Characters & Themes Flashcards
Torvald’s nicknames for Nora. Critical, Animal imagery - infantalises her.
‘spendthrift’, ‘little lark,’
‘squirrel,’, ‘spendthrift,’ and ‘sweet tooth.’
Nora’s first word – signals her secretive nature and role she is playing
‘Hide’
Nora’s terms of endearment for Torvald – plays a role and keeping him happy. Acting.
‘darling’ and ‘dear.’
Life lessons Mrs Linde has learned due to her class and gender.
‘I’ve learned to be realistic. Life and hard, bitter necessity have taught me that.’
Torvald’s hope at the end of the play.
‘the greatest miracle.’
Nora on Torvald’s decision-making.
‘Whatever you do is always right,’
Patronising, de-humanising phrase Torvald uses when Nora agrees with him
‘Now my little lark’s talking like a human being.’
Torvald’s view on the trap of borrowing.
‘A home that depends on loans and debts is not beautiful, because it is not free.’
Torvald’s aestheticism and view of women’s work.
‘Torvald hates the sight of sewing’ Thinks knitting movements are ugly.
Nora (dancing wildly) – theatricality – convention of melodrama
‘Thirty-one hours to live.’
Torvald possessive attitude to Nora.
‘prize possession,’ ‘young bride.’
Nora’s ‘secret’. She begs Mrs Linde…
‘not to give her away,’
Torvald’s way of imposing his will on Nora. Infantalises her. Dominating and physical.
‘takes her by the ear.’
Torvald’s attitude to women. His view of Nora as a possession
‘Nora, my Nora, that is just like a woman.
Torvald’s criticism of Nora’s spending – animal metaphor
little birds that like to fritter money.’
Nora’s gendered gifts for her children – conforming to conventional gender roles
‘a sword,’ for her son and ‘a doll,’ for her daughter
Names Nora gives to herself to conform to Torvald’s desired standards making him more willing to give into her wishes
calls herself ‘little bird/skylark/squirrel,’
Nora’s stereotypical description of her daughter that links to title & control
Daughter is -’ like a doll.’
Torvald’s views on negative effects of poor morals on children
‘Because an atmosphere of lies like that infects and poisons the whole life of a home. In a house like that, every breath that the children take is filled with the germs of evil.’
Torvald’s patronising speech to Nora when she is upset. Simile comparing her to a bird. Dismissal of her concerns. Suggestion that what he is doing is more important.
Are you happy now? There - there - there - don’t look like a frightened little dove - the whole thing’s just sheer imagination. Now, you must rehearse your tarantella - with the tambourine. I’ll go sit in the inner room and shut the doors, so you can make all the noise you like - I shan’t hear a thing.’
Costume chosen by Torvald to do the Tarantella makes Nora look…
‘desirable.’
Nora’s well-being is an afterthought to him
‘And me?’ Nora asks. ‘You too naturally’
Shows the hollowness of Torvald’s promise to save Nora. he has only been thinking of himself. shows no intention of sacrificing anything for Nora
Torvald’s proclamation: ‘I’m saved,’
Torvald likes the IDEA of Nora but doesn’t actually KNOW Nora
Torvald states that it is ‘enjoyable to be in love with her.’
Torvald’s views on morality, genetics and inheritance. The influence of the mother.
‘Nearly all young criminals had lying mothers.’
Torvald’s firm belief in the traditional gendered stereotypes
‘Men are stable, and women are capricious.’
Torvald on morality and the effect of borrowing
There’s something constrained, something ugly even, about a home that’s founded on borrowing and debt.
Nora on work and independence.
Still, it was tremendous fun sitting there working and earning money. It was almost like being a man.’
Nora views morality as above the law. Believes it acceptable to break society’s rules for altruistic reasons.
‘Hasn’t a daughter the right to protect her dying father from worry and anxiety? Hasn’t a wife the right to save her husband’s life? I don’t know much about the law, but I’m quite certain that it must say somewhere that things like that are allowed.’
Because an atmosphere of lies like that infects and poisons the whole life of a home. In a house like that, every breath that the children take is filled with the germs of evil.’
Torvald’s views on morality, genetics and inheritance. The influence of the parents on children.
Mrs Linde believes Nora innocent and naive
‘Look, Nora, in lots of things, you’re still a child. I’m older than you in many ways and I’ve had a little more experience.’
