Doll's House Quotes

Torvald’s fragile masculinity

“he’s so proud of being a man”

Women’s submission to men

“she’s mad to come under some really clever man who can teach her even more”

Nora’s relationship with Torvald

“How on earth could you imagine that I would have any influence over my husband?”

Importance of status (Krogstad)

“I must try to regain what respectability I can”

Ignorance of men to marriage

“merely domestic unpleasantness you were afraid of”

Nora acknowledging her fraud

“It was to save my husband’s life.”

Law as morality

“The law does not concern itself with motives”

Women using their body to please men

“I’ll do everything that you like, Torvald. I’ll sing for you, dance for you-”

Nora playing into Torvald’s misogyny

“Squirrel would do lots of pretty tricks for you if you granted her wish”

Torvald is superficial

“I know he hates anything ugly”

Rank being the one who really loves Nora

“I am ready to serve you, body and soul”

Nora realising the truth could set her free

“A - miracle - is about to happen”

Nora letting go of the shackles of marriage

“Nora dances more and more wildly […] her hair works loose”

Christine having to marry for money

“a woman who has sold herself once for the sake of others doesn’t make the same mistake again”

Torvald infantilising Nora (when he wants to sleep with her)

“Now my little songbird’s talking just like a real big human being”

Tricolon on Torvalds posession

“mine, mine alone, all mine”

Torvald getting off to the idea of moral corruption despite his ‘hatred’ for it

“I pretend to myself that you’re my secret mistress”

Marital rape being normalised

“Don’t want, don’t want-? Aren’t I your husband?”

Torvald finding out the lie

“No religion, no morals, no sense of duty!”

Torvald worrying more about his reputation than Nora

“I am condemned to humiliation and ruin simply for the weakness of a woman”

Torvald finding out the debt has been forgiven

“I would not be a true man if your feminine helplessness did not make you doubly attractive in my eyes”

Nora gaining a backbone

“No, that’s just it. You don’t understand me. […] No, don’t interrupt me.”

Nora leaving

“I am first and foremost a human being