A Doll's House - Themes

Love, Gender expectations, Power, Money, Truth/lies.

Love, Gender expectations - “Torvalds so hopelessly in love with me he wants to have me all to himself” (pg 58)

Highlights the perceived genuine love Nora thought their relationship was built on but also the possessive ideas, based in gender roles and norms (women’s submission, man’s dominance), Torvald possesses due to his belief and faith in gender expectations of society. It highlights his perception of Nora as object he should get to control, being able to choose what she talks about, who she mixes with - so she is entirely at his mercy.

Love, Gender expectations, Power-  “when I’m no longer pretty…when Torvald no longer loves me as he does now” (pg 36)

Suggests that a woman’s worth and desirability is determined by her beauty, a fact Nora is very much aware of as she fantasized about using her beauty to get power + in fact does within her relationship with Torvald, tempting and manipulating him to get what she wants with it. Also demonstrates the conditional nature of Torvald + Nora’s relationship - it is not truly loving as his care for her is dependent on her obeying of gender expectations and upkeeping of the image of a perfect Victorian woman (beautiful, submissive wife).

Love, Gender expectations- “Wretched Woman” (pg 94)

Illustrates the conditional nature of Torvald’s love for Nora - she is only adored + doted on by him/cared for when in line with societal norms. As soon as he discovers she has violated these (even if out of love for him) he loses all love for her, as he enjoys and worships societal norms + cannot bear the thought of being judged for living outside of them. His view parallels the judgemental Victorian society that preached women living inside of their expected pattern.

Love, Gender expectations, power - “You have never loved me. You just thought it fun to be in love with me” pg 98, “A great wrong has been done to me, Torvald. First by Papa, and then by you” pg 97

Highlights the power imbalance of Nora + Torvald’s relationship and that he only enjoys the power he achieves through it (By enforcing gender norms onto his wife). Torvald’’s position of total power over Nora as the earner, homeowner, only one able to make financial transaction, power keeping her form leaving with her children, means that she is stripped of almost any power in their relationship

Love, Gender expectations - “I don’t love you any longer” (pg 101)

Nora loses her love of Torvald when she realises the lack of love he has for her and his selfishness in wanting to uphold his reputation and societal expectations no matter what. He cares more about society’s judgement of him that he does about Nora. This contrasts Nora’s views about

Love, Gender expectations, Power, secrecy - “The life we have built together would no longer exist” (pg 36)

Suggests the conditional nature + weakness of their love, as in going against gender norms (which are enforced by the law) Nora risks losing everything (forcing her into secrecy form her husband). It also highlights the restrictiveness of gender roles onto Nora and her lack of power in the face of them as by not following societal expectations (borrowing money, forging a signature to do so) she will be outcast and probably lose everything she loves, cares about and keeps her comfortable (her children, her money, her home, her husband). Therefore, this forces Nora to lie and keep secrets from her husband.

Gender expectations, Love - “No religion, no morals, no sense of duty!” pg 93

Torvald’s love is determined by Nora’s loyalty to societal expectations. When she goes against these expectations he holds the same negative views against her that society does - as he actions go against what is expected of a woman’s duty due to religious and societal pressures.

Gender expectations, Love - “First and foremost you are a wife and mother” (pg 100) VS “I am first and foremost a human being, like you” (pg 100)

Suggests the reason for their love and relationship breakdown is that Nora and Torvald hold completely opposite ideas towards gender expectations and the roles of women (which ultimately tears the family apart as Torvald tries to enforce gender norms harshly). Also highlights Nora taking the power back form Torvald by denying him the power to push her into following his idea of a perfect woman anymore.

 Love, Gender roles, infantilisation, power - “what an expensive pet she is for a man to keep” (pg 26) / “little squirrel” / “his child” / “this wonderful beauty that’s mine”

Highlights the inequality in Torvald and Nora’s relationship as well as the power dynamics between them. Torvald does not see Nora as his equal and infantatlises her, pushing her into the stereotype of a weak pathetic woman (even though it is clear she is not). This causes Nora to embrace that role within their relationship to follow the gender role Torvald has assigned her, in part to win back some power from him.

Power, Gender expectations, Love - “squirrel would do lots of pretty tricks for you if you granted her wish.” (pg 60) / “play the fool for him (Torvald)” pg 36

Suggests Nora’s reclamation of power within her relationship by playing into the gender expectations that Torvald enforces, as well as using her beauty and seduction to try and trick and manipulate Torvald into getting her way by suggesting he has all the power (what he perceives should be the correct role of a man).

Power, gender expectations -  “Torvald wants me to go as a Neapolitan fisher-girl and dance the tarantella” (pg 57) , “doll-wife” (pg 98)

Demonstrates the reality of Torvald’s power within their relationship, as he is the earner and as Nora’s husband she is essentially his property. He brings in the money, makes the decisions and controls almost everything in the house - including Nora.

Power, Gender Expectations - “lovely little baby dolls” (pg 43), Ivar - “a sword”, Bob - “a horse”, Emmy - “a doll and cradle" + she will “pull them apart in a few days” pg 25

Highlights very limited control Nora has within her role: power over the children. Also suggests the power gender expectations enforced by society and Torvald had over her as she enforced them onto her own children with the gifts she buys them, even if they will make them unsatisfied (much like Nora is forced into a role in society that she is not entirely content within + longs to be free of). Also illustrates Nora’s love for her children + comfort in the role of caretaker.

Secrecy, love - “an atmosphere of lies contaminates and poisons every corner of the home” (pg 53) / “corrupt my little children” (pg 54) 

Highlights Nora’s genuine love of her children and the cruelty and wrongness of a society that forces family apart by encouraging lies and secrecy when people cannot conform to societal norms and expectations.

Power, gender roles -  “I have no influence!” pg 45 / “please! Please!” (pg26)

Torvald has power and control in relationship as he is the one who makes all decisions - for Nora to get what she wants she is forced to beg or manipulate him to get any power or influence.

Power, gender roles - “He’s so proud of being a man” pg 36 / wants to maintain his  “unassailable reputation” pg 61

Torvald has a very fragile masculinity as he believes he should perfectly conform to society’s ideas of what a man is/should be. He also pushes this onto his wife as he genuinely believes that society’s model is perfect.

Money, gender roles, power -  “it’s lovely to have heaps of money and not to have to worry about anything” (pg 30)

Money, only available because of Torvald which grants him power (esp over Nora), allows the family to live comfortably - wealth allows for an easy life (which Ibsen knew well). Moreover, Nora upkeeps her facade of happiness as she does not want to face the truth of her repressing, sad life because she has no way to break free of it (+ still live comfortably).

Secrecy -  “There’s someone coming!” / “Nora dances more and more wildly”

Demonstrates the dangerous effects of lying and secrecy and Nora spirals into paranoia both due to her lies and her fear at the possibility of losing her life as she knows it for breaking gender norms

Secrecy - “Dr Rank, would you like a small macaroon?” / “I thought they were forbidden here” pg 40 /  “more fun to be with” (pg 69)

Highlights the restrictions forced onto Nora by Torvald power as well as Nora’s honesty with both Dr Rank and even more so Christine Linde, since neither of them enforce societally restrictive rules onto her or have power over her like her husband - this makes Dr Rank and christine’s company enjoyable to her.

Secrecy, societal expectations, love (unreciprocated feelings) -  “I have loved you as deeply as anyone else has” pg 68 / “I’m on the way out” pg 64 /  “once one is gone, one is soon forgotten.” pg 66

Dr Rank shares his own secret with Nora is in fact a voice of brutal honesty and realism, which causes her to push him away as he has shattered the happy + acceptable facade of a life that Nora has + has revealed the truth. He has no qualms about going against society’s expectations + honestly admits his feelings despite them going against what society deems as okay.

Illness, society - “sickly” /  “my poor innocent spine must pay for the fun my father had as a gay young lieutenant” (pg 65)

Dr Rank’s illness mirrors he decay of society + societal expectations as they begin to become outgrown and shed by those within society. He highlights the lack of justice or fairness within society; a voice of bleak truth and wisdom about the way society and life functions - unfairly, cruely and outside of perfection.

Society, money -  “I’m just a little run down” pg 39

Christine Linde showcases the hardship of a life without wealth and money as the hardship she has experienced in working hard to get enough money to survive and living in poverty manifests in physical sickness and being worn down - there is severe strain and sacrifice in caring for others.

Money, Gender roles, sacrifice - “A woman who has sold herself once for the sake of others” pg 83 / “I had a helpless mother to take care of, and two little brothers” pg 81

Demonstrates how poverty and survival demands sacrifice and that love is only available for those in privileged positions that have the means to take advantage of it. She is forced out of duty to sacrifice her happiness and to settle for a loveless marriage to provide for her family.

Money, Love, Sacrifice - “I had no choice” (pg 82) / “I had to break with you” (pg 81)

Suggests how survivals demands cruelty, sacrifice and heartlessness when living in hardship. The disadvantaged do not have the luxuries of happiness and love as they lack the means to live comfortably and without worry. Stability and comforts of wealth are absent in poverty and prevent freedom to love.

Love, gender roles, power, money - “nothing at all” (pg 30)

Linde demonstrates the power imbalance between men and women in marriage as men hold all the power over finances etc and through marriage women are stripped of independence and become reliant on man, as they were encouraged not to work. It also becomes highlights the difficulties of life outside of marriage as poverty causes extreme hardship. Also emphasises the loveless marriage and the sacrifices Christine made.

Money, hardship - “So bitter”

Emphasises the pain the poverty brings, Mrs Linde is desperately sad as she develops jealousy of the comfort and ease in Nora’s life which she could not possess due to her financial struggles (such as not being allowed a happy marriage and comfortable life).

“Is it really true you didn’t love your husband?” pg 32 / “You did this for the money!” pg 81

Suggests the sacrifices Christine had to make of love in order to survive financially, as she was forced to give up a love match with Krogstadt in order to survive and support her family out of duty to them. Demonstrates that poverty causes strain and difficulty in all aspects of life.

“No one to care about, no one to care for” pg 82 / “just unspeakably empty” pg 32

Showcases Mrs Linde + Krogstadt’s suffering in a life without love - illustrates that love is the truest joy of all and that without it one is left sad, alone and suffering. Life without love means issolation and upset.

Gender roles - providing for and caring for others/WORK - was the “greatest joy of my life” pg 82

Christine highlights the beginning of new responsibilities and powers for women as she represents the New Woman of the Victorian era, working in the increasingly industrialised and modernised world. This new position, caused due to the wonders of industrialisation, was shocking as women finally grew outside of their expected position of wife, mother and caretaker. Ibsen suggests the empowerment this position offered and the goodness in allowing women responsibility and agency.

Gender roles, power - “Then the law must be very stupid” pg 49

Showcases Nora openly critiquing the restrictive system she has been forced to live in and the barriers in her life, suggesting her unhappiness within the restrictive model of womanhood of the Victorian era.

Money, Power, Gender roles - “The law does not concern itself with motives” pg 49

Krogstadt outlines the apathetic system of the law which cares not for justifications and reasons of hardship forcing people into desperate actions for survival - perhaps a critique on a judgemental society on the actions of those living within hardship (like Krogstadt) or under restrictions (like Nora).

Money, Power - “It’s your husband who has forced me to act like this. And for that I wil never forgive him” pg 73