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Themes/Metaphor/Symbol:

Act I:

Setting: It is important to note that the whole play takes place in one room and that, until the last act, Nora is in every scene; she never seems to leave the room‹everything comes to her. She is literally trapped in domestic comfort.

Also, the first Act takes place on Christmas Eve. However, though there is a great deal of talk about morality throughout the play, Christmas is never presented as a religious holiday and religion as a concept is later questioned by Nora in the third Act. In fact, it is discussed primarily as a material experience. This emphasis is similar to the general theme of the centrality of material goods over personal connection.

Women and Men:

This play focuses on the way that women are seen, especially in the context of marriage and motherhood. Torvald, in particular, has a very clear and narrow definition of a woman's role. He believes that it is the sacred duty of a woman to be a good wife and mother. Moreover, he tells Nora that women are responsible for the morality of their children. In essence, he sees women as both child-like, helpless creatures detached from reality and influential moral forces responsible for the purity of the world through their influence in the home.

 

"HEL: That is like a woman!" "NORA: It was like being a man." "HEL: Almost everyone who has gone to the bad early in life has had a deceitful mother." "HEL: It seems most commonly to be the mother's influence, though naturally a bad father's would have the same result." "NORA: Because one is a woman it does not necessarily follow that--- When anyone is in a subordinate position, Mr. Krogstad, they should really be careful to avoid offending anyone who-who‹"

The perception of manliness is also discussed, though in a much more subtle way. Nora's description of Torvald suggests that she is partially aware of the lies inherent in the male role as much as that of the female. Torvald's conception of manliness is based on the value of total independence. He abhors the idea of financial or moral dependence on anyone. His desire for independence leads to the question of whether he is out of touch with reality.

 

"NORA: And, besides, how painful and humiliating it would be for Torvald, with his manly independence, to know that he owed me anything! It would upset our mutual relations altogether; our beautiful happy home would no longer be what it is now." "NORA: Christine is tremendously clever at bookkeeping, and she is frightfully anxious to work under some clever man, so as to perfect herself‹"

Tied to the discussion of men and women are the frequent references to Nora's father. Throughout the play, there are references to Nora's father. Furthermore, Nora is frequently equated with him, from her actions (though people think he gave Nora and Torvald the money for their trip to Italy, it was actually Nora) to her disposition. Quotations like the one below suggest that Nora does wish that she were like her father and, taking that further, male. Her desire suggests a deeper understanding of the confinement she faces than might otherwise be apparent.

 

"HEL: Very like your fatherŠ. NORA: Ah, I wish I had inherited many of Papa's qualities"

Materialism v. People:

Another central theme of this play is the importance placed on materialism rather than people. This is particularly important for Torvald, whose sense of manhood depends on his independence. In fact, he was an unsuccessful barrister because he refused to take "unsavory cases". As a result, he switched to the bank, where he primarily deals with money. In other words, money and materialism can be seen as a way to avoid the complications of personal contact.

Images of women:

Nora, as a symbol of woman, is called a number of names by Torvald throughout the play. These include "little songbird", "squirrel", "lark", "little featherhead", "little skylark", "little person", and "little woman". Torvald is extremely consistent about using the modifier "little" before the names he calls Nora. These are all usually followed by the possessive "my", signaling Torvald's belief that Nora is his.

Torvald's chosen names for Nora reveal that he does not see her as an equal by any means; rather, Nora is at times predictable and silly doll and at times a captivating and exotic pet or animal, all created for Torvald.

Act II:

Setting:

This Act takes place on Christmas Day, after the magic and mystery of Christmas Eve has passed. As in real life, all has been revealed.

Also, notice that Nora complains about not daring to leave the house. She is still confined to the domestic world that she knows so well.

Light:

Light is used to illustrate Nora's personal journey. After the turning point of Torvald's claim to want to take everything upon himself and while she is talking to Dr. Rank, the light begins to grow dark, just as Nora sinks to new levels of manipulation. When Dr. Rank reveals his affection, Nora is jolted out of this fantasy world and into reality and insists on bringing a lamp into the room, telling the Doctor that he must feel silly saying such things with the light on.

The Dress:

Nora's ball dress symbolizes the character she plays in her marriage to Torvald. Take note of when Nora is supposed to be wearing it and for whom.

 

"MRS. L: I see you are going to keep up the character NORA: Yes, Torvald wants me to."

The Tarantella:

A tarantella is a folk dance from southern Italy that accelerates from its already quick tempo and alternates between major and minor keys. In its constant fluctuation, it is like Nora's character. In this Act, it serves as Nora's last chance to be Torvald's doll, to dance and amuse him. Also, the tarantella is commonly (and falsely) known as a dance that is supposed to rid the dancer of the bite of the tarantula. Applied to the play, its use suggests that Nora is trying to rid herself of the deadly poison of an outside force, however fruitlessly. Rather than alleviating the bite, though, the music and her life only continue to accelerate and spin out of control.

 

"HEL: But, my dear Nora, you look so worn out. Have you been practicing too much? NORA: No, I have not practiced at all. HEL: But you will need to--- NORA: Yes, indeed I shall, Torvald. But, I can't get on a bit without you to help me; I have absolutely forgotten the whole thing."

Women and Men:

Torvald's belief in the importance of independence is emphasized in this Act. When confronted with Nora's pleas to change his mind about Krogstad's dismissal, he tells her that he would hate to appear to have been influenced by his wife.

 

"HEL: Do you suppose that I am going to make myself ridiculous before my whole staff, to let people think I am a man to be swayed by all sorts of outside influence?" "HEL: You see I am man enough to take everything upon myself."

Nora's father continues to be mentioned in Act II, this time as a foil for Torvald. Though Torvald has early compared Nora to her father, he insults his character.

 

"HEL: My little Nora, there is an important difference between your father and me. Your father's reputation as a public official was not above suspicion. Mine is, and I hope it will continue to be so as long as I hold office." "NORA: But surely you can understand that being with Torvald is a little like being with Papa---"

Names for Nora:

Torvald continues to call Nora a number of different names, all diminutive in nature. However, it is interesting that they are less consistently animal and innocuous in nature. He calls her his "little rogue", "little skylark", "little person", "helpless little mortal", and "child".

Money v. People:

Images of monetary wealth appear throughout the text.

 

"RANK: Lately I have been taking stock of my internal economy. Bankrupt!"

Act III:

Themes:

Dr. Rank and Mrs. Linde:

The juxtaposition of their entrances at the beginning of the play (they enter together) suggests that there is something similar about the two. In fact, given both the theatrical standards of the time and the expectations of women, it is easy to see that they might be considered moral forces within the play. In fact, Dr. Rank represents the male moral figure that had been common to plays at the time that Ibsen was writing. Dr. Rank's character usually provided moral standards on which the other, more confused characters of the play could depend. However, Dr. Rank subverts this role. He is both physically and morally tainted. He is dying from a disease begotten from his father's early sexual indiscretions, his body rotting. Additionally, though he presents himself as a great friend to the Helmers, his motives are far from pure‹he is in love with Nora.

Mrs. Linde, similarly, represents the hollowness of the role of wife and mother. Left destitute and unhappy by an unloving marriage, she has derived her livelihood from being useful to others. However, when she is left alone, she only feels empty. Her life has been based upon appeasing material wants for herself and for others and has had little to do with personal growth.

Both Dr. Rank and Mrs. Linde enter the play as influences on Nora and Torvald. Dr. Rank is a foil for Torvald's unyielding sense of morality and Mrs. Linde a foil for Nora's belief in the importance of motherhood and marriage. Over the course of the play, the problems of both Dr. Rank and Mrs. Linde are solved through either death or a knowing embrace of another union of dependency. In the case of Mrs. Linde, though, it is arguable as to whether her decision to go off with Krogstad is a positive or negative decision. On the one hand, she will be entering the relationship on roughly equal footing with Krogstad; they are both dependent on the other (unlike Nora and Torvald). On the other hand, Mrs. Linde is only entering into another situation in which she derives her livelihood from taking care of others; she still has not gone through a real process of self-discovery (which Nora advocates at the end).

Names for Nora:

By the end of the play, Torvald seems confused as to what to think of Nora‹is she a woman, a creature, or a small child? It is this uncertainty that is the basis of the discussion aspect of the act; the reader or playgoer is left to decide for him/herself. Names include: "little skylark", "fascinating, charming little darling", "my darling wife", "my little singing bird", "miserable creature", "a thoughtless woman", "my frightened little singing bird", "little, scared darling", "blind, foolish woman", and "a heedless child".

From: http://www.gradesaver.com

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