about doll house essay

A Doll’s House Essay

A Doll’s House was written by Henrik Ibsen in 1879. A Doll’s House is not only one of Henrik Ibsen’s most famous plays, but it has also been seen as the starting point for realist drama. A Doll’s House, along with Brand and Peer Gynt, are often considered to be the first modern plays written in Europe. A Doll’s House is a play about power, money, guilt, duty, and family relationships.

A Doll’s House starts with Mrs. Nora Helmer who decides that her family should have an evening at home to celebrate Torvald’s birthday even though there are various outside activities planned earlier on that day. After getting all the children to bed Nora makes some coffee and brings some cake for herself and Torvald. She notices that the maid is not coming in to clear the table, despite several requests. As it turns out, Aune (the maid) is sick and unable to come to work. Nora remarks on Aune’s “poor condition”, saying she will take up Aune’s duties while Aune is ill.

Eventually, Nora forgets about Aune entirely as she becomes engrossed in her own thoughts of how their life together has become stifling; all play rather than essential sustenance of family life had ceased, with Torvald preferring to read newspapers alone in his study each evening rather than engaging with his wife or children. Nora decides she must break free from the chains that bind her. Aune, who turns up at one point is too sick to help with Nora’s children. Nora promises Aune that she will hire a nurse for Aune once Aune has recovered from her illness.

Aune leaves and Torvald enters. He asks about Aune, not believing that an important event would prevent Aune from attending work. The two converse until Nora suggests that they go out to visit Mrs. Linde (who had earlier announced temporary departure due to poor health). Torvald becomes irate over this suggestion as he does not have time to waste on “unimportant” people currently immersed in newspaper reading. He complains of the dinner being cold, further displaying his ignorance of his family and Aune’s conditions.

Nora sees past Torvald’s narrow-mindedness and decides to sit down and play the piano without his permission. He becomes even angrier because Nora has lost track of time while playing; instead of taking up Aune’s duties, she should be finishing the housework such as what Aune would typically do. Nora sees that her husband is quite ignorant in not understanding why Aune is unable to come into work, yet he will not allow Aune a few days’ leave when needed. She tells Torvald about Aune’s illness, but he does not believe it to be a serious affliction.

Not wanting to argue with him so late night, Nora decides to postpone Aune’s endeavor to find a nurse for Aune. The play moves to the following morning, as Nora narrates her daily routine (how she is to be “the perfect wife”). She is aware of Torvald’s explicit caresses every time he returns home from work, but his attentions are merely symbolic gestures signifying their financial arrangement. Aune enters, having recovered from her illness enough to return to work.

Aune relates that one of Mrs. Linde’s family friends has offered Aune a better-paid position in another town. Aune asks Nora whether she believes she is doing the right thing by leaving Nora in need of help with the children and housework. Aune also asks Nora if Torvald will speak to Aune about her departure. Aune requests that Nora not mention Aune’s leaving to Torvald, because Aune does not want him to feel obliged to give Aune a reference. Aune also discloses why she has taken the position, stating she is leaving for “personal reasons”.

Mrs. Linde enters, stating that an old friend of hers who works as a lawyer in Rome has offered her well-paid work caring for his motherless daughter. She requests permission from both Aune and Nora before accepting the job offer. The two are supportive; they will need help while Aune is gone. Mrs. Linde remarks on how overjoyed she is by the prospect of finding employment once again after such a long period of unemployment. Aune also shares her plans of finding a nurse for Aune, but Nora is reluctant to share the news, Aune, leaving with Torvald because he will be disappointed at Aune’s departure.

Aune warns Mrs. Linde that she must not mention Aune’s departure to Torvald either. Aune leaves and Mrs. Linde takes over Aune’s duties in the kitchen while Nora continues playing the piano. Torvald once again returns from work, ruining his routine when he finds no one in the sitting room waiting for him. He calls out “Nora”, and Nora responds by going into her bedroom where Torvald sits on a chair reading a newspaper. She tells him about Aune having left the house. Aune, Nora points out, will definitely provide a reference for Aune.

Torvald begins to worry about Aune leaving, citing that Aune’s work has been outstanding and she would be an exceptional nurse even to his children. He accuses Nora of not being considerate enough towards Aune in allowing Aune the choice of whether or not to stay. Torvald proceeds with his newspaper reading while Nora returns to playing the piano; he comments on how well-played the piece is and praises her talent at playing it so excellently together with such speed and agility. Torvald remarks that Nora never ceases to amaze him (“”Det star mig sa n? som for/Og det driver mig saa forf? rdeligt til vanvidd””).

Aune returns from the kitchen, where Aune has been packing her belongings. Aune asks Nora if she could have a few moments alone with Torvald to say goodbye. A few minutes later Aune asks Mrs. Linde to take a peek at Aune and Torvald to see whether they are finished talking yet because Aune cannot hear anything from Aune’s bedroom. Mrs. Linde enters first before calling for Aune; she tells Aune that it would be best for Aune not to come inside as it appears that there is trouble between them.

Aune stays anyway, deciding that enough time should have passed by now as Mrs. Linde re-enters Aune’s room. Aune enters the bedroom to see Torvald embracing Aune; they are back in love. Aune overhears that Torvald has no idea Aune is leaving until Aune hears Torvald describe how it feels like Aune has left him all alone with three children—he knows exactly how much Aune means to Nora (and vice versa); he wants Aune to stay, even though he can offer her very little except for his gratitude and admiration of Aune’s work.

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A Summary and Analysis of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

A Doll’s House is one of the most important plays in all modern drama. Written by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen in 1879, the play is well-known for its shocking ending, which attracted both criticism and admiration from audiences when it premiered.

Before we offer an analysis of A Doll’s House , it might be worth recapping the ‘story’ of the play, which had its roots in real-life events involving a friend of Ibsen’s.

A Doll’s House : summary

The play opens on Christmas Eve. Nora Helmer has returned home from doing the Christmas shopping. Her husband, a bank manager named Torvald, asks her how much she has spent. Nora confides to her friend Mrs Linde that, shortly after she and Torvald married, he fell ill and she secretly borrowed some money to pay for his treatment. Mrs Linde is looking for work from Nora’s husband.

She is still paying that money back (by setting aside a little from her housekeeping money on a regular basis) to the man she borrowed it from, Krogstad – a man who, it just so happens, works for Nora’s husband … who is about to sack Krogstad for forging another person’s signature.

But Krogstad knows Nora’s secret, that she forged her father’s signature, and he tells her in no uncertain terms that, if she lets her husband sack him, Krogstad will make sure her husband knows her secret.

But Torvald refuses to grant Nora’s request when she beseeches him to go easy on Krogstad and give him another chance. It looks as though all is over for Nora and her husband will soon know what she did.

The next day – Christmas Day – Nora is waiting for the letter from Krogstad to arrive, and for her secret to be revealed. She entreats her husband to be lenient towards Krogstad, but again, Torvald refuses, sending the maid off with the letter for Krogstad which informs him that he has been dismissed from Torvald’s employment.

Doctor Rank, who is dying of an incurable disease, arrives as Nora is getting ready for a fancy-dress party. Nora asks him if he will help her, and he vows to do so, but before she can say any more, Krogstad appears with his letter for Torvald. Now he’s been sacked, he is clearly going to go through with his threat and tell his former employer the truth about what Helmer’s wife did.

When Mrs Linde – who was romantically involved with Krogstad – arrives, she tries to appeal to Krogstad’s better nature, but he refuses to withdraw the letter. Then Torvald arrives, and Nora dances for him to delay her husband from reading Krogstad’s letter.

The next act takes place the following day: Boxing Day. The Helmers are at their fancy-dress party. Meanwhile, we learn that Mrs Linde broke it off with Krogstad because he had no money, and she needed cash to pay for her mother’s medical treatment. Torvald has offered Mrs Linde Krogstad’s old job, but she says that she really wants him – money or no money – and the two of them are reconciled.

When Nora returns with Torvald from the party, Mrs Linde, who had prevented Krogstad from having a change of heart and retrieving his letter, tells Nora that she should tell her husband everything. Nora refuses, and Torvald reads the letter from Krogstad anyway.

Nora is distraught, and sure enough, Torvald blames her – until another letter from Krogstad arrives, cancelling Nora’s debt to him, whereupon Torvald forgives her completely.

But Nora has realised something about her marriage to Torvald, and, changing out of her fancy-dress outfit, she announces that she is leaving him. She takes his ring and gives him hers, before going to the door and leaving her husband – slamming the door behind her.

A Doll’s House : analysis

A Doll’s House is one of the most important plays in all of modern theatre. It arguably represents the beginning of modern theatre itself. First performed in 1879, it was a watershed moment in naturalist drama, especially thanks to its dramatic final scene. In what has become probably the most famous statement made about the play, James Huneker observed: ‘That slammed door reverberated across the roof of the world.’

Why? It’s not hard to see why, in fact. And the answer lies in the conventional domestic scenarios that were often the subject of European plays of the period when Ibsen was writing. Indeed, these scenarios are well-known to anyone who’s read Ibsen’s play, because A Doll’s House is itself a classic example of this kind of conventional play.

Yes: the shocking power of Ibsen’s play lies not in the main part of the play itself but in its very final scene, which undoes and subverts everything that has gone before.

This conventional play, the plot of which A Doll’s House follows with consummate skill on Ibsen’s part, is a French tradition known as the ‘ well-made play ’.

Well-made plays have a tight plot, and usually begin with a secret kept from one or more characters in the play (regarding A Doll’s House : check), a back-story which is gradually revealed during the course of the play (check), and a dramatic resolution, which might either involve reconciliation when the secret is revealed, or, in the case of tragedies, the death of one or more of the characters.

Ibsen flirts with both kinds of endings, the comic and the tragic, at the end of A Doll’s House : when Nora knows her secret’s out, she contemplates taking her own life. But when Torvald forgives her following the arrival of Krogstad’s second letter, it looks as though a tragic ending has been averted and we have a comic one in its place.

Just as the plot of the play largely follows these conventions, so Ibsen is careful to portray both Torvald Helmer and his wife Nora as a conventional middle-class married couple. Nora’s behaviour at the end of the play signals an awakening within her, but this is all the more momentous, and surprising, because she is hardly what we would now call a radical feminist.

Similarly, her husband is not nasty to her: he doesn’t mistreat her, or beat her, or put her down, even if he patronises her as his ‘doll’ or ‘bird’ and encourages her to behave like a silly little creature for him. But Nora encourages him to carry on doing so.

They are both caught up in bourgeois ideology: financial security is paramount (as symbolised by Torvald’s job at the bank); the wife is there to give birth to her husband’s children and to dote on him a little, dancing for him and indulging in his occasional whims.

A Doll’s House takes such a powerful torch to all this because it lights a small match underneath it, not because it douses everything in petrol and sets off a firebomb.

And it’s worth noting that, whilst Ibsen was a champion of women’s rights and saw them as their husbands’ intellectual equal, A Doll’s House does not tell us whether we should support or condemn Nora’s decision to walk out on her husband. She has, after all, left her three blameless children without a mother, at least until she returns – if she ever does return. Is she selfish?

Of course, that is something that the play doesn’t answer for us. Ibsen himself later said that he was not ‘tendentious’ in anything he wrote: like a good dramatist, he explores themes which perhaps audiences and readers hadn’t been encouraged to explore before, but he refuses to bang what we would now call the ‘feminist’ drum and turn his play into a piece of political protest.

2 thoughts on “A Summary and Analysis of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House”

This powerful play foretold the 1960’s monumental epic of Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique, A similar awakening for middle class women, of their unnamed discontent within a marriage. Both paved the the way to the Feminist Movement of the 1970’s where with increased consciousness of economic inequities, women rebelled, just as Nora had done. Homage is owing to both Ibsen in his era and Friedan in hers. Today there are increasing numbers of women serving as Presidents of their nations and in the USA a female Vice-President recently elected to that prestigious office.

I remember reading the play while being a college student. It seemed so sad but at the same time so close to real life. Maybe our lives are quite sad after all.

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A Doll's House

By henrik ibsen, a doll's house study guide.

Ibsen’s A Doll’s House (1879), written while Ibsen was in Rome and Amalfi, Italy, was conceived at a time of revolution in Europe. Charged with the fever of the 1848 European revolutions, a new modern perspective was emerging in the literary and dramatic world, challenging the romantic tradition. It is Ibsen who can be credited for mastering and popularizing the realist drama derived from this new perspective. His plays were read and performed throughout Europe in numerous translations like almost no dramatist before. A Doll’s House was published in Copenhagen, Denmark, where it premiered.

His success was particularly important for Norway and the Norwegian language. Having been freed from four centuries of Danish rule in 1814, Norway was just beginning to shake off the legacy of Danish domination. A Doll’s House was written in a form of Norwegian that still bore heavy traces of Danish. Ibsen deliberately chose a colloquial language style to emphasize local realism, though Torvald Helmer does speak in what Michael Meyer has described as “stuffy Victorianisms.” Ibsen quickly became Norway’s most popular dramatic figure. But it is the universality of Ibsen’s writings, particularly of A Doll’s House, that has made this play an oft-performed classic (see “A Stage History” for details of the play in performance).

It is believed that the plot of A Doll’s House was based on an event in Ibsen’s own life. In 1870 Laura Kieler had sent Ibsen a sequel to Brand , called Brand’s Daughters , and Ibsen had taken an interest in the pretty, vivacious girl, nicknaming her “the lark.” He invited her to his home, and for two months in the summer of 1872, she visited his home constantly. When she married, a couple of years later, her husband fell ill and was advised to take a vacation in a warm climate–and Laura, like Nora does in the play, secretly borrowed money to finance the trip (which took place in 1876). Laura falsified a note, the bank refused payment, and she told her husband the whole story. He demanded a separation, removed the children from her care, and only took her back after she had spent a month in a public asylum.

Laura and Nora have similar-sounding names, but their stories diverge. In Ibsen’s play, Nora never returns home, nor does she ever break the news to her husband. Moreover—here the difference is most striking—it is Nora who divorces her husband. The final act of the play reveals Torvald as generous and even sympathetic.

A Doll’s House was the second in a series of realist plays by Ibsen. The first, The Pillars of Society (1877), had caused a stir throughout Europe, quickly spreading to the avant garde theaters of the island and the continent. In adopting the realist form, Ibsen abandoned his earlier style of saga plays, historical epics, and verse allegories. Ibsen’s letters reveal that much of what is contained in his realist dramas is based on events from his own life. Indeed, he was particularly interested in the possibility of true wedlock as well as in women in general. He later would write a series of psychological studies focusing on women.

One of the most striking and oft-noted characteristics of A Doll’s House is the way it challenges the technical tradition of the so-called well-made play in which the first act offers an exposition, the second a situation, and the third an unraveling. This was the standard form from the earliest fables until the time of A Doll’s House, which helped usher in a new, alternative standard. Ibsen’s play was notable for exchanging the last act’s unraveling for a discussion, one which leaves the audience uncertain about how the events will conclude. Critics agree that, until the last moments of the play, A Doll’s House could easily be just another modern drama broadcasting another comfortable moral lesson. Finally, however, when Nora tells Torvald that they must sit down and “discuss all this that has been happening between us,” the play diverges from the traditional form. With this new technical feature, A Doll’s House became an international sensation and founded a new school of dramatic art.

Additionally, A Doll’s House subverted another dramatic tradition. Ibsen’s realist drama disregarded the tradition of featuring an older male moral figure. Dr. Rank , the character who should serve this role, is far from a positive moral force. Instead, he is not only sickly, rotting from a disease picked up from his father’s earlier sexual exploits, but also lascivious, openly coveting Nora. The choice to portray both Dr. Rank and the potentially matronly Mrs. Linde as imperfect humans seemed like a novel approach at the time.

The real complexity (as opposed to a stylized dramatic romanticism) of Ibsen’s characters remains something of a challenge for actors. Many actresses find it difficult to portray both a silly, immature Nora in the first act or so and the serious, open-minded Nora of the end of the last act. Similarly, actors are challenged to portray the full depth of Torvald’s character. Many are tempted to play him as a slimy, patronizing brute, disregarding the character’s genuine range of emotion and conviction. Such complexity associates A Doll’s House with the best of Western drama. The printed version of A Doll’s House sold out even before it hit the stage.

A more obvious importance of A Doll’s House is the feminist message that rocked the stages of Europe when the play premiered. Nora’s rejection of marriage and motherhood scandalized contemporary audiences. In fact, the first German productions of the play in the 1880s used an altered ending, written by Ibsen at the request of the producers. Ibsen referred to this version as a “barbaric outrage” to be used only in emergencies.

The revolutionary spirit and the emergence of modernism influenced Ibsen’s choice to focus on an unlikely hero, a housewife, in his attack on middle-class values. Quickly becoming the talk of parlors across Europe, the play succeeded in its attempt to provoke discussion. In fact, it is the numerous ways that the play can be read and interpreted that make the play so interesting. Each new generation has had a different way of interpreting the book, from seeing it as feminist critique to taking it as a Hegelian allegory of the spirit’s historical evolution. This richness is another sign of its greatness.

Yet precisely what sort of play is it? George Steiner claims that the play is “founded on the belief…that women can and must be raised to the dignity of man,” but Ibsen himself believed it to be more about the importance of self-liberation than the importance of specifically female liberation—yet his contemporary Strindberg certainly disagreed, himself calling the play a “barbaric outrage” because of the feminism he perceived it as promoting.

There are many comic sections in the play—one might argue that Nora’s “songbird” and “squirrel” acts, as well as her early flirtatious conversations with her husband, are especially humorous. Still, like many modern productions, A Doll’s House seems to fit the classical definition of neither comedy nor tragedy. Unusually for a traditional comedy, at the end there is a divorce, not a marriage, and the play implies that Dr. Rank could be dead as the final curtain falls. But this is not a traditional tragedy either, for the ending of A Doll’s House has no solid conclusion. The ending notably is left wide open: there is no brutal event, no catharsis, just ambiguity. This is a play that defies boundaries.

A Doll’s House Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for A Doll’s House is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Explain why krogstad says he would ask for his letter back

The music of the tarantella is heard above, and Mrs. Linde urges Krogstad to be quick. Krogstad now grows suspicious, questioning whether she is saying all of this simply on behalf of Nora. She denies it, and he then offers to take the letter...

Meaning of Excesses with regards to A Doll's House

What act are you referring to?

Mrs Linde States "i want to be a mother to someone, and your children need amother. We two need each other. Nils, I have faith in your real character I can dare anything together with you ?Based on this reading What does she want from life?

Ultimately, Mrs. Linde decides that she will only be happy if she goes off with Krogstad. Her older, weary viewpoint provides a foil to Nora's youthful impetuousness. She perhaps also symbolizes a hollowness in the matriarchal role. Her...

Study Guide for A Doll’s House

A Doll's House study guide contains a biography of Henrik Ibsen, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About A Doll's House
• A Doll's House Summary
• Character List

Essays for A Doll’s House

A Doll's House essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Henrik Ibsen's play A Doll's House.

• Influence of Antigone on A Doll's House
• Burning Down the Doll House
• Ibsen's Portrayal of Women
• Dressed to Impress: The Role of the Dress in Cinderella and A Doll's House
• A Doll's House: Revolution From Within

Lesson Plan for A Doll’s House

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to A Doll's House
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• A Doll's House Bibliography

E-Text of A Doll’s House

A Doll's House e-text contains the full text of A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen.

• DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Wikipedia Entries for A Doll’s House

• Introduction
• List of characters
• Composition and publication
• Production history

Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Plays — A Doll's House

Essays on A Doll's House

When tasked with writing an essay on Henrik Ibsen's play A Doll's House, the choice of topic is crucial. A thought-provoking and well-researched essay topic can make the difference between a mediocre and an outstanding paper. The right topic can demonstrate your understanding of the play, critical thinking skills, and ability to analyze complex literary themes.

The right topic will not only make the writing process more enjoyable and engaging for you, but also for your readers. A well-chosen essay topic will allow you to explore and showcase your knowledge of the play, and it will also make it easier for you to find credible sources to support your arguments. Moreover, an interesting and unique topic will set your essay apart and capture the attention of your audience.

When choosing an essay topic, it's important to consider your interests, the play's themes, and your target audience. Consider what aspects of the play you found most intriguing or thought-provoking, and what themes you would like to explore further. Additionally, think about the potential impact of your topic on your readers. Will it challenge their perspectives, provoke discussion, or shed light on a lesser-known aspect of the play?

Recommended A Doll's House Essay Topics

Gender roles and identity.

• Discuss the portrayal of gender roles in A Doll's House.
• Analyze the theme of female liberation in the play.
• Examine the impact of societal expectations on the characters' identities.
• Compare and contrast the male and female characters in the play.

Marriage and Relationships

• Explore the portrayal of marriage in A Doll's House.
• Analyze the dynamics of Nora and Torvald's relationship.
• Discuss the theme of deception and its impact on relationships in the play.
• Examine the role of love and sacrifice in the play.

Social Class and Power

• Analyze the theme of social class and its impact on the characters' lives.
• Discuss the portrayal of power dynamics in A Doll's House.
• Examine the characters' aspirations and limitations based on their social status.
• Compare and contrast the attitudes towards social class in the play.

Individualism and Independence

• Explore the theme of individualism and independence in A Doll's House.
• Analyze Nora's journey towards self-discovery and independence.
• Discuss the consequences of pursuing personal freedom in the play.
• Examine the characters' desires for autonomy and self-expression.

Morality and Ethics

• Discuss the moral dilemmas faced by the characters in A Doll's House.
• Analyze the characters' decisions and their ethical implications.
• Explore the societal norms and moral values depicted in the play.
• Examine the consequences of challenging conventional morality in the play.

Character Analysis Topics

• Nora's transformation throughout the play
• Torvald's portrayal as a controlling husband
• Krogstad's role as an antagonist
• Mrs. Linde's influence on Nora's decisions
• Dr. Rank's significance in the play

Theme Analysis Topics

• The portrayal of gender roles in the play
• The concept of self-discovery and identity
• The theme of deception and lies
• The significance of money and materialism
• The idea of sacrifice and independence

Social Commentary Topics

• The portrayal of marriage and societal expectations
• The critique of the Victorian era's societal norms
• The role of women in a patriarchal society
• The impact of societal pressures on individual freedom
• The representation of class and social status

Dramatic Elements Topics

• The use of symbolism in the play
• The significance of the play's setting
• The use of dramatic irony in key scenes
• The role of minor characters in shaping the plot
• The impact of the play's structure on the audience's perception

These are just a few examples of A Doll's House essay topics that provide a wide range of potential areas for exploration when analyzing and that you could explore. When choosing a topic, remember to select one that aligns with your interests, allows for in-depth analysis, and offers a fresh perspective on the play. With the right topic, your A Doll's House essay can be a compelling and insightful piece of literary analysis.

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"A Doll's House": Symbolism of Freedom and Rebellion

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Henrik Ibsen’s Portrayal of Gender Roles as Depicted in This Play, a Doll's House

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December 21, 1879

Henrik Ibsen

Naturalistic / Realistic Problem Play, Modern Tragedy

Norwegian, Danish

Nora, Torvald Helmer, Krogstad, Mrs. Linde, Dr. Rank, Children, Anne-Marie, Helene

The home of the Helmer family in an unspecified Norwegian town or city, circa 1879

The awakening of a middle-class wife and mother.

21 December 1879, by Henrik Ibsen

The play centres on an ordinary family — Torvald Helmer, a bank lawyer, and his wife, Nora, and their three little children. Into this arrangement intrude several hard-minded outsiders, one of whom threatens to expose a fraud that Nora had once committed without her husband’s knowledge in order to obtain a loan needed to save his life. When Nora’s act is revealed, Torvald reacts with outrage and repudiates her out of concern for his own social reputation. Utterly disillusioned about her husband, whom she now sees as a hollow fraud, Nora declares her independence of him and their children and leaves them.

The main themes of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House revolve around the values and the issues of late 19th-century bourgeoisie, namely what looks appropriate, the value of money, and the way women navigate a landscape that leaves them little room to assert themselves as actual human beings.

Nora Helmer, Torvald Helmer, Dr. Rank, Kristine Linde, Nils Krogstad, The Children (Ivar, Bobby and Emmy), Anne Marie, Helene, The Porter

A Doll's House was based on the life of Laura Kieler (maiden name Laura Smith Petersen), a good friend of Ibsen. Much that happened between Nora and Torvald happened to Laura and her husband, Victor. Similar to the events in the play, Laura signed an illegal loan to save her husband's life – in this case, to find a cure for his tuberculosis.[

The play was a great sensation at the time, and caused a "storm of outraged controversy" that went beyond the theatre to the world of newspapers and society. In 2006, the centennial of Ibsen's death, A Doll's House held the distinction of being the world's most performed play that year. UNESCO has inscribed Ibsen's autographed manuscripts of A Doll's House on the Memory of the World Register in 2001, in recognition of their historical value.

“You have never loved me. You have only thought it pleasant to be in love with me.” “You see, there are some people that one loves, and others that perhaps one would rather be with.” “I must make up my mind which is right – society or I.” “But no man would sacrifice his honor for the one he loves. It is a thing hundreds of thousands of women have done.”

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A Doll's House

53 pages • 1 hour read

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Discussion Questions

Examine the pet names Torvald uses for Nora , like “skylark” and “squirrel.” What do these names say about how Torvald sees Nora? Why might Ibsen have chosen these particular nicknames?

There are three women in this story: Nora , Kristine , and Anne Marie. What do their different experiences say about the pressures women faced at the end of the 19th century?

Every scene in the play takes place in the living room of Torvald and Nora’s house. Why do you think Ibsen chose to confine the action to this single room?

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Henrik Ibsen – A Doll’s House: Setting

Setting in a doll’s house: summary, a doll’s house setting: essay main body, setting in a doll’s house: analysis conclusion, works cited.

The play ‘The Dollhouse’ was written in 1879. In this work, Henrik Ibsen criticizes Victorian marriage and the secondary roles of women in society. The freedom and independence of the main character, Nora, is limited by her husband and father. Ibsen skillfully uses settings to reflect and unveil the feelings and thoughts of the main characters. The settings help Ibsen to create a unique atmosphere in the play and symbolically portray inner feelings, emotional experience, and changes in the main characters.

The description of the house and Torvald’s apartments shapes the atmosphere of the play and reflects changes in family relations. Its description is put at the very beginning of the story, so it is possible to say that Ibsen underlines the significance of this symbol for the entire work and plot development attracting the attention of readers. The family house reflects the life of Nora and her husband Torvald. “Certainly Torvald does understand how to make a house dainty and attractive” (Ibsen). Throughout the play, the setting and symbol of a house reflect the inner physiological state of Nora and her life. It seems Nora is comforted by the world around her but despair continues to attack her. “Listen, Torvald. I have heard that when a wife deserts her husband’s house, as I am doing now, he is legally freed from all obligations towards her” (Ibsen). This setting plays a symbolic meaning shaping atmosphere of despair and family tragedy. The house symbolizes happy family life and close relations between the spouses. Using the setting of ‘the Dollhouse’, Ibsen underlines that Nora’s freedom is limited by this setting and the surrounding.

Using unique settings of the room and furniture, Ibsen misleads readers creating an atmosphere of wealth and happiness. All events take place in one room. The room represents rosy dreams and life hopes, a positive atmosphere, and friendly family relations. Although, because the social role of the wife is predetermined, Ibsen underlines that Nora feels miserable and depressed. This symbolic meaning helps readers to grasp the idea at once shaping the atmosphere of the play. Also, this setting contemplates nature, both the natural world around the narrator and her own inner nature. Another unique setting is Torvald’s study. Ibsen mentions only a door leading to this room. It is possible to say that this setting symbolizes men’s world and financial power outside women’s control. Ibsen comments in one of the remarks: “comes out of HELMER’S study. Before he shuts the door he calls to him” (Ibsen). In contrast to this setting, Ibsen includes the setting of the room where Nora dances. “[Nora] had danced her Tarantella, and it had been a tremendous success, as it deserved” (Ibsen). Both settings reflect two different worlds which separate the husband and wife. Specific detailed descriptions of these settings force readers to go beneath the surface and reinterpret the life and family roles of the spouses.

The setting of Christmas-time supports an atmosphere of mystery and life hopes. Torvald asks Nora: “Do you remember last Christmas? For a full three weeks beforehand you shut yourself up every evening, making ornaments for the Christmas Tree” (Ibsen). On the other hand, this remark depicts that the family has some financial problems and Nora has no money of her own depending upon her husband. This is the main reason why Ibsen discusses an important issue concerning the low status of women in society and the moral issues connected with it. Christmas-time symbolizes love and family relations as a vein sacrifice that is painful and sorrowful lasting for decades and causing terrible sufferings and emotional burden.

The settings unveil family relations and symbolically portray the roles of the husband and wife. Through the settings, Ibsen records the changes in Nora’s nature and her desire to overcome her husband’s oppression and become free from him. The settings unveil contractions between old and new values and ideas.

Ibsen, H. A Doll’s House . 2002.

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1. StudyCorgi . "Henrik Ibsen – A Doll’s House: Setting." August 13, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/setting-in-a-dolls-house-by-henrik-ibsen/.

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StudyCorgi . "Henrik Ibsen – A Doll’s House: Setting." August 13, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/setting-in-a-dolls-house-by-henrik-ibsen/.

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Feminism in “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen Essay (Review)

Introductions, feminism in the play, works cited.

Written by Henrik Ibsen, A Doll’s House is a play released during the Victorian era of the 19 th century. The play addresses life as it was then, when women where no more than dolls, unable to perform significant roles in the then society as well as standing up for themselves in the family.

It addresses the issue of gender roles, showing how disempowered the female is and the consequences behind this. Nora, a major character and a wife to Helmer, illustrates how women suffer mistreatments and degradations from their husbands. Following the impact on the life styles of women and the devastation of gender roles in the then century, brought by Ibsen through this publication, which is also evident today, the composition stands out as a feminist essay right from the title, A Doll’s House, up to the end of the play.

Feminism is an issue that pursues the liberation of women, majority of whom live as slaves even in their very own families, whether married or not. This is the condition of women as at the time when Ibsen composes the play. He is handling the situation as it is as a call for women to stand up and fight for their rights in the society.

The topic of the play serves as a clear illustration of feminism. A Doll is denotes the position of a woman in the family. A major character employed to portray is Nora. She is married to Helmer who refers to her as a mere doll rather than a wife. Nora is referred by her husband as a songbird, a lark, a squirrel, names that suggest how insignificant she is to her.

In fact, Helmer asks, “Didn’t you tell me no one had been here…My little songbird must never do that again. A songbird must have a clean beak to chirp with-no false notes!” (Ibsen 25). Helmer stands out as a commander in his family. Everything he tells his wife ought to be adhered to regardless of the consequences therein. The way he questions Nora depicts his sternness and authoritative position in his family. He deprives Nora of the ability to decide as the wife.

She cannot decide on whom to welcome in her family, neither can she decide on what to do in it. She only dances the tune of her husband. She is just a doll in the house that does in accordance with what others need out of it but not what it needs out of them. This degradation is what the writer brings forth to the women stressing on their need to rise up and fight against it.

Nora is given every sort of names by her husband. But this does not make her dump him. They are together as a husband and a wife for a good number of years.

Yes, Torvald, I can’t get along a bit without your help” (Ibsen 26). Money seems to be everything that Nora wants. But she realizes later that it (money) is useless without her enjoying her rights, not only as a woman but also a living being. In her reaction against the situation, she makes the best individual pronouncement for the first time. She opts for abandoning her husband to stay alone where she can enjoy freedom.

She will not be constrained in a house like a doll; neither will she dance to any other person’s tune, but hers. She is a feminist whom the play uses as an illustration that women can make sound decisions as well as playing a significant role in their families other than just cooking and taking care of their husbands.

“The common denominator in many of Ibsen’s dramas is his interest in individuals struggling for and authentic identity in the face of tyrannical social conventions. This conflict often results in his characters’ being divided between a sense of duty to themselves and their responsibility to others” (Ibsen 1563). Nora realizes that she is more than what she does or what his husband thinks she can do and has the right to manifest her talent or powers as a woman.

She goes for this right. In fact, she declares that she needs to “make sense of [her] self and everything around her” (Ibsen 25). This is her turning point. She is ready to stand up for her rights as a woman regardless of the prevailing situation where women are being oppressed and denied some of their fundamental rights like the right to make personal decisions.

Mrs. Linde’s conversation with Nora depicts her as one who led a life based on the decisions of her late husband. For instance, when her husband dies, she has virtually nothing of her own, money and children inclusive. This places everything in her then family in the hands of her husband. She has no power to earn as a woman. This is only the task of her husband. The death of her husband is symbolic. It implies the end of slavery and a commencement of feminism.

Linde sets off to look for a job, which in turn enables her to take care of her family. This is no more than the realization that she is capable of working for her people just like her husband. In fact, she stands out as woman enough to leave a note to her husband claiming to return the following day. This is contrary to what is expected of the then women. They ought to stay in the houses all the times as the title, ‘A Doll’s House’ suggests. In her dialogue with Krogstad, she says that she is now ‘free’ and wishes to look after her family.

This depicts the oppression she experiences before realizing that she is equally as powerful as a man and that she is all able to support her family. For instance, she takes a full responsibility of nursing her sick mother. This is not a possible case before when she is a doll in her husband’s house. She says that she was “a poor girl who’d been led astray” (Ibsen 29). This is the consequence of oppression that Ibsen addresses, that is in turn realized and abandoned by people like Linde and Nora-the feminists.

Nora initially is a ‘pet’ in her family. She is just there to make her husband happy by going out with him, cooking for him, and maintaining his title as a ‘man’ owing to her beauty. As a doll plays its assigned role, not based on the situation, Nora has to tolerate this torture for the sake of her husband.

This is her life that she realizes later that it is no more than a lie. She imagines of another one where she will be, not a doll, but a significant and a responsible person in her society. Nora says, “I’ve been your wife-doll here, just as at home I was Papa’s doll-child”(Ibsen 1608). This is the beginning of her realization. She is now courageous enough to confront her very own stern husband no matter the outcome.

She is ready to fight for her rights as a woman. “I have to try to educate myself. You can’t help me with that. I’ve got to do it alone. And that’s why I’m leaving you now” (Ibsen 1609). Nora goes for the change she wants. She can educate herself regardless of her being a woman. She is not afraid of saying this to her husband.

Ibsen finalizes the play by depicting all the women characters as feminists who abandon their ‘doll’ lives to leave like free, significant, and responsible in their societies. Nora, Linde, among others, begin as slaves but end a feminists. This renders Ibsen’s ‘A Doll’s House’ a feminist essay.

Ibsen, Henrik. “A Doll’s House” London: Nick Hern Books, 1994.

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IvyPanda. (2022, June 17). Feminism in "A Doll's House" by Henrik Ibsen. https://ivypanda.com/essays/is-a-dolls-house-a-feminist-essay/

"Feminism in "A Doll's House" by Henrik Ibsen." IvyPanda , 17 June 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/is-a-dolls-house-a-feminist-essay/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'Feminism in "A Doll's House" by Henrik Ibsen'. 17 June.

IvyPanda . 2022. "Feminism in "A Doll's House" by Henrik Ibsen." June 17, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/is-a-dolls-house-a-feminist-essay/.

1. IvyPanda . "Feminism in "A Doll's House" by Henrik Ibsen." June 17, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/is-a-dolls-house-a-feminist-essay/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Feminism in "A Doll's House" by Henrik Ibsen." June 17, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/is-a-dolls-house-a-feminist-essay/.

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Nora’s True Identity

      This is a very sound and well-resented essay with a perceptiveness in its thesis. There are a few glitches in some of the sentences, but not enough to detract for the overall impression of intelligent commentary. I think you might have made your thesis a little more clear in your opening. For instance, you might have said: "Even in the life she lives with Torvald, there are signs that beneath the "twitterbird" and "squirrel," there is a strong and capable woman functioning in secret. It is this secret Nora who emerges in the end, ready to openly seek an independent life where her attributes needn't be concealed." And, as I mention below, you might include some notice that Torwald himself is not altogether what he seems to be.

     Again, some fine thinking through the implications of the play and a clear exposition. This is a good example of an A paper. I would probably give it in the vicinity of a 96.

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Step Inside Emma Roberts’s “Grown-up Dollhouse” in LA

By Chelsea Hodson

Photography by Michael P. H. Clifford

Styled by Amy Chin

The home is like a womb,” says actor and producer Emma Roberts (most recently seen in American Horror Story : Delicate ), adding that her new Los Angeles residence is a place where she can feel protected and happy. “I haven’t always had that—I think I lived in 10 houses by the time I was 15—so for me now, having a son, I wanted a place that felt really ours.”

After a few self-proclaimed “failed” attempts at decorating on her own, Roberts turned to star designers Louisa Pierce and Emily Ward of the AD100 firm Pierce & Ward , with whom she had worked on a previous residence. Their first step was simply to repaint the stark white walls a creamy ivory in order to begin bringing warmth, depth, and an air of timelessness to the space. “We want a house to look like it’s been there for 50 years,” says Pierce. “We never want a home to look new.”

In the entry hall, a 1950s Italian light fixture, Hunter Douglas window shades, a vintage Welsh spinning chair, a vintage pine accent table, and an antique Persian rug from Nasir’s Oriental Rug Gallery .

In the powder room, a 19th-century English pine chest was repurposed to create a vanity. Newport Brass sink fittings and Arjumand’s World Floral Spread wallpaper envelops the walls.

Keeping in line with this approach, they retained many pieces of furniture that Roberts already owned, doing things like reupholstering the sofa in the formal living room to give old possessions new life. They also incorporated much of the art that Roberts already had, and made room for her collections of dolls, books, and vintage magazines. “ Minimalism is not my strong suit,” she says with a laugh. “Every house I’ve ever lived in feels a little bit like a cabinet of curiosities.” This element of repurposing, Ward points out, helps ensure the home doesn’t feel overly designed.

“I loved the idea of making my very own grown-up dollhouse ,” Roberts says, explaining that she was smitten with the place after seeing it advertised as a rental on Instagram. On a whim, Roberts went to check it out and ended up asking if the owner would consider selling it. When the owner said yes, it all began to feel meant-to-be for Roberts and her now three-year-old son, Rhodes. “I have a picture of the day we moved in,” Roberts says, smiling. “I’m holding him and it was the most sunny California day, and we were in front of the blue door of our new house. I just remember feeling like we are exactly where we need to be.”

A Capiz Shell Globe light and Bardot burl wood coffee table by RH center the family room. Timothy Oulton sofa in Honey Chenille from F & S Fabrics ; Nickey Kehoe chairs; Swedish stools. Artworks on the rear wall include photographs of Joni Mitchell and Graham Nash by Henry Diltz and Debbie Harry by Maripol , and a limited-edition silkscreen of Mitchell from Woodstock Leisure Syndicate inspired by a photograph by Gijsbert Hanekroot .

On her first visit, Roberts had taken one look at the cabinets in the living room and thought, “I can put all my books there.” At the time, the doors were inset with chicken wire, so anything on the shelves would be on full view. Pierce and Ward changed the open wire to solid caning to help create a sophisticated neutral backdrop for the room. This way, Roberts can continue collecting all the mismatched paperbacks she likes without the pressure to style them in any way. On nearby open shelves, many of her prized vintage editions are on display, amplifying the feeling of coziness and adding to the literary atmosphere.

It’s clear a reader lives here. Roberts and her best friend Karah Preiss have run the beloved Belletrist book club since 2017, and two years later, the two started Belletrist Productions, which has produced two television shows so far ( First Kill on Netflix, and Tell Me Lies on Hulu). In this role, Roberts is often reading several books at once.

In the living room, a Radius coffee table by Nickey Kehoe stands between a pair of Louisa club chairs by Pierce & Ward and a sofa upholstered in a Rose Tarlow Melrose House glazed linen. Custom curtains of bamboo silk.

Rhodes has his own mini library in his room, in addition to his first “big boy bed.” The ceiling is covered in a Mulberry Home wallpaper depicting flying ducks because, Roberts explains, “I remember as a kid, whatever’s on your wall and your ceiling is seared into your brain for the rest of your life. So I wanted to make it extra cozy and fun, but not too overwhelming.”

Roberts calls the primary bath her “happy place.” It’s where her son gets ready for bed and, later, where she likes to soak with a book. Right now, she’s reading an advanced copy of The Coin by Yasmin Zaher, which comes out in July. Roberts recently finished The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis, which she recommends wholeheartedly, and After Henry, a 1992 collection of essays by her literary hero Joan Didion , which she bought on Etsy from Womb House Books. This was the last book by Didion on Roberts’s list—she was saving it, because she didn’t want to have read all of her books. Next to the tub stands a bar cart that the design team cleverly repurposed to hold Roberts’s favorite candles and bath salts, as well as Rhodes’s bath toys.

The kitchen , where Roberts makes French toast for Rhodes many mornings, is another favorite area. She recalls feeling that something about the room wasn’t quite right, and the design team told her it needed an island. Roberts was on the fence but now loves the addition. “It’s a game changer,” she admits. “It’s completely changed how we live in the kitchen. It’s just so much easier to cook and so much easier to sit.” When she saw the island, she asked if it was custom-made. Pierce and Ward began laughing and revealed that it was actually a ready-made piece from Urban Outfitters. Roberts recalls them saying proudly, “High-low, baby!”

John Derian’s Rose Mosaic Forest fabric—used on the bed and for the curtains—defines the primary bedroom. Samarcande pendant light from Ebur ; vintage artwork; antique Persian rug.

That open-minded approach has resulted in rooms that look to the past for inspiration while also making plenty of space for living in the moment. Things feel luxurious, but never precious. “A room is never done,” Ward says. “You need to breathe new life into spaces all the time.” So, even though the collaboration between Roberts and Pierce & Ward is complete for now, the design allows for change and growth.

Hanging on a wall of the formal living room is a 1968 Julian Wasser portrait of Didion—the iconic shot of her in front of her Corvette Stingray with a cigarette dangling between her fingers. The photo—one of Roberts’s most treasured possessions­—was a gift from her manager David Sweeney, who has worked with her since she was nine years old. It makes sense that this photo would make its way into Roberts’s new home—Didion evokes Hollywood literary glamour in the same way Pierce & Ward’s design does. Here, history and beauty coexist and evolve as Roberts and Rhodes continue to write new stories.

Emma Roberts’s home appears in AD’ s May 2024 issue. To see her home in print, subscribe to AD .

Roberts in a Giambattista Valli bandeau and skirt, Brunello Cucinelli sweater vest, and Ben Shoppe jewelry, at her front door. The entrance is painted in Benjamin Moore’s Mystic Gold and Cos Cob Stonewall .

In the powder room, a 19th-century English pine chest was repurposed to create a vanity. Newport Brass sink fittings; Arjumand’s World Floral Spread wallpaper envelops the walls.

Emma Roberts, wearing an Hermès top, skirt, and shoes (on floor) and a vintage Cartier watch from Platt Boutique Jewelry , in her living room. Vintage Studio Craft round parquet table; table lamps by Soho Home ; walls painted in Benjamin Moore’s Manchester Tan . Fashion styling by Brit and Kara Elkin .

Another view of living room.

Alpine stools from Super Simple pull up to the Grayson Kitchen Island from Urban Outfitters.

Custom cabinetry outfitted with hardware by Pierce & Ward for Modern Matter anchors the primary bath. Hunter Douglas window shades; Red Onyx octagon floor tiles by Burke Decor.

The primary bathroom features a custom millwork vanity painted in Benjamin Moore’s Manchester Ta n. Bespoke mirror; vintage needlepoint chair from Chairish .

Rhodes’s room features a bespoke bed upholstered in P/Kaufmann fabric, ceiling covered in Mulberry Home’s Grand Flying Ducks , and Provenance Shades  by Hunter Douglas.

Roberts, wearing a Chanel dress (with Chanel shoes off to the side), in front of the gazebo. Furniture includes a Bacio rattan lounge chair and Espira coffee table by CB2.

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