an unscrupulous man”(Krogstad) who can do what he likes not (Helmer)..(pg 104). When Nova reveals the secret to Christian, the letter brings out Helmers betrayal by his wife in her comment No, a wife cannot borrow without her husband consent marks 3:3:3:3=12mks Grammer and presentation 4mks
• BV1 Raml betrays the Helmers when he confess his desire for Nova despite knowing she is married to his friend Helmer(pg 68)

CONCLUSION (2MKS) In conclusion, many people in society cannot be trusted and prove to be false or faithful (2mks) Accept any other relevant conclusion

34. “Desperation can bring agony to oneself.” Using specific examples from Ibsen’s play, A Doll’s House, write a composition to justify the truth in this statement.

Introduction Sometimes when one becomes desperate to get or do something they may end up suffering in the process. This is the case with characters such as Nora, Dr. Rank, Helmer and others in A Doll’s House. (Accept any other relevant introduction) 2marks

ILLUSTRATIONS

• Krogstad is desperate to redeem his reputation through the job he has at the bank and in so doing he suffers a lot. He visits Nora frequently hoping to arm-twist her to put in a good word for him to retain the job. He threatens her with dire consequences through a court action if she would not do so. He reminds Nora of the discrepancy he had noted in the bond. However, instead of retaining the job, he gets fired.
• Helmer is desperate to maintain his manly dominance over Nora and this makes him suffer. He struggles to keep her in good moods by giving her money. He cautions her against associating with those regarded as morally diseased such as Krogstad. He coaches her on the Tarantella so as to have a stellar performance at the Stenborg’s and is disappointed when Nora doesn’t dance as he instructs. Finally, when Nora decides to walk out on him, he pleads with her to remain even if they were to behave like a brother and a sister. He asks if he even write to her but Nora refuses. In the he is embarrassed and sinks down in his chair when Nora leaves.
• Christine is desperate to save her ailing mother and help her siblings and in the process of doing so she suffers. She leaves Krogstad to marry a rich man that would afford him the money with which to make the end life of her mother bearable. In the end she fails to find fulfillment in that act. The man dies leaving her with not even a child. Even the business the man leaves behind goes under and her effort to start a school and a shop collapses. She ends up haggard looking to the extent that even her former classmate cannot recognize her. She also confesses to Krogstad that she is a ‘shipwreck.’Pp 9-13; 87-88
• Nora’s efforts to hide the secret causes her agony. She has to save money from the little she gets for housekeeping to pay off the loan in secret. She juggles between giving the husband a good table and saving some money to pay the loan. She hides Krogstad from everybody around her and even when it is obvious that he has been entertaining Krogstad, he openly lies about  it. She is forced to lie to her husband that he has forgotten all the dance moves so that he can coach her again and in the process not read the letter that would reveal the secret. She contemplates suicide when she thinks the husband will know the secret. 13-19; 42-43; 61-62; 81-83
• Dr. Rank is hell-bent on winning Nora’s love and this causes him agony. When he get the chance with Nora, he whips up her sympathy by talking about his eminent death and flirts with her. He is desperate to have Nora in his arms. On noticing his ill intentions, Nora rebukes him for his ill manners. 63-70; 97-99
• Nora’s effort to get a loan to save her husband makes her suffer. She pleads with her husband to take a loan but he declines. She cannot take the loan herself because the society doesn’t allow women to secure loans without their husband’s consent. At the time of the loan she was pregnant with her first child her father was also sick. Desperate to save the husband’s life at the time her father was also sick, she forges the father’s signature to secure the loan. Pp. 13-21; 38-41

Conclusion Sometimes when we are desperate for something we may end up hurting ourselves. (Accept any other valid conclusion) 2marks

35. Write an essay to show that appearances can be misleading. Draw your illustrations from Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House.

Introduction Indeed, appearances can be deceiving. In A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen, some characters portray naivety yet they are not. Others look harmless yet they are capable of blackmail.

Illustrations

• Appearances can be deceiving. Nora appears naive and helpless. Her role in the home is taking care of the children and her husband yet she is very intelligent. She takes a loan secretly and women are not allowed to take loans without their husband's consent. She forges a signature so that it looks like her father signed the bond. What Torvald does not know is that Nora takes a loan and to pay for his trip to Italy to save him as he is very ill. Nora makes him believe she also wants to go on a trip. He believes the money came from her father. What he does not know is that Nora deceived him.
• Torvald thinks Nora is a plaything and is expected to be a wife and a homemaker. When she tells Torvald she is leaving him, he tells her she is deserting her most sacred duties of being a mother and a wife. He does not realize that Nora is awakening and taking back her independence.
• He still thinks her as naive. She even tells him to shut up as she talks. She takes charge of the situation for the first time since she got married.
• Krogstad is a friend to Nora and helps her secure a loan only to blackmail her later. He wants her to ask Torvald to retain him at the bank or he will tell him about the loan Nora took. He wants to retain the bank job to help him repair his reputation which had been damaged.
• Torvald is confident that he has power over Nora. When he learns of his wife's secret letter, he severely reprimands her. When a second letter absolves them from the debt, he tells her they will live together but only for the public. When she tells him she is leaving, he begs her as he always thought he had power over her. Nora takes back the power that Helmer always had taken from her.
• Dr Rank is a loyal friend of Helmer, but the whole time he is secretly in love with Helmer's wife, Nora. He is loyal to Helmer though and retreats when Nora does not seem interested in his love.

Conclusion It is evident that appearances can be deceiving. Nora is not as innocent as Helmer thinks, Krogstad is out to blackmail Nora for his own good yet he at first pretends to be her confidant. Nora looks like she cannot leave Helmer but she does it so easily to Helmer's shock.

36. “Money is the source of all evil”. Support this statement with illustrations from the play the doll’s house by Henkrik Ibsen (20marks).

Introduction:  Accept a valid introduction

• Lack of money can lead to breakage of marriages. Mrs Linde divorces her husband, Krogstad, because he is financially unstable. She gets married to a rich man. Money can be a source of humiliation.
• Krogstad, a money lender, blackmails Nora in order for him to retain his job at the bank. Money can make people to focus on materialism at the expense of humanity.
• Torvalds felt discontented dealing with unsavory cases' as a lawyer. For that reason, he decided to get a job in a bank where he would be dealing with money.
• When the business of Mrs Linde's late husband collapsed, she was left with nothing to survive on.

Conclusion: Accept a valid conclusion

37. Using Henrik Ibsen’s play A Doll’s House for illustrations, write an essay in support of the statement: “Things are not always what they seem to be.”

Suggested response for question 2 The suggested responses only give the gist of the points to be discussed. The students expected to provide enough support and evidence for each point Suggested response for question 2 Introduction

• It is true that appearance can be deceptive. Ones initial judgement of a person or an issue may turn out to be the opposite in the end. Several character and issues in the play A doll’s house turn out to be the opposite of what they had appeared to be.
• Nora who at first appear to be Naïve and incapable of making decision in life turns out to be the opposite she had made a decision to acquire a loan that helps to save her husband’s life. At the end of the play she makes a decision to quit her marriage and develop herself independently.
• Torvald who had appeared as a loving a caring husband also turns out to be to opposite. The revelation of the truth about Nora’s loans brings out Trovald’s real character. He does not love Nora and only uses her as a doll to please himself
• Krogstad who at first appeared to be cruel turn out to be kind and forgiving. He is ready to withdraw his letter and save Noras marriage. He also accepts back Mrs Linde who had betrayed his love to mar a rich man.
• Mrs Linde is the opposite of what Nora had believed her to be Nora thought she would convince Krongstad to withdraw his letter but it is Mrs Linde who convinces Krongstas not to do so hence treading to the corrupts of Noras marriage.
• Dr Rank who was the family’s best friend always welcome in the house turns out to be Noras secret lover. This comes as a surprise to Nora who is unable to seek any assistance from him.
• Nora and Tovarld’s marriage which had appeared to be a happy one turns out to be one based on lies and manipulation hence it corruses at the end.
• It is clear from the discussion above that appearances can be deceptive. People should strive to give a true picture of themselves and not pretend

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A Doll’s House Essay Topics & Samples

In this particular section, you can find excellent topics for A Doll’s House essay. You might be a tired student who is out of ideas. You may be a journalist who wants to write a piece about this great play. No matter what brought you here. Custom-Writing.org experts have created this guide to provide enough inspiration for everyone to keep on going!

Here, we put together the best A Doll’s House essay questions and topics supplemented with short prompts that give extra details. As a bonus, there are essay samples! Moreover, they are all related to the materials discussed in other parts of this guide, so don’t forget to check them out as well!

• 🏆 Essay Questions
• 💡 Essay Topics with Prompts
• 📝 Essay Examples

🏆 A Doll’s House Essay Questions

• A Doll’s House: what does the play’s title mean?
• What do macaroons symbolize in A Doll’s House?
• Is a Doll’s House a feminist play?
• Why was Ibsen forced to create an alternate ending for A Doll’s House?
• How does Nora Helmer change by the end of the play?
• What is Nora’s secret in A Doll’s House?
• Who is the antagonist in A Doll’s House?
• What genre is A Doll’s House?
• How did Ibsen use dramatic irony in A Doll’s House?
• What is the theme of A Doll’s House? 
• Nora and Torvald: what is wrong with their relationship?
• In what ways does Dr. Rank provide a contrast to Torvald?
• What is the most wonderful thing that Nora Helmer talks about in the play’s last scene?

💡 A Doll’s House Essay Topics with Prompts

• Describe your opinion about how realistic the play is. Usually, Ibsen’s play is viewed as realistic . However, there might be some contradictions. For example, all the literary devices the author uses. Metaphors and plenty of symbols don’t precisely align with realism in A Doll’s House . Consider both points of view and write an argumentative essay.
• How are gender roles in A Doll’s House represented? One of the central themes in the play is gender roles and feminism . Nora’s behavior is strongly identified with those issues as she tries to find the way out of her dependency. It wasn’t surprising back then for a woman to be an obedient, quiet wife who only takes care of the house and kids. Ibsen opens up this theme through Nora’s conflict.
• Write A Doll’s House character analysis. It is a rather generic theme, so you should think it through and pick one or more characters you wish to analyze. One of the options is to make a comparative analysis of two characters of your choice. If you are not sure where to begin, check out our complete guide to this play!
• Discuss the purpose and effects of dramatic irony in A Doll’s House . Ibsen uses irony in his play a few times. Even though it doesn’t really fit the definition of drama, which is A Doll’s House genre, it adds s excellent impression. Find the most prominent examples of this literary device and try to discuss why the author put it there.
• The theme of marriage and love in the play. It would be an argumentative essay on love in A Doll’s House . Ibsen highlights this theme as one of the most important. You may consider adding a few paragraphs about how characters other than Nora perceive love and the institution of marriage.
• What are the most prominent symbols in the play? Every literary piece has at least one symbol presented in it. Ibsen’s play is not an exception. The symbolism in A Doll’s House is tightly related to the central themes such as freedom and gender roles. Moreover, you should discuss their roles in the play and relevance back then. 
• Mrs. Linde’s influence on Nora’s personal development. It seems like everything starts escalating with Mrs. Linde’s arrival in A Doll’s House . However, you would need to consider some indirect influence of that event. It appears that their first conversation might have brought some insights for Nora and promoted her transformation as well as self-realization.
• Compare and contrast A Doll’s House characters: Nora and Krogstad. This A Doll’s House essay should be focused mainly on the similarities between these two characters. They have both committed a crime to save their loved ones. Therefore, you need to consider how Nora and Krogstad feel about social rules and why they were so desperate.
• The theme of freedom in Ibsen’s A Doll’s House . Look into how the play’s characters use the word “freedom.” In this writing, you should focus on the differences between perspectives introduced by various characters. Moreover, it might be a good idea to mention the causes of such mindsets. For example, society at the time was quite influential.
• Discuss Torvald’s point of view on his life. As the play progresses, the audience might notice that Torvald’s perspective is somehow too idealistic. Even though A Doll’s House is supposed to be realistic, this character prefers imaginary life to the real world. Here, you need to find the moments when such Torvald’s traits are the most obvious and analyze them.
• When Mrs. Linde calls Nora a “child,” how does it reflect the truth? In one of the scenes, Mrs. Linde comments on Nora’s irresponsible and inappropriate behavior by calling her a “child.” However, no one truly knows Nora’s natural character and struggles. How fair is it to make such judgments?
• Look into an inheritance in Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. How does the author describe the traits that characters inherit from their relatives? For example, Dr. Rank blames his father for having a disease that slowly kills him. Meanwhile, Nora’s relationship with her father was complicated to the point that even Torvald comments on it.
• What is the meaning behind the title of Ibsen’s play? A Doll’s House might as well hide a metaphor behind its title. Torvald often calls his wife his “doll.” How does it reflect their relationship? What is the correlation of the title to the central theme of gender roles? Nora doesn’t seem to feel free in her house and is getting more and more tired of those plays. 
• How feminist is A Doll’s House ? Ibsen highlights gender roles’ theme in the play and reflects on the state of this issue back then. Even though the rise of feminism would happen years after its publication, the author had already introduced a character representing the movement . Discuss Nora’s liberation from her husband in this essay.
• Analyze the progression of Nora’s character in the play. Nora is not the only dynamic character in A Doll’s House . However, she is one who undergoes the most change. She goes from pretending to be an obedient and happy housewife to a woman who is ready to leave her family to seek independence and her true self.
• Write about the theme is self-sacrifice in Ibsen’s play. The central themes of A Doll’s House are gender roles, freedom, and marriage. However, there are some less popularly analyzed issues that Ibsen highlights. For instance, self-sacrifice appears to be a shared aspect amongst some characters. All female characters have experienced it, and some men in the play have gone through it as well.

📝 A Doll’s House Essay Examples

• Thorvald and Nora in A Doll’s House: Character Analysis
• Theme and Conflict in “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen
• The Role of Women in A Doll’s House
• Historical Context of A Doll’s House
• Characters in A Doll’s House: Analysis
• Ibsen’s A Doll’s House: Critical Analysis
• Symbolism in A Doll’s House
• Nora in A Doll’s House: Character Analysis
• Setting in A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen
• The Role of Women in A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen
• “Ghosts” vs. “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen
• Nora in “The Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen  

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A Doll's House

by Henrik Ibsen

Publication History, Reception, and the Alternate Ending

A Doll’s House is a three-act play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen in 1879. It was first performed at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December of 1879. It was an immediate sensation, selling out every show of its first run. Critics praised Ibsen’s technical mastery and realistic dialogue. However, many people were appalled by the play’s depiction of a woman voluntarily leaving her husband and children. Some saw the play as an attack on the institution of marriage, which was considered sacred in 19th-century Europe. Others viewed Ibsen as a visionary and praised his willingness to criticize social conventions.

When the play was set to open in Germany, famous actress Hedwig Niemann-Raabe was hired to play Nora. However, she refused to perform the play in its original form, claiming that she would never leave her children the way Nora did. In order to prevent another writer from altering his work, Ibsen agreed to write an alternate ending. In the revised version, Torvald forces Nora to see the children before leaving. Distraught upon seeing them, she breaks down and decides to stay so as not to leave them motherless. Though Ibsen himself wrote the alternate ending, he viewed it as a “barbaric outrage” against his original play. The original ending is used far more commonly in stage productions, and Nora’s decisive shutting of the door has become perhaps the most iconic moment in the play.

Women’s Rights in Victorian Norway

At the time that A Doll’s House was written, women in Norway had very little economic agency. Lower-class women were restricted to low-paying domestic and clerical roles, and there was a negative stigma attached to working women. Married women were arguably more financially restricted than single women, who often controlled their own finances. Married middle-class women like Nora were heavily discouraged from working, because it reflected poorly on their husbands. Typically, men controlled household finances. Women and older children were given allowances to cover personal indulgences and housekeeping needs. Nora’s inability to acquire money without going through either her father or Torvald leaves her dependent on the men in her life.

As a result of their financial dependence on their husbands, women often found it difficult to leave unhappy relationships. Though divorce was legal and relatively inexpensive, it required the consent of both parties. Since divorce was heavily stigmatized, many middle- and upper-class couples chose to stay together despite their unhappy circumstances. Due to his desire to maintain appearances, it is unlikely that Torvald would have willingly granted Nora a divorce. As a result, her options were to either stay with him and remain unhappy or leave both him and her children. Many contemporary audiences viewed Nora’s decision to abandon her family as heartless. However, modern critics tend to view Nora’s decision as a radical declaration of female agency.

Ibsen’s Inspiration for A Doll’s House

In 1848, Henrik Ibsen and his wife befriended a young writer and literary critic named Laura Smith Petersen. The Ibsens helped nurture her literary talents. In 1873, Laura married Victor Kieler. Shortly after their wedding, Victor contracted tuberculosis. Much like Nora, Laura Kieler took out a loan with the help of a friend to finance a trip abroad. Her husband eventually made a full recovery. In an effort to pay off the loan honestly, Laura Kieler sent a manuscript of hers to Ibsen in the hopes that he might help her get it published. However, Ibsen was not impressed with the work and declined to help. A desperate Kieler then forged a check. When her husband discovered the forgery, he threatened her with divorce and barred her from seeing her children. As a result, Kieler suffered a mental breakdown and was institutionalized. She was eventually released, and she reconciled with both her husband and Ibsen. She went on to have her own successful writing career. However, she resented Ibsen for using her story as fodder for A Doll’s House.

Dramatic Realism

Henrik Ibsen is often credited as one of the most influential playwrights in the development of modern dramatic conventions. This is largely attributed to his popularization of dramatic realism. For much of the 18th and 19th centuries, Romanticism was the dominant dramatic convention. Popular Romantic conventions included poetic language, idealized depictions of life, and archetypal characters. By contrast, Ibsen wrote in a style that was designed to mimic more realistic speech patterns and events. The characters do not have lengthy soliloquies to offer audiences access to their thoughts and emotions. Instead, Ibsen uses the dialogue to add exposition and subtly convey deeper emotions.

Another element of realism is its focus on character-driven stories. Unlike Romantic characters, who tend to be flat and archetypal, Ibsen’s characters are fully developed individuals. A Doll’s House introduces Nora as a silly and childish “featherbrain.” However, this characterization is challenged and deepened throughout the play as Nora is faced with the consequences of the loan she took out. Rather than remaining static, Nora is forced to adapt to Krogstad’s demands and Torvald’s betrayal of her expectations. Her interactions with Mrs. Linde and Dr. Rank give her character a dynamic history, and the play's ending suggests that Nora will continue to grow and change.

Ibsen also took a fresh approach to thematic conventions. Rather than focusing on timeless themes like life and death or good and evil, Ibsen’s plays focus more on contemporary socio-political issues. A Doll’s House is a direct commentary on the financial struggle faced by women in 19th-century Norway. Though Nora broke the law to acquire her loan, she passionately argues that her actions were justified, given the circumstances. Her assertions pose a direct challenge to the legal precedents of the day and represent a direct call to action. A Doll’s House inspired successive generations of dramatists to explore contemporary social issues as opposed to the universalized thematic explorations of the Romantics.

Symbols: The Christmas Tree

The Christmas tree symbolizes Nora herself. When it arrives, it is unadorned, and Nora hides it from Torvald and the children. She doesn't want her family to see it until it is properly dressed, mirroring the way that Nora obscures her true persona around Torvald. Both the tree and Nora use pretty decorations to hide their true selves. Furthermore, both Nora and the tree serve as decorative elements in the home, as opposed to agents capable of action. They are both pretty, flashy things, meant to be admired and then forgotten about. At the start of act II, the once pristine tree has grown disheveled, given that Christmas has ended. Similarly, Nora’s mental state has begun to erode as a result of her stress over Krogstad’s blackmail. Though she tries to keep up appearances, Nora, much like the tree, has been slowly “stripped of [her] ornaments.” She must face Torvald as her true self.

Symbols: The Tarantella and Nora’s Fancy Dress

The Tarantella and Nora’s fancy dress both symbolize deception and performance. Much of Nora’s life is spent keeping up the facade of the silly, spendthrift wife that Torvald expects her to be. However, she also plays the part of the seductive “Neapolitan Fisher Girl,” dancing the Tarantella at Torvald’s behest. After the Stenborg’s dance, Torvald remarks that when he attends parties with Nora, he often fantasizes about her being his young, secret bride. He finds her dancing attractive, and he also seems to take pleasure in the fact that other people are impressed by his wife. When it finally comes time for Nora to confront Torvald, she removes her “fancy dress.” This act of undressing symbolizes that Nora is no longer playing a part. Instead, she is addressing Torvald as herself.

Cite this page as follows:

"A Doll's House - Analysis." eNotes Publishing, edited by eNotes Editorial, eNotes.com, Inc., 2 Aug. 2024 <https://www.enotes.com/topics/dolls-house/in-depth#in-depth-analysis>

Form and Content

A Doll’s House , a realistic three-act play, focuses on late nineteenth century life in a middle-class Scandinavian household, in which the wife is expected to be contentedly passive and the husband paternally protective. Nora Helmer, however, has subverted this model. At that time, a woman could not sign a legal contract alone; thus, when her beloved husband, Torvald, became ill, Nora secretly obtained a loan by forging her father’s signature so that they could travel to a warmer climate. As the play opens, Torvald is about to become manager of the bank and Nora has almost repaid the loan through odd jobs and scrimping on the household expenses. Nora discloses her actions to her friend Kristine Linde and exults in her accomplishment.

The structure of the play is linear; after the exposition, the action becomes complicated with the appearance of Nora’s debtor, Nils Krogstad, a man disgraced by crimes that he committed to protect his family. Insecure in his position at the bank, he threatens to expose Nora’s loan and forgery unless she pleads his case to Torvald. In her ignorance, Nora had not fully understood that forgery is a criminal act.

The major conflict of the play, concerning honesty in marriage, arises from this situation. Nora cannot discuss the blackmail with her husband, since her role in their relationship is that of a charming child; thus, she must plead for Krogstad. Torvald, however, refuses to hear her plea, labeling Krogstad morally lost for the crimes that he committed and not fit to bring up his children. The parallel is not lost on Nora, who sends her children away from her at the end of the first act.

Nora’s fear increases when Torvald rejects her second plea and fires Krogstad. As Kristine helps with her costume for the Christmas party, Nora confesses that Krogstad has left a letter to Torvald in the mailbox revealing everything. She is convinced that now a wonderful thing will happen—that, when Torvald discovers her actions, he will assume the blame and that she then will commit suicide. As the second act ends, Nora dances a violent tarantella in an effort to distract Torvald from opening the mailbox.

The final act begins with Kristine and Krogstad resuming a relationship formerly hindered by their economic circumstances. Although Krogstad now regrets his blackmail, Kristine decides that the letter should remain in the mailbox and that Torvald must discover the truth. Torvald reads the letter and immediately denounces Nora as a liar and a criminal, the destroyer of his future. When another letter arrives containing the promissory note, however, Torvald realizes that he is “safe.” He forgives Nora, promising to “be conscience and will” to her thereafter. In the classic scene that follows, Nora speaks openly with her husband, the first such occasion in their entire married life, and admits her ignorance of herself and the world beyond. Declaring that she must leave Torvald and the children to find herself, she leaves and slams the door behind her.

"A Doll's House - Form and Content." Survey of Young Adult Fiction, edited by Frank Northen Magill, eNotes.com, Inc., 1997, 2 Aug. 2024 <https://www.enotes.com/topics/dolls-house/in-depth#in-depth-form-and-content>

Places Discussed

Helmer house

Helmer house. Home of Torvald Helmer, a successful bank manager, and his wife, Nora. The dwelling contains comfortable and stylish furniture and such items as a china cabinet, a bookcase with well-bound books, and a piano on carpeted floor—all of which demonstrate a stable financial situation. However, the house is a mere container, or doll’s house, for Nora, who spends her time entertaining or nervously accommodating (as her nickname “the squirrel” implies) her demanding husband—rather than decorating, designing, or even “taking charge of” her own life.

Sitting areas in the house realistically capture the limitations on Nora’s growth as a woman. For example, in these staged sitting areas, Nora secretly eats macaroons to escape her husband’s upbraiding; she has threatening conversations with Krogstad, concerning his reinstatement at her husband’s bank; and she prepares her costume and practices the tarantella for a Christmas ball she must attend with Torvald. All of these situations in closed rooms psychologically and emotionally demonstrate the manipulation and oppression of this doll in the house, filled with rooms of deception and corruption.

When Nora finally decides to leave her husband, she goes out of the house and slams its downstairs door shut. In so doing, she physically, mentally, and spiritually enters a new space: the unknown. For here she can truly “find herself” now and discover what she wants to do as a woman without Torvald’s rules and codes of behavior.

Helmer’s office

Helmer’s office. Torvald’s efficiently furnished banking office, which is an emblem of his kingdom—the room in which he makes the rules of conduct for his home and for his little doll, Nora. Ibsen’s social realism is evident as in his studio many despotic decisions that further emphasize the theme of female injustice are made. For example, in act 2 Torvald writes a letter dismissing the bookkeeper Nils Krogstad, who has been blackmailing Nora since she forged her dying father’s signature to a bond at the bank, when she needed money to take Torvald to Italy when he was seriously ill.

"A Doll's House - Places Discussed." Critical Guide to Settings and Places in Literature, edited by R. Kent Rasmussen, eNotes.com, Inc., 2003, 2 Aug. 2024 <https://www.enotes.com/topics/dolls-house/in-depth#in-depth-places-discussed>

Historical Context

Last Updated July 22, 2024.

Women's Rights In 1888, married women in Norway finally gained control over their own finances. However, the Norway depicted in Ibsen's play precedes this change, presenting a more restrictive environment for women like Nora Helmer. In 1879, wives were not legally allowed to borrow money without their husband's approval, forcing Nora to resort to deception to secure the funds she desperately needed. Although Ibsen consistently denied advocating for women's rights, he asserted his belief in human rights instead.

The movement for women's rights had already gained momentum in Norway years before Ibsen addressed the issue, with women spearheading multiple reforms. Norway, a newly liberated nation in the nineteenth century after gaining independence from Danish rule in 1814, naturally prioritized issues of freedom—both political and personal. Economic hardship had driven women into the workforce early in the century, prompting the Norwegian government to enact laws protecting and regulating women's employment nearly five decades before the debut of Ibsen's play. By mid-century, women enjoyed the same legal protections as male children, were granted inheritance rights, and successfully campaigned for the right to a university education just three years after the first performance of A Doll's House . However, many of these protections primarily benefited lower economic classes. Employment opportunities for women were often restricted to low-wage domestic roles, teaching, or clerical positions. Middle-class women, like Nora, saw few of these new advantages. It was the institution of marriage itself that curtailed the freedoms of middle-class women.

Although divorce was accessible and affordable, it was still socially stigmatized and only available if both partners consented. The play's ending clearly indicates that Torvald would oppose divorce, further isolating Nora from society. In 1879, there was no organized feminist movement in Norway. Consequently, Nora's departure at the play's conclusion is an especially courageous and perilous act. Lacking the support of a feminist movement, she was entirely alone in her quest to forge a new life.

Christmas Celebrations Christmas was a significant family holiday in Norway, celebrated as a time of unity and festivity. Ironically, the play begins on Christmas Eve, only for the Helmer family's unity to collapse on Christmas Day. Traditionally, Christmas Day and the subsequent days were reserved for socializing and visiting neighbors and friends. Costume parties, like the one Nora and Torvald attend, were common, and the tarantella dance that Nora performs was typically a dance for couples or lines of partners. Nora dancing it alone underscores her isolation within her marriage and the community.

Sources Nora's act of forgery closely mirrors an incident that occurred earlier in Norway, involving a woman Ibsen knew personally. Laura Kieler, a friend of Ibsen, borrowed money to fund a treatment for her husband's health. When the loan came due, Kieler was unable to repay it. She attempted to raise funds by selling a manuscript she had written, but Ibsen, considering the manuscript subpar, declined to assist her in getting it published. In desperation, Kieler forged a check, was caught, and was subsequently rejected by her husband, who then sought custody of their children and attempted to have her committed to an asylum. After her release, Kieler begged her husband to take her back, which he did reluctantly. In contrast, Ibsen endows Nora with more resilience and resourcefulness than Kieler demonstrated. Nora manages to earn the money to repay her loan, and her forgery involves her father's signature on a promissory note rather than a check. Ultimately, Nora is saved by Krogstad's decision to retract his legal threats, preventing her from being cast out by her husband. Instead, she emerges stronger, and her husband finds himself in the position of pleading for a second chance. Ibsen skillfully reverses the original story to enhance the strength of the "doll" wife character.

"A Doll's House - Historical Context." Drama for Students, Vol. 1. Gale Cengage, 2 Aug. 2024 <https://www.enotes.com/topics/dolls-house/in-depth#in-depth-historical-context>

Literary Style

This three-act play features prose dialogue and stage directions, but no internal monologues. There are no soliloquies, so the characters' thoughts and any offstage actions must be conveyed by the actors. The actors in A Doll's House interact with each other, not the audience.

Acts Acts are the primary divisions in a drama. In Greek plays, the drama's sections were marked by the chorus's appearance and typically consisted of five acts. This structure was standard for serious drama from the Greeks to the Romans, and later used by Elizabethan playwrights like William Shakespeare. The five acts represent the structure of dramatic action: exposition, complication, climax, falling action, and catastrophe. This five-act format persisted until the nineteenth century, when Ibsen merged some acts. A Doll's House is a three-act play; the first act combines exposition and complication, revealing Nora's deception and the threat posed by Krogstad. The climax unfolds in the second act when Krogstad confronts Nora again and leaves the letter for Torvald. The third act merges falling action and catastrophe as Mrs. Linde and Krogstad reconcile, but Mrs. Linde allows events to unfold, leading to Torvald's disastrous reaction to the letter.

Naturalism Naturalism was a literary movement in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries that applied scientific principles to literature. In nature, behavior is determined by environmental pressures or internal factors, which are often uncontrollable and unclear. This establishes a cause and effect relationship: behavior is influenced by either nature's indifference or biological determinism, absolving individuals of responsibility for their actions. European Naturalism focused on biological determinism, while American Naturalism emphasized environmental influences. For example, Torvald's accusation that Nora exhibits her father's weakest moral values is based on the belief that she has inherited these traits from him.

Realism Realism, a literary term from the nineteenth century, refers to an author's effort to depict characters, events, and settings authentically. Realism emphasizes honest and detailed descriptions at all levels. It focuses on character, particularly behavior. In A Doll's House , the Helmers' marital events are presented in a way that feels realistic to the audience. The events, people, and home are familiar and relatable. The sitting room resembles one found in any typical home, and Nora is portrayed as an average wife in nineteenth-century Norway, facing problems similar to those of other married women at the time.

Setting The setting of a play refers to the time, place, and cultural context where the events unfold. This includes elements such as geographic location, physical or mental environments, prevailing cultural attitudes, and the historical period. For A Doll's House , the setting is an unspecified city in nineteenth-century Norway. The story starts just before Christmas and wraps up the following evening, with all three acts occurring in the same sitting room at the Helmers' home. The Helmers have been married for eight years. Nora is a wife and mother, while her husband, Torvald, has recently been promoted to a lawyer and bank manager. They enjoy a comfortable lifestyle during a time when society suppresses women, associating men with public success and women with domestic responsibilities. However, this era also witnesses significant upheaval as women push for better educational opportunities and greater equality in the workforce. A Doll's House highlights many of the conflicts and issues being discussed in nineteenth-century Europe.

"A Doll's House - Literary Style." Drama for Students, Vol. 1. Gale Cengage, 2 Aug. 2024 <https://www.enotes.com/topics/dolls-house/in-depth#in-depth-style>

Compare and Contrast

Today: Women attorneys are now as prevalent as men in all legal fields. However, achieving acceptance in the upper echelons of corporate law has been more challenging than practicing before the Supreme Court. Despite significant strides in gender equality, women still earn less than seventy cents for every dollar earned by men.

Today: Electric lights illuminate theatres, businesses, and homes across the industrialized world. They have become so integrated into our environment that they are often unnoticed and underappreciated.

Today: Transportation based on the internal combustion engine has been significantly refined, making travel easy, accessible, and fast. Only now is electricity being seriously researched as a power source for more environmentally friendly transportation.

Today: The opportunity for women to receive an education is no longer a novelty in the United States and most of Europe. Yet, even in the late 1990s, legal battles continue over women's rights to enter male-only federally subsidized schools like the Citadel.

Today: Telephone lines are used for much more than transmitting conversations, as communication now includes computers and multimedia technology. Video phones and computers that allow visual as well as vocal connections are now a reality and are likely to become common and more affordable in the industrialized world.

"A Doll's House - Compare and Contrast." Drama for Students, Vol. 1. Gale Cengage, 2 Aug. 2024 <https://www.enotes.com/topics/dolls-house/in-depth#in-depth-compare-contrast>

Media Adaptations

• In 1959, A Doll's House was first adapted for television. This adaptation featured Julie Harris, Christopher Plummer, Jason Robards, Hume Cronyn, Eileen Heckart, and Richard Thomas. Produced by Sonny Fox Productions, it is available in black and white on videotape through MGM/UA Home Video, with a runtime of 89 minutes.
• The second film adaptation of A Doll's House came in 1973. This version starred Jane Fonda, Edward Fox, Trevor Howard, and David Warner, with a screenplay by David Mercer. Produced by World Film Services, it is available in color on videotape through Prism Entertainment/Starmaker Entertainment, with a runtime of 98 minutes.
• In 1977, A Doll's House was adapted into a film once more, starring Claire Bloom. This version was produced by Paramount Pictures.
• A 1989 Canadian production of A Doll's House featured Claire Bloom, Anthony Hopkins, Ralph Richardson, Denholm Elliott, Anna Massey, and Edith Evans. This adaptation, considered superior, was produced by Elkins Productions Limited and is available in color on videotape through Hemdale Home Video, with a runtime of 96 minutes.
• The most recent film adaptation of A Doll's House was released in 1991. This version starred Juliet Stevenson, Trevor Eve, Geraldine James, Patrick Malahide, and David Calder. It is praised for its insightful commentaries by Alistair Cooke. Produced by PBS and BBC.
• In A Doll's House, Part 1: The Destruction of Illusion , Norris Houghton guides the audience through the underlying tensions of the play. This film was produced by Britannica Films in 1968.
• In A Doll's House, Part II: Ibsen's Themes , Norris Houghton delves into the characters and themes of the play. This film was also produced by Britannica Films in 1968.
• There is an audio recording of A Doll's House available on 3 cassettes, featuring Claire Bloom and Donald Madden. This recording is produced by Caedmon/Harper Audio.

"A Doll's House - Media Adaptations." Drama for Students, Vol. 1. Gale Cengage, 2 Aug. 2024 <https://www.enotes.com/topics/dolls-house/in-depth#in-depth-media-adaptations>

Bibliography and Further Reading

Sources Archer, William. Introduction to The Collected Works of Henrik Ibsen , edited and translated by Archer. Scribner, 1906-1912.

Durbach, Errol. A Doll's House: Ibsen's Myth of Transformation . Twayne Masterworks Studies. Twayne Publishers, 1991.

Finney, Gail. "Ibsen and Feminism," in The Cambridge Companion to Ibsen , edited by James McFarlane. Cambridge University Press, 1994, pp. 89-105.

Franc, Miriam Alice. Ibsen in England . The Four Seas Co., 1919, pp. 131-33.

Goodman, Walter. Review of A Doll's House , The New York Times , May 14, 1986.

Hemmer, Bjorn. "Ibsen and the Realistic Problem Drama," in The Cambridge Companion to Ibsen , edited by James McFarlane. Cambridge University Press, 1994, pp. 68-88.

Further Reading Magill, Frank N., ed. Masterpieces of World Literature . Harper & Row, 1989, pp. 203-206. This book condenses literary works into easily digestible summaries. Besides plot overviews and character analyses, the editor also discusses historical context and critical perspectives. The Magill compilations offer a dependable, accessible resource for students to review texts.

Meyer, Michael, ed. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature , 4th Edition. St. Martin's Press, 1996, pp. 1128-1136. This anthology presents several concise approaches to studying this play. It includes excerpts from psychological, Marxist, and feminist readings to help students compare different critical interpretations.

Rickert, Blandine M., ed. Major Modern Dramatists , Volume 2, pp. 1-32. This work introduces Ibsen through reviews and critical interpretations of his plays. The excerpts range from the late nineteenth century to the late twentieth century. By compiling this information, students of Ibsen can observe how his plays have influenced successive generations.

"A Doll's House - Bibliography and Further Reading." Drama for Students, Vol. 1. Gale Cengage, 2 Aug. 2024 <https://www.enotes.com/topics/dolls-house/in-depth#in-depth-bibliography-bibliography-1>

Bibliography

Downs, Brian W. Ibsen: The Intellectual Background . New York: Octagon, 1969. Contains preface, chronology, and index, and makes multiple references to A Doll’s House . Downs argues that the “disagreement” upon which the drama turns is not between a wife and husband as much as it is between woman and society.

Hornby, Richard. Patterns in Ibsen’s Middle Plays . Lewisburg: Bucknell University Press, 1981. A readable, helpful, and interesting discussion of A Doll’s House in one chapter. Indicates that the play’s underlying idea is the “ethical leap” that informs the technical and aesthetic development of the play.

Mencken, H. L. Introduction to Eleven Plays of Henrik Ibsen . New York: Random House, 1950. Mencken’s prose is worth reading for itself and especially so in this case for anyone interested in Ibsen. Mencken lauds A Doll’s House and declares that it represents the full measure of Ibsen’s contribution to the art of drama.

Meyer, Michael. Ibsen: A Biography . Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1971. A well-organized, readable, illustrated source with an annotated index. Includes frequent references to A Doll’s House , especially in chapter 19. Meyer also discusses the continued focus on Ibsen’s view of women’s situation in a man’s world, on the outcry against A Doll’s House , and on the monetary return it brought the author.

Shafer, Yvonne, ed. Approaches to Teaching Ibsen’s “A Doll [sic] House .” New York: Modern Language Association of America, 1985. Useful for both nonspecialists and specialists. Provides section about materials available for a study of A Doll’s House and a section on approaches to teaching it. Provides insight for understanding and interpreting the play.

"A Doll's House - Bibliography." Great Characters in Literature, edited by A. J. Sobczak and Frank N. Magill, eNotes.com, Inc., 1998, 2 Aug. 2024 <https://www.enotes.com/topics/dolls-house/in-depth#in-depth-bibliography-bibliography-2>

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Critical Essays

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The Doll's House

Describe kezia's act of kindness., who is described using animal images, what is the main conflict in the doll's house, doll's house, to what extent is symbolism a significant feature of this story, what is a symbol in the doll's house, what is a metaphor in the doll's house, what does the lamp symbolise in the story, ''the doll's house'', how are mrs burnell and mrs kelvey described in this short story, what job does mrs kelvey do, when the play opens, what shows that this is a middle class family, what is the story "the doll's house" really about, how this story has sensitized you towards society and its injustice, what is the underlying theme, the description of what kezia is about to do creates in the reader, what is the conflict in "the dolls house" by katherine mansfield (250 words), what does the doll’s house symbolize in the selection, how does the author succeed in prompting the readers sympathy for the little kelveys, how are the characters of the burnells introduced, the doll's house.

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Use of Imagery in a Doll's House

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Published: Aug 1, 2024

Words: 707 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

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The symbolism of the doll's house, imagery of birds, the christmas tree, the tarantella dance, bibliography.

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Essay Comparing A Streetcar Named Desire And A Doll's House

Both plays, A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams and A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen, focus on the modern American family and the relationship between husband and wife. In A Doll House, Nora Helmer lived the perfect life with her husband, Torvald, until he found out that she had borrowed money which caused him to be in debt. This sent Torvald into a rage, forcing Nora to decide if she would want to stay or leave him and her children behind. In A Streetcar Named Desire, Stella lived a fantastic life with her husband, Stanley. Then Blanche, Stella’s sister came to visit and Stanley started accusing Blanche of lying. This caused Stella to have to decide if she wanted to believe her husband or her sister. Nora and Stella are similar because they believe they are in love, get physically and verbally abused, don’t see how their …show more content…

The most significant way that Nora and Stella differ is that in the end, Nora decides to leave her husband and children but Stella chooses to stay. Both Nora and Stella believe that they are truly and deeply in love with their husbands. For example, in A Doll House, Nora borrows a large amount of money in order to take her husband to Italy so he can get better. This seems like a very loving thing to do and she tried to make other believe she did this for her husband. However, before she tells Mrs. Linde about the loan she took out to save her husband, she says, ‘I’ve also got something to be proud and happy for,” (1197). The way she said this made it seem as if she took at the loan so she could save her husband’s life so she could feel some sense of accomplishment in her life. So even though

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