A doll’s house key quotes

Question 1

Torvald’s reaction to Nora rejecting her duties

Answer 1

‘First and foremost you are a wife and mother’

Question 2

Nora’s reaction to ‘First and foremost you are a wife and mother’

Answer 2

‘I believe that first and foremost I am a human being’

Question 3

Torvald explaining why he didn’t take the blame for Nora

Answer 3

‘No man can be expected to sacrifice his honour for the person he loves’
Despite fantasising about giving up his ‘life and blood’ for Nora’s sake

Question 4

Torvald after receiving the second letter

Answer 4

‘I would not be a true man if your feminine helplessness did not make you doubly attractive in my eyes’

Question 5

Torvald asking Nora of the consequences of her leaving

Answer 5

‘But to leave your home, your husband, your children! Have you thought what people will say?’

Question 6

What does Nora say she is doing off stage while Torvald is ranting out of relief after the second letter

Answer 6

‘Taking off my fancy dress’

Question 7

Nora explaining how Torvald and her papa have ruined her life

Answer 7

‘I’ve been your doll-wife, just as I used to be papa’s doll-child’

Question 8

Nora lying to Torvald Act 1

Answer 8

‘You know I could never act against your wishes’

Question 9

Nora telling Torvald how she acted to get her way

Answer 9

‘I performed tricks for you’
- voice symbolises female frustration with the oppressive patriarchy

Question 10

What does Christine say about women not being able to borrow money

Answer 10

‘Well, a wife can’t borrow money without her husband’s consent’

Question 11

What does Nora say about not knowing Torvald anymore? Act 3

Answer 11

‘I realised I had been living here with a complete stranger’

Question 12

Nora acknowledging the sacrifice of women

Answer 12

‘millions of women have done it’
- Carrie Cracknell 2012 changed to ‘thousands and thousands and thousands’ to emphasise this

Question 13

Nora only allowed allowances to survive

Answer 13

Act 3 - Nora is living like a ‘pauper, from hand to mouth’
Wants to get ‘some sort of job’ - this line mocked by Ibsen’s detractors

Question 14

Anne Marie as a fallen woman

Answer 14

She’s a ‘poor girl what’s got into trouble’

Question 15

Nora fantasising about her erotic attractions

Answer 15

• desires money from an ‘admirer’ or ‘some rich old gentleman’
• ‘everything […] to my beloved Nora Helmer in cash’

Question 16

Christine understands transactional nature of relationships

Answer 16

• admits to having ‘sold herself for others’ (sexually?)
• exploits her connection with Nora and Krogstad - ‘once upon a time he’d have done anything for my sake’

Question 17

Torvald’s fragile masculinity

Answer 17

• Act 3 - ‘I would not be a man if your feminine helplessness did not make you doubly attractive in my eyes’

Question 18

Nora acknowledging Torvald’s fragile masculinity Act 1

Answer 18

• ‘Torvald is ‘so proud of being a man- it’d be so painful and humiliating for him to know he owed anything to me’
• Without performance of gender roles ‘ This life we have built together would no longer exist’

Question 19

Krogstad fragile masculinity

Answer 19

When Christine broke up with him it felt as though ‘all the solid ground had been swept from under my feet’

Question 20

How does Torvald isolate Nora from Christine, demonstrating his insecurity?

Answer 20

Act 3 deems her a ‘dreadful bore’

Question 21

What quotes demonstrate Torvald’s sensual nature, only liking pretty things

Answer 21

• Describes knitting as an ‘ugly business’ Act 3
• Rank’s death pollutes the surface level, positive nature of their marriage: Acts as a ‘dark background to the happy sunlight of our marriage’

Question 22

Nora conditioned to desiring domesticity

Answer 22

She longs ‘to be free. To be absolutely free. To spend time playing with the children. To have a clean, beautiful house, the way Torvald likes it’

Question 23

Torvald trapped, dehumanising himself

Answer 23

‘I have broad wings to shield you’

Question 24

Nora understanding her need to play up to roles

Answer 24

• ‘when it no longer amuses him to see me dance and dress up and play the fool for him’
‘Then it might be useful to have something up my sleeve’

Question 25

Torvald helping Nora dance the tarantella

Answer 25

Promises to assist his ‘poor helpless little darling’

Question 26

Torvald’s fantasy

Answer 26

Pictures Nora as ‘young and trembling and beautiful’

Question 27

Nora flirting with Rank Act 2

Answer 27

‘You’re being naughty’
‘Flesh coloured’

Question 28

Nora trying to convince Torvald to give Krogstad’s job back

Answer 28

‘Squirrel would do lots of pretty tricks for you if you granted her a wish’