A Dolls House Flashcards
1
Q
What are the opening stage directions to Act 1?
A
- a comfortably, tastefully, but not expensively, furnished room.
- The carpet on the floor, a fire in the stove. A winter day.
2
Q
How is Nora described at the beginning of the play?
A
- tiptoes and listens at her husband’s door
- continues to laugh happily to herself
- But how thoughtless of me to sit here and chatter away like this. Dear, sweet Christine, can you forgive me?
- No, Christine it was beastly of me. Oh my poor darling what you’ve gone through.
- I’m not going to be selfish today, I’m just going to think about you. Oh but there’s one thing I must tell you.
- Oh God, Oh God Christine, isn’t it a wonderful thing to be alive and happy.
3
Q
How does Nora appear naive/childish?
A
- It made me a bit sad sometimes, because it’s lovely to wear pretty clothes.
- Then I’d sit here and imagine some rich old gentleman had fallen in love with me
- It’ll soon be spring and the air’ll be fresh and the skies blue.
- Lost in her own thoughts, laughs half to herself and claps her hands
4
Q
How does Nora speak about/act with her children?
A
- I couldn’t take anything out of what he gives me for them. The poor little angels.
- I don’t have to worry anymore. No more troubles! I can play all day with the children.
- Oh my sweet darlings look at them Christine - aren’t they beautiful?
- What red cheeks you’ve got like apples and roses
- A big dog ran after you? But he didn’t bite you? No dogs don’t bite lovely little baby dolls.
- Pale with fear. Corrupt my children. Poison my home. It isn’t true. It couldn’t be true.
- stoops down and kisses them
5
Q
How does Torvald treat Nora at the start of the play?
A
- Now now. My little songbird mustn’t droop her wings. What’s this? Is little squirrel sulking?
- The squanderbird’s a pretty little creature but she gets through an awful lot of money. Its amazing what an expensive pet she is for a man to keep.
- I don’t have to sit by myself and be bored. And you don’t have to tire your pretty eyes and your delicate little hands.
- You mustn’t disturb me
- Wags his finger. A songbird must have a clean beak to sing with. Otherwise she’ll start twittering out of tune.
- Aha, so little Miss Independent’s in trouble and needs a man to rescue her, does she?
6
Q
Idea of money throughout the play:
A
- Here’s a pound. No keep it.
- Bought did you say? All that? Has my little squanderbird been overspending again?
- We can be a little extravagant now can’t we? Just a tiny bit? You have a big salary now and you’re going to make lots and lots of money.
- Oh Nora Nora how like a woman. No debts. Never borrow. A home that is found on debts and borrowing can never be a place of freedom and beauty.
- Torvald dear, please! please! Then I’ll wrap up the notes in pretty gold paper and hang them on the Christmas tree. Wouldn’t that be fun?
- It’s such a relief. I feel so happy! Well, I mean it’s lovely to have heaps of money and not to have to worry about anything
- we’re going to have heaps and heaps of money
7
Q
How are little acts of rebellion seen in Nora?
A
- Oh I wish I could tear them into a million pieces
- But its so petty
- I’ve got the most extraordinary longing to say: Bloody hell
- flesh coloured … aren’t they beautiful? I suppose you can look a bit higher if you want to
- It was terribly amusing to go down and talk with the servants because they never told me what I ought to do and they were such fun to listen to
- We’ll drink champagne until dawn. And Helen. Put out some macaroons. Lots of macaroons for once
8
Q
How is Mrs Linde first described?
A
- in travelling clothes
- shyly and a little hesitantly
- I arrived by steamer this morning
- You’ve got a little paler though Christine and perhaps a bit thinner and older Nora much much older
9
Q
How is Mrs Linde’s experience described?
A
- not even a feeling of loss or sorrow
- smiles sadly and strokes Nora’s hair
- No Nora, just unspeakably empty. No one to live for anymore and gets up restlessly
- I am both proud and happy that I was able to make my mother’s last months on earth comparatively easy
10
Q
How does Mrs Linde describe Nora?
A
- it’s sweet of you to bother so much about me Nora, especially since you know so little of the worries and hardships of life
- well good heavens - those bits of fancy work of yours - well really, your a child Nora
- But my dear Nora how on earth did you get to know about such things?
11
Q
How does Nora speak about/react to her debt?
A
- Do you suppose I didn’t try to think of other ways of getting him down there? … I cried and prayed.
- He said I was frivolous and it was his duty as a husband not to pander to my moods and caprices.
- Hasn’t a wife the right to save her husband’s life?
- I often got so so tired. But it was fun sitting there, working and earning money. It was almost like being a man.
- And you can tear it into a thousand pieces and burn the filthy beastly thing
12
Q
Theme of deception:
A
- Hide that Christmas tree away Helen
- plays with his coat buttons not looking at him
- How could I help the cat getting in and tearing everything to bits?
- I’ll lead up to it so delicately so delicately I’ll get him in the right mood
- She is mad to come under some really clever man
- still leaning over his chair slowly strokes the back of his head: I was going to ask you an enormous favour Torvald
- If little squirrel asked you really prettily to grant her a wish and I’d turn myself into a little fairy and dance for you in the moonlight
- Torvald has forbidden them … I’ll have only one. Just a little one. Two at the most. Yes now I feel really really happy.
13
Q
How does Nora appear knowledgeable and more complex at the start?
A
- For shame! How can you say such a thing? I save every penny I can.
- Hums and smiles quietly gleeful. If only you knew how many expenses we larks and squirrels have Torvald
- But Nora Nora isn’t as silly as you think
- Tosses her head. You shouldn’t say that so patronisingly.
- Papa didn’t give us a penny. It was I who found the money
- hums and smiles secretively
- years from now when Im no longer pretty
14
Q
How does Nora describe Torvald?
A
- What an idea! He’s frightfully strict about such matters. And besides hes so proud of being a man - it’d be so painful and humiliating for him to know that he owed anything to me.
- You see Torvald’s so helplessly in love with that he wants to have me all to himself - those were his very words - he got quite jealous if I as much mentioned any of my old friends.
15
Q
Ideas about morals and society’s reaction:
A
- moral cripple in with Helmer and he’s crippled all right, morally twisted
- I wonder if in your part of the world you too have a species of creature that spends its time fussing around trying to smell out moral corruption? And when they find a case they give him some nice comfortable position … the healthy ones just have to lump it.
- But surely it’s the sick who need care most? and its that attitude that is turning human society into a hospital.
- morally destroyed him and morally speaking he is dead
- I feel physically ill in the presence of a man like that