A doll's house Flashcards
In several German theatres they refused to put it on
He regretted changing the ending to accommodate as this was why he wrote the play.
When did they ban places from firing women for being married and having a job?
1939
The book was to be understood as
a slice of life- it was a leading work in the fight against idealism.
Idea of uplifting feeling
lack of uplifting feeling or indeed reconciliation shows it was not a idealist paly.
Ibsen denied his work being a reaction to social and political actualities
“I must decline the honour consciously to have worked the case for women.”
Beauty is freedom for Helmer
as shown when he tells Nora not to borrow any money- this would most certainly confine them to a life of debt.
Compliancy of Nora
hen he says that they must not spend credit for fear of being confined- she replies saying “Everything as you wish, Torvald”
Prejudice view of women-
he says, when Nora can’t understand how to act with money, that she is just like a woman. - she is like a little bird that fritters with money.
Nora and mrs Linde meet
he ignores almost the grief that Mrs Linde is feeling and talks about her wonderful life with children and who Torvald has such a great new job at the banks.
Mrs Linde explains the predicament that she is in financially
nobody is dependent on her- not her brothers nor her ill mother and her husband has left her with no money since he left her.
We see the anger of Mrs Linde
she snaps at Nora for not understanding that she can’t simply not work.
Nora beyond being able to understand the viewpoint of Mrs Linde
Shows how she is childlike- sets up the relationship between the two as they have both sacrificed dignity and ambition to be in a financially secure position. Mrs Linde is poised to help educated Nora.
Nora explained to Mrs linde the predicament she is in because mrs thinks that she has known no hardship in her life- she explains how she raised money to keep Torvald alive
she doesn’t want to tell Torvald this as she fears it may hurt his pride- man pride. She explains that instead of making ornaments she was using the time to work and make the money for the trip to Italy .
Nora offers Dr. Ranz Macaroons
he thought they were banned as Torvald said they would make her teeth rot
We see examples of deception
From the macaroons to the money borrowing. However in the latter example we empathise with her as she is motivated by selflessness and a love for her husband. She thinks that it is Torvald and his rules that has lead her to keep it from him .
Krogstad enters on Nora
he asks whether she will get a job at the bank and Nora says yes because, even though she is a woman , she has a lot of power and control over her husband.
Krogstad feels his position is in jeopardy
he depends on the job to make his sons happy. He says that if she doesn’t help he has the power to make her help…
A dramatic scene
Krogstad knows that she forged the signature for the money from her father. K did a similar thing and has now got him into trouble. Nora, clearly disturbed, carries on decorating the tree. K leaves. She believes that since her motives were good that she is in the right.
Torvald on forgery
Torvald, makes her worried as he says that someone doing such a thing would be abhorrent behaviour. Naughty children almost always have a corrupt mother.
It makes him physically sick that people can allow them selves to act in such a way- contrasts with his sweet little skylark.
Krogstad, onyl interested in regain reputation
not inner self as he used blackmail on Nora.
Christmas has passed and Nora frets about the position she is in
Mrs however notices how she has changed since the previous day- they learn that Dr. Rank is ill through an inherited disease from his father.
Flirt
she shows him her new stockings and hints that she has favour to ask hiM - Probably regarding helping K. He confesses his love for her- she denies wanting his help but he pleads to let him help her. He apologises for misinterpreting her behaviour-
Nora on love
she says that those who she loves aren’t always those who she wants to spend time with- for example the maids when she was younger never used to dictate her behaviour and thus would play with them- unlike her father.
krogstad fired
even if N were to commit suicide, her reputation would be in his hands. - he says that Torvald should have simply just promoted him. on the way out K leaves a letter detailing what N has done in the letterbox.
When Mrs Linde finds out that Nora has forged the letter
Nora makes Mrs swear to say that the forgery was her doing. She doesn’t want anything bad to happen to T should she disappear
Nora on fate
In the second act Nora claims that something glorious is going to happen to her
Rejecting the teachings of Torvald
Torvald and Nora get ready for the dance and he coaches her- she rejects his teaching and dances wildly and freely.
Difference between Torvald and the other characters
he does not grow or change during the play- he is the only one to not have kept a secret.
Nora cooperative but wise
by calling herself his little squirrel and by conforming to his standards he is more willing to cooperate with her desires. She develops integrity though and backtracks on flirting with Dr Rank .
Nora on children
She refuses to interact them when they want to see her. The maid doing more of a motherly job than her
Corruption of father of Rank
the corruption of his father by being so promiscuous has lead him to be ill- suggesting that the way parents act, directly impacts on the children.
Father and Torvald comparison
When she compares living with her father to living with Torvald, doubt is cast on whether or not she actually loves Torvald. - first sign of doubt perhaps.
T makes advances on Nora- fantasising
she wishes to be alone but he continues explaining how he often pretends that she is his secret fiancé when they are in pubic.
Torvald on Ranks death
he is relieved as he thinks it will make Nora and himself more dependent on one another.
Torvald is controlling yet a pushover
he desires to treat her like a possession he has acquired- dresses her up in the costume for the tarantella yet still gives her money to buy presents at the start- showing he wants to keep her happy. He is baffled when he does not get the attention from Nora that he wants.
Torvalds reputation
he panics about learning about the crime she has committed as he fears she people find out it will leave his reputation damaged.
Suicide to leaving
shows increased independence. She now realises that she can exist outside of Torvalds confined realm. Instead of making the ultimate sacrifice she is now strong enough to think for herself and bare the consequences of her actions
Torvald persuades …
Torvald tries to tell her that they must forget what happened- he is attracted to her nonetheless and believes that she did it for love. - shows his idealist attitude- failing to face up to the reality of the situation. He calls her both his wife and child…
Change of clothes
she rejects the way he has been treating her. She says that they are now having a serious conversation and that for the first time in 8 years she admits she has been deluding herself into thinking she was happy.
Sacred responsibility
she no longer believes that she has to fulfil as sacred duty of being a wife and a mother above all else.
Torvald on sacrificing
she says that evening is when she realised that she didn’t love him anymore- his decision to sacrifice love for honor highlights this. She says that many women have been able to sacrifice honor for love so why cant he.
Last plea for reconciliation
He wants to carry on but as brother and sister
Heavy door
slams shut at the end marking the decision of Nora to close her self of from the life she once lead.
sacrificial role of women
The nanny had to abandon her own child to support herself- she tells Nora how she had been a poor girl lead astray.
Family obligations in general
Mrs linde obligated to her mother whereas Nora to Torvald instead of her father.
Image
All characters are at some point concerned with reputation- either personal or in the public eye.
Christmas tree and Nora
Nora- dishevelled- just like the christmas tree reveals her to be
They both serve decorative purposes
Christmas to New Years
At the start it is an image of family and happiness during xmas but by the end a new horizon awaits on New Years day.
Conflict
insights self discovery in Nora
Climax of the play
when Torvald erupts badly having read the letter of Krogstad
Foreshadowing
Macaroons incident
By failing to sacrifice
Torvald demonstrates the failure of idealism as concept- lack of compromise or real will to see that things don’t always work out
