A Doll's House

A Doll’s House opens on Christmas Eve with Nora Helmer entering her house carrying several packages and parcels. Her husband Torvald hears her enter the house and goes over to playfully greet her. As Nora is settling down Torvald and her talk about their money and Nora insists that she has been careful in spending the money Torvald has given her for gifts. They have had to be careful with how they spend their money for years but Torvald happily tells Nora about a promotion he has been given at the bank. Their friend Dr. Rank has come to visit and another woman Mrs. Linde, one of Nora’s old friends have come to visit. Mrs. Linde heard about Torvald’s promotion and asks Nora for a favor because she needs a job after being recently widowed.

Once Nora and Mrs. Linde sit down to catch up on their own, Mrs. Linde implies that Nora has no sense of what the real world is like. Nora reveals to her friend of a deed she is very proud of. While her husband Torvald was ill, she made it her responsibility to do whatever she could to nurse him back to health. She borrowed money illegally to save her husband’s life but has kept this information from her husband, letting him think the money was given to Nora by her dead father. She has carried her own debt but has been working secretly to pay back her loan, which she takes pride in because she feels independent when earning her own money.

A man named Krogstad arrives at the Helmer household to speak with Torvald. Nora seems uncomfortable with his visit. After finishing his business with Krogstad, Torvald comes in to talk Nora is then left alone until her children come in to play with her. She suddenly stops and shoos the children away once she sees Krogstad standing in front of her. Through their conversation we find out that Nora borrowed the money from Krogstad to fund her husband’s recovery. He tells her that Torvald wants to relieve him of his position at the bank and that Nora must do something so that he can keep his position or else he will tell Torvald and everyone else of her illegal loan.

It is Christmas Day and Nora is deeply anxious because of Krogstad’s visit the previous day and Mrs. Linde notices her anxiety, but Nora does not tell her what is on her mind. Torvald appears and Nora tries to convince her husband to allow Krogstad to keep his position but he refuses because he dislikes Krogstad due to his bad reputation, so he sends the maid with Krogstad’s letter of dismissa. Dr. Rank comes in to visit and reveals to Nora that he is very ill, and wants to tell her that he has always loved her while he still has the chance to do so.

Krogstad later comes back to tell Nora that he has written a letter to Torvald revealing everything about their loan and Nora’s actions. He has placed the letter in the mailbox which is locked and only Torvald has access to. Nora speaks with Mrs. Linde and she reveals that before being widowed she had a relationship with Krogstad. She agrees to speak with him to try to be reasonable with Nora.

Nora grows even more anxious when Torvald comes out of his office after Krogstad’s visit and he tries to collect the mail from the mailbox. Nora tries to distract him in any way that she can so that he does not get to his mail and she insists that he not do any work until after the holiday party. He agrees and he helps Nora practice for a dance that she will be performing at the party.

After the party, Torvald goes to check the mail and Nora is preparing herself for his reaction. She contemplates leaving and committing suicide because she knows that if this information is leaked that this will destroy their family’s image. Torvald comes out of his study after reading the letter and he is furious with Nora for her foolishness to the point where he tells her that he does not wish to be with her but will stay with her only so that they do not look bad in the public eye. In his anger he tells her that she is unfit to care for their children and she is immoral. Nora is completely destroyed and it isn’t until the maid comes in with some papers from Krogstad that Torvald’s mood changes.

Torvald receives the incriminating papers from Krogstad along with a where he apologizes for his behavior. Torvald reads this and turns to Nora saying he is no longer upset with her and he has forgiven her for this scare. Nora however does not react the way Torvald does and she is deeply upset with his sudden change reaction. She realizes that all the time she has been married to Torvald she has been treated as his little plaything wrapped around his finger. She has not been treated as an equal and so she decides to leave, ending the play with “the door slam heard ‘round the world.”