'A Doll's House' themes and quotes

LOVE: Nora (Act 2)

“Torvald’s so hopelessly in love with me that he …

wants to have me all to himself”

ACTION: Nora (Act 3)

"(the street door is …

slammed shut)”

ACTION: Nora (Act 2)

“(Nora dances …

more and more wildly)”

CHANGE: Nora (Act 3)

“(looks unflinchingly at him and, her

expression growing colder, says) Yes.”

PESSIMISM: Nora (Act 1)

“What do I care about …

society? I think it’s a bore”

UNCERTAINTY: Nora (Act 1)

“The law must be …

very stupid”

INACTION: Nora (Act 2)

“It’s wonderful really, in a way - …

sitting here and waiting for the miracle to happen”

ROLE-PLAYING: Nora (Act 1)

“(plays with his coat-buttons; not …

looking at him)”

ROLE-PLAYING: Nora (Act 1)

“I’ll lead up to it so delicately, so delicately; …

I’ll get him in the right mood”

ROLE-PLAYING: Nora (Act 3)

“You never loved me. You just thought …

it was fun to be in love with me”

ROLE-PLAYING: Nora (Act 3)

“Taking off my …

fancy dress”

SOCIETY - CAPITALISM: Nora (Act 1)

“We’re going to have …

heaps and heaps of money!”

SOCIETY - GENDER ROLES: Nora (Act 1)

“He’s so proud of …

being a man - it’d be so painful and humiliating for him to know that he owed anything to me”

SOCIETY - GENDER ROLES: Nora (Act 1)

“it was great fun, though, sitting there working and …

earning money. It was almost like being a man”

SOCIETY - GENDER ROLES: Nora (Act 3)

“I’ve been your doll-wife, just as …

I used to be papa’s doll-child”

SOCIETY - GENDER ROLES: Nora (Act 3)

“First and foremost you are a …

wife and a mother”

SOCIETY - GENDER ROLES: Nora (Act 3)

“Millions of women have …

done it”

SOCIETY - GENDER ROLES: Nora (Act 3)

“I’ve never felt so sane and …

sure in my life”

BOUNDARIES - LIFE V. DEATH: Nora (Act 3)

“Sleep well, …

Dr Rank”

TEMPTATION: Nora (Act 1)

“(pops the bag of macaroons …

in her pocket and wipes her mouth)”

“Bloody

… hell!”

TEMPTATION: Nora (Act 1)

“Corrupt my …

little children - ! Poison my home!”

TEMPTATION: Nora (Act 2)

“Well, I suppose you can …

look a bit higher if you want to”

SECRETS: Nora (Act 1)

“This secret that is …

my pride and my joy”

RELIGION: Nora (Act 3)

“I don’t believe in …

miracles any longer”

LOVE: Torvald (Act 3)

“I pretend to myself that you are …

my secret mistress”

SOCIETY - REPUTATION: Torvald (Act 2)

“Your father was not a man of unassailable reputation. But …

I am. And I hope to remain so”

SOCIETY - REPUTATION: Torvald (Act 3)

“we must appear to be …

living together just as before. Only appear, of course”

SOCIETY - REPUTATION: Torvald (Act 3)

“I am …

saved! Nora, I am saved!”

SOCIETY - GENDER ROLES: Torvald (Act 1)

“It’s incredible what an expensive

pet she is for a man to keep”

SOCIETY - GENDER ROLES: Torvald (Act 1)

“has my little …

squanderbird been overspending again?”

SOCIETY - GENDER ROLES: Torvald (Act 3)

“often I wish some terrible danger might threaten you, so that I could …

offer my life and my blood, everything, for your sake”

SOCIETY - GENDER ROLES: Torvald (Act 1)

“I would not be a true man if your …

feminine helplessness did not make you doubly attractive in my eyes”

SOCIETY - GENDER ROLES: Torvald (Act 1)

“I shall be both your …

will and your conscience”

SOCIETY - GENDER ROLES: Torvald (Act 2)

“my poor, …

helpless little darling”

SOCIETY - GENDER ROLES: Torvald (Act 3)

“she is now not only his wife but also …

his child”

BOUNDARIES - LIFE V. DEATH: Torvald (Act 3)

“An ugliness has come between us; thoughts of …

death and dissolution”

AESTHETISISM: Torvald (Act 1)

“A songbird must have a …

clean beak to sing with”

AESTHETISISM: Torvald (Act 2)

“Helmer’s a sensitive chap, and I know how he hates …

anything ugly”

AESTHETISISM: Torvald (Act 3)

“[Rank’s] suffering and loneliness seemed to provide a …

kind of dark background to the happy sunlight of our marriage”

EVIL: Torvald (Act 3)

“all your father’s recklessness and instability he has handed …

on to you! No religion, no morals, no sense of duty!”

SECRETS: Torvald (Act 1)

“An atmosphere of lies …

contaminates and poisons every corner of the home”

SECRETS: Torvald (Act 3)

“For eight whole years - she who was my joy and pride - a …

hypocrite, a liar - worse, worse - a criminal!”

LOVE: Dr Rank (Act 2)

“I have loved you as …

deeply as anyone has”

SOCIETY: Dr Rank (Act 1)

“It’s that attitude that’s turning …

human society into a hospital”

BOUNDARIES - LIFE V. DEATH: Dr Rank (Act 3)

“At the next masquerade, I shall be …

invisible”

INHERITANCE: Dr Rank (Act 2)

“My poor, innocent spine must pay for …

the fun my father had as a gay young lieutenant”

MORALITY: Dr Rank (Act 1)

[when Nora says, “bloody hell!”] “Are you …

mad?”

LOVE: Krogstad (Act 1)

“My sons are growing up: for their sake, I must …

try to regain what respectability I can”

SOCIETY - REPUTATION: Krogstad (Act 2)

“Within a year I’ll be …

his right-hand man”

GOOD V. EVIL: Krogstad (Act 1)

“The law does not …

concern itself with motives”

PESSIMISM: Krogstad (Act 3)

“I’m a shipwrecked man, clinging …

to a spar”

LOVE: Christine (Act 2)

“Once upon a time he’d have done anything for …

my sake”

LOVE: Christine (Act 2)

“Since I had to break with you, I thought it my duty to …

destroy all the feelings you had for me”

LOVE: Christine (Act 2)

“suppose we two …

shipwrecked souls could join hands?”

LOVE: Christine (Act 2)

“I shan’t leave …

this house until we’ve talked this matter out”

SOCIETY - GENDER ROLES: Christine (Act 1)

“A wife can’t borrow money without …

her husband’s consent”

SECRETS: Christine (Act 3)

“This unhappy secret of Nora’s …

must be revealed”

SOCIETY - REPUTATION: Nurse (Act 2)

“A poor girl what’s got into trouble can’t …

afford to pick and choose”