How is the house in a dolls house described as seemingly perfect in the beginning
Very ordered description “near the window, a round table with armchairs and a small sofa”, “between the stove and the side door is a small table”
What is the significance of ‘helmer’s study’
-Helmer has a place for himself, a place of privacy whilst Nora is constantly on stage
-Potential commentary on need for women to entertain
How is Nora shown to be relatively happy in the beginning scenes
She’s “humming contentedly”
How are we shown gender divisions and the miseducation of women from the opening
-Nora gives the porter a pound when truly he only wanted a shilling for the work
-Nora is in charge of the decoration of the house, domestic role of women
What is the significance of Nora’s hiding of eating macaroons
-Patriarchal dominance in marriage, Tordvald treats her like a child rather than a partner
-First sign of her deceit and lies, vyes for independence
What does Tordvald refer to Nora as in the beginning act
Refers to her through animals
“My Skylark twittering”
“My squirrel
Comparison to bird signifies his view of her merely ‘twittering’ and having nothing important to say
Use of possessive pronoun shows his view of her as being owned by him
Use of quiet innocent animals shows his view of her as a child rather than
Ironic quote from beginning regarding the home and it being built on borrowing
“Never borrow! A home that is founded on debts and borrowing can never be a place of freedom and beauty”
What does Tordvald do when Nora is upset and what is the significance of this
He pulls out money
She replies “Money!”
-Almost animalistic in the way she is rewarded for good behaviour, she perfectly plays into the role of a child
-Her excitement over money is apparent, this is her only source of income and allows for some form of limited agency in her being able to choose what she buys
How are gender roles shown by what Nora buys for the children
She buys a sword, horse and trumpet for the sons
She buys a doll and cradle for the girl
-Reflects how society dictates role of children from a young age
How does Tordvald summarise his dehumanisation of Nora
Says “what an expensive pet she is for a man to keep”
-Reduces her to something ornamental and dependent, a possession or decorative object
-“Expensive” shows Tordvald viewing her worth in merely economic terms, not viewing her as an emotional equal
How is Nora shown to accept her role as a possession
“How many expenses we larks and squirrels have”
-Directly dehumanises herself and women as a whole, classifying them as a whole as ‘larks and squirrels’
How is Nora shown to directly lie to Tordvald about Macaroons
He asks if she has been “indulging herself in town” and she says “no”
-Reflects the lack of trust within the relationship, relationship is merely for social acceptance
-Reveals her lack of agency and the fact she feels forced to lie due to the consequences
How does Nora describe her life originally to Mrs Linde
She opens with “these last eight years have been such a happy time for me”
What does Mrs Linde feel about her husbands death
Claims he didn’t even leave her with a “feeling of loss or sorrow”
How does Nora react to Mrs Linde claiming she didn’t even feel “loss or sorrow” at her husbands death
(Looks incredulously at her)
-Appears incredibly shocked yet would she only care due to Tordvald’s money
How is Nora shown to still be childish acoording to Mrs Linde
“Nora, Nora, haven’t you grown up yet?”
How is Mrs Linde shown to have married out of financial necessity
Her mother was “helpless and bedridden” and she had “two little brothers” so “didn’t feel I could say no”
-The reality for many women at the time, marrying not for love but out of necessity due to their lack of personal agency/financial freedom
Quote showing Mrs Linde turning the idea of men controlling money on its head
“Started a little shop, and a little school, and anything else I could turn my hand to”
-She is shown to be intelligent and gains her own agency
However how is Mrs Linde’s life still shown to be dictated by men, with it hard to make ends meet without a husband
“These last three years have been just one endless slog for me”
“The boys don’t need me either”
-Men dictate her life with her purpose to look after men (her brothers) reflecting the natural societal norms for women as caregivers and protectors of the home
-Even her own dead husband dictates her life, placing her in this situation
How does Nora foreshadow her own rebellion
She tells Mrs Linde she hasn’t told her of the “big thing”
How is napoleonic code shown in law
The law that “a wife can’t borrow money without her husbands consent”
-Embodiment of patriarchal law, patriarchy is legally sown into the system it’s not merely a social thing
