A doll's house quotes

Torvald’s reaction to Nora’s lack of financial understanding

“that is like a woman!”

Nora’s mirroring of Torvald’s language in act 1, showing her acceptance of their relationship dynamic

“we skylarks and squirrels”

The relationship between happiness and financial status, the importance of money in the play

“It will be splendid to have heaps of money and… no need for any anxiety”

Shows Nora’s intelligence and financial understanding, contrasting her acceptance of Torvald’s belittling

“a wife who has the wit to be a little bit clever—”

Nora’s use of expletice language shows a desire to to challenge rules and authority

Well, I’m damned!

How Nora talks about her dress, foreshadows her desire to destroy this kind of family life.

“I should like to tear it into a hundred thousand pieces.”

Nora’s more sarcastic tone contrasts her previous meledromatic tone in Act 1

“Everything you do is quite right, Torvald.”

Nora asserts her right to indiviual identity beyond the role of a wife and a mother. Challenges this pathriarchal view- self discovery

“Do I have to tell you that? Isn't it your duty to your husband and children?”

“My duty to myself”

Reference to title- how Nora first lived under the authority of her father and then Torvald

“He called me his little doll, and he used to play with me just as I played with my dolls.”

Throughout her life, Nora had to put on a performance to please the men around her- Torvald and her father, never having her own identity.

“I have been performing tricks for you, Torvald.”

The relation of money with men’s roles, and the pride Torvald takes in this. Their relationship is based on him playing this role- although Nora is aware internally that it is a facade, her hiding it shows the fragility of their relationship.

“It’d be so painful and humiliating for him to know that he owed anything to me.”

Nora accepted some copying work in order to pay back a loan without Torvald’s knowledge. Although earning money is not a woman’s domain, Nora took pleasure in this.

“it was great fun, though, sitting there working and earning money. It was almost like being a man.”

How Nora defines happiness in the beginning of the play

“keep[ing] the house beautifully and hav[ing] everything just as [her husband] Torvald likes.”

Torvald’s fantasies of saving Nora’s life- displaying an act of heroism, showing his desire to fulfill the role of a man in marriage

“I have often wished that you might be threathened so I might risk my life’s blood…for your sake”