Act 1

Question 1

Stage directions- opening of Play
Quotes and analysing

Answer 1

‘A comfortably and tastefully, but not expensively furnished room.’
-Appearance of a normal middle class family home.
-Parallels societal norms on households
Repetition of ‘door’
-Physically and mentally blocks her in, surrounded by opportunities to leave but she can’t as a woman
-In a dollhouse doors lead to nowhere
**Large amount of furniture ‘round table’ ‘small sofa’ ‘rocking chair’ ‘couple of armchairs’ ‘small table’ ‘bookcase’ **
-Sense of confinement and claustrophobia
-Stifled existence

Question 2

Where do we first see Nora giving money

Answer 2

‘Here’s a pound. No, keep it.’
Is she generous here or frivolous?

Question 3

Significance of the separation of Nora and Helmer at the start of the splay

Answer 3

‘(from his room)’
-He’s in the work sphere and she’s in the domestic sphere.
-Divided from her husband
-Establishes power

Question 4

What does Nora eat at the beginning of the Play? What does this symbolise and why is it significant?

Answer 4

‘She takes from her pocket a bag containing macaroons and eats a couple’
-Symbolic of Nora’s rebellion
[Expensive thing to buy
-Suggests that maybe it is forbidden
[Perhaps because he believes overindulging leads to ugliness?

Question 5

What do we notice immediately from Helmers first line?

Answer 5

‘Is that my skylark twittering out there?’
-Either that this is just a pet name or
-He is being rather patronising and dehumanising her by using this animalistic imagery, Birds are free whilst she is not
-‘my’ perhaps shows possession over her

Question 6

‘Has my little __________ been ___________ _____?’

Answer 6

‘Has my little squanderbird been overspending again?’
-Perhaps masking his scolding underneath a playful tone
-Controlling and questioning her
-Be liked to be in control of what has happened and what she does.

Question 7

‘How ____ a ____ _____!’

Answer 7

‘How like a woman!’

Question 8

‘It’s _________ what an _________ ___ she is for _ ___ to ____.’

Answer 8

‘It’s incredible what an expensive pet she is for a man to keep.’
-Describes himself as a man but her as a ‘creature’ moments before
[Represents the image he sees of him and Nora in his mind.
[Sees Nora’s like an idolised possession rather than a woman

Question 9

Quote that shows Helmer’s image of Nora

Answer 9

‘your pretty eyes and your delicate little hands’