Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen

¶ … DOLL'S HOUSE Kristine Linde and Nils Krogstad are apparently two minor characters in Henrik Ibsen's play 'Doll's House'. When we meet them for the very first time, they are both surrounded by unfortunate circumstances. Kristine was Mrs. Linde windowed some ten years ago and finally returning to her town to acquire a job at the bank where Torvald Helmer is the manager. Nils Krogstad is in a subordinate position at the very same back and he is a widower with several children.

Kristine and Krogstad had been close acquaintances at one time in the past. This is clear from Kristine's initial reaction at seeing Krogstad at Nora's house and her confession that she knew him. Nora. A lawyer, of the name of Krogstad. Mrs. Linde. Then it really was he. Nora. Do you know the man? Mrs. Linde. I used to -- many years ago. At one time he was a solicitor's clerk in our town Krogstad was the more sincere one of the two in this case.

Kristine Linde left him for money and summarizing their past relationship, Krogstad says 'a heartless woman jilts a man when a more lucrative chance turns up." Krogstad clearly loved her a great deal since even after several years of being apart, he is gentle to her and tells her just how painful it was to see Kristine leave him for another man. "When I lost you, it was as if all the solid ground went from under my feet.

Look at me now -- I am a shipwrecked man clinging to a bit of wreckage." Kristine explains that she did it for her two younger brothers and aging mother. The two finally get back together. Nils Krogstad is responsible for sending the letter to Torvald Helmer. But it is Kristine Linde who is responsible for having Helmer finally read it. Krogstad sent the letter exposing the crime of Nora when he realized that he might lose his job to Kristine.

Krogstad was known for his morally corrupt character and he sought revenge as soon as he came to learn of his termination. In his anger, he decided to meet with Nora to inform her of her husband's decision and to seek her influence in changing this decision. Nora refused to help since he couldn't possibly exert influence on her husband. Krogstad (changing his tone). Mrs. Helmer, you will be so good as to use your influence on my behalf. Nora. What? What do you mean? Krogstad.

You will be so kind as to see that I am allowed to keep my subordinate position in the Bank. Nora tries to convince Helmer to let Krogstad keep his job but that doesn't make a dent in her husband's decision and as the result of this, Nora's crime is exposed in a letter to Helmer. However before this letter could be read, Kristine meets Krogstad and the two get back together which urges Krogstad to get his letter back.

At this point, Kristine instructs Krogstad to not withdraw the letter from the letterbox. She has been with Nora and Helmer and feels there is some tension between the two because of this secret. Kristine wants Helmer to learn the truth" "Helmer must know all about it.

This unhappy secret must be disclosed; they must have a complete understanding between them, which is impossible with all this concealment and falsehood going on." The last conversation between Nora and Helmer is the one that exposes the shallowness and hypocrisy of their relationship. While Nora was a sincere devoted wife, her husband is nothing but a self-serving hypocrite who would do anything to save himself from harm even if it meant putting his own wife in the line of fire.

This is evident from the letter he receives from Krogstad. Prior to reading it, he had been declaring his love for his wife whom he saw as a "little singing-bird." But as soon as he has read the letter, he declares Nora to be "a hypocrite, a liar -- worse, worse -- a criminal!" Nora is shocked at the behavior of her husband because he didn't seem to care about the motive behind the crime which was to save Helmer's life.

Earlier Nora thought she would have to leave children and Helmer to pay for her crimes alone so no one else has to pay a price but later realizes that she had been living with a hypocrite all her life. She slowly comes to the realization that her husband loves her only as long as everything is well but as soon as something goes wrong, he would be happy to leave her. On the other hand, Nora loved her husband dearly at all occasions and under all circumstances.

When the threat of danger is removed.