Feminism and Identity in Ibsen's A Doll's House

Plot Summary and Main Characters

Henrik Ibsen's play A Doll's House earned him the title of father of modern literature. His writing portrayed tragedy and drama in a new and distinctly modern way. Before analyzing the play's central themes, it is useful to discuss the plot and main characters in detail. The story revolves around only a few characters and takes place over just a few days. It begins on Christmas Eve, when Nora returns to the living room after a shopping trip. Nora is the protagonist — a wife and a mother — and from the very first scene, the audience senses the rigid dynamic between her and her husband, Torvald Helmer.

Their conversation reveals that the family has weathered difficult times in the past. However, thanks to Torvald's new position at the bank, their financial situation has improved considerably. Soon, Dr. Rank, an old family friend, appears, followed shortly by Nora's close friend Kristine Linde. Nora learns that Mrs. Linde has been through tremendous hardship and that her husband recently passed away. In turn, Nora discloses her own struggles — particularly the period when Torvald fell gravely ill and the couple was forced to travel to Italy for his recovery. It is here that Nora reveals her great secret to her friend.

Nora confesses that she borrowed money to fund the trip to Italy and told Torvald the money had come from her father. Because the loan was a secret, she had to work and save in secret to repay the debt gradually. Another character then enters: Krogstad, a low-level employee at the same bank where Torvald works. It is soon revealed that Krogstad was the source of Nora's secret loan. He also fears he is about to be dismissed from his position. To protect himself, he blackmails Nora, threatening to tell Torvald about the forgery she committed — specifically, that she forged her father's signature on the loan documents — unless she convinces her husband to keep him employed.

Nora understands that if Torvald discovers the forgery and the loan, it will bring shame on them both. She makes several attempts to change Torvald's mind, but he refuses to listen. He insists that Krogstad is a man of poor character and must be dismissed. Nora's panic grows, and she feels increasingly trapped. Krogstad is indeed dismissed, but he then demands to be reinstated at a higher post.

Throughout this period, the audience comes to understand that Torvald is deeply stubborn and will not change his mind regardless of what Nora does or says. Desperate to protect herself, Nora turns to Dr. Rank for help. However, Dr. Rank — who knows he is dying — chooses that moment to declare his love for Nora. She immediately stops confiding in him. This moment is significant: it establishes Nora as a loyal and morally grounded woman who will not exploit a dying man's affections for her own gain.

Aware that Nora will do almost anything to keep her secret, Krogstad nonetheless drops a letter in Torvald's mailbox detailing the entire fraud. Distressed, Nora rushes to Mrs. Linde and tells her everything. Mrs. Linde urges Nora to keep Torvald away from his mailbox. Not knowing what else to do, Nora dances frantically in the living room and begins behaving erratically. In the midst of this agitation, she extracts a promise from Torvald that he will not open the mailbox until after a performance they are to attend.

It is then revealed that Krogstad and Mrs. Linde were once deeply in love before she left him to marry a wealthier man. Mrs. Linde now tells Krogstad she is free of all obligations and wishes to be with him, which fills him with joy. He is even willing to retrieve the letter before Torvald reads it. Mrs. Linde, however, argues that it is better for the couple if the truth comes out. After the costume party, Torvald finds and reads the letter.

Torvald reacts with fury, calling Nora a hypocrite and a liar and heaping insults upon her, going so far as to declare that she is unfit to raise his children. Shortly afterwards, a second letter arrives containing the loan contract with the forged signature — this time, Krogstad has withdrawn his threat. Torvald's mood shifts instantly; he tells Nora to forget his harsh words and assures her he bears no grudge. Yet despite his sudden change of heart, Nora decides to leave him. She is tired of being treated like a doll in his house, and his behavior in the crisis has shown her the truth of their relationship.

Works Cited

Adams, Robert Martin. "Henrik Ibsen: The Fifty-First Anniversary." The Hudson Review, 10.3 (1957): 415–423. Print.

Fjelde, Rolf. Four Major Plays: Volume I. New York City: Signet Classic, 1992. Print.

Forward, Stephanie. "A New World for Women? Stephanie Forward Considers Nora's Dramatic Exit from Ibsen's A Doll's House." The English Review, 19.4 (2009). Print.

Freedman, Morris. The Moral Impulse. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1967. Print.

Gilman, Richard. The Making of Modern Drama. New York: Farrar, 1972. Print.

Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll's House. London: Methuen Drama, 2000. Print.

Marker, Frederick and Lisa-Lone Marker. "The First Nora: Notes on the World Premiere of A Doll's House." Ibsenårboken, 11 (1970): 84–100. Print.

Meyer, Michael. Ibsen. Garden City: Doubleday, 1971. Print.

Shafer, Yvonne. Approaches to Teaching Ibsen's A Doll House. New York: Modern Language Association of America, 1985. Print.

Templeton, Joan. "The Doll House Backlash: Criticism, Feminism, and Ibsen." Publications of the Modern Language Association of America, (1989): 28–40. Print.

Valency, Maurice. The Flower and the Castle: An Introduction to Modern Drama. New York: Macmillan, 1963. Print.