essay questions based on a doll's house

A Doll’s House Essay Topics & Samples

In this particular section, you can find excellent topics for A Doll’s House essay. You might be a tired student who is out of ideas. You may be a journalist who wants to write a piece about this great play. No matter what brought you here. Custom-Writing.org experts have created this guide to provide enough inspiration for everyone to keep on going!

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Here, we put together the best A Doll’s House essay questions and topics supplemented with short prompts that give extra details. As a bonus, there are essay samples! Moreover, they are all related to the materials discussed in other parts of this guide, so don’t forget to check them out as well!

• 🏆 Essay Questions
• 💡 Essay Topics with Prompts
• 📝 Essay Examples

🏆 A Doll’s House Essay Questions

• A Doll’s House: what does the play’s title mean?
• What do macaroons symbolize in A Doll’s House?
• Is a Doll’s House a feminist play?
• Why was Ibsen forced to create an alternate ending for A Doll’s House?
• How does Nora Helmer change by the end of the play?
• What is Nora’s secret in A Doll’s House?
• Who is the antagonist in A Doll’s House?
• What genre is A Doll’s House?
• How did Ibsen use dramatic irony in A Doll’s House?
• What is the theme of A Doll’s House?
• Nora and Torvald: what is wrong with their relationship?
• In what ways does Dr. Rank provide a contrast to Torvald?
• What is the most wonderful thing that Nora Helmer talks about in the play’s last scene?

💡 A Doll’s House Essay Topics with Prompts

• Describe your opinion about how realistic the play is. Usually, Ibsen’s play is viewed as realistic . However, there might be some contradictions. For example, all the literary devices the author uses. Metaphors and plenty of symbols don’t precisely align with realism in A Doll’s House . Consider both points of view and write an argumentative essay. 
• How are gender roles in A Doll’s House represented? One of the central themes in the play is gender roles and feminism . Nora’s behavior is strongly identified with those issues as she tries to find the way out of her dependency. It wasn’t surprising back then for a woman to be an obedient, quiet wife who only takes care of the house and kids. Ibsen opens up this theme through Nora’s conflict. 
• Write A Doll’s House character analysis. It is a rather generic theme, so you should think it through and pick one or more characters you wish to analyze. One of the options is to make a comparative analysis of two characters of your choice. If you are not sure where to begin, check out our complete guide to this play! 
• Discuss the purpose and effects of dramatic irony in A Doll’s House . Ibsen uses irony in his play a few times. Even though it doesn’t really fit the definition of drama, which is A Doll’s House genre, it adds s excellent impression. Find the most prominent examples of this literary device and try to discuss why the author put it there. 
• The theme of marriage and love in the play. It would be an argumentative essay on love in A Doll’s House . Ibsen highlights this theme as one of the most important. You may consider adding a few paragraphs about how characters other than Nora perceive love and the institution of marriage. 
• What are the most prominent symbols in the play? Every literary piece has at least one symbol presented in it. Ibsen’s play is not an exception. The symbolism in A Doll’s House is tightly related to the central themes such as freedom and gender roles. Moreover, you should discuss their roles in the play and relevance back then. 
• Mrs. Linde’s influence on Nora’s personal development. It seems like everything starts escalating with Mrs. Linde’s arrival in A Doll’s House . However, you would need to consider some indirect influence of that event. It appears that their first conversation might have brought some insights for Nora and promoted her transformation as well as self-realization. 
• Compare and contrast A Doll’s House characters: Nora and Krogstad. This A Doll’s House essay should be focused mainly on the similarities between these two characters. They have both committed a crime to save their loved ones. Therefore, you need to consider how Nora and Krogstad feel about social rules and why they were so desperate. 
• The theme of freedom in Ibsen’s A Doll’s House . Look into how the play’s characters use the word “freedom.” In this writing, you should focus on the differences between perspectives introduced by various characters. Moreover, it might be a good idea to mention the causes of such mindsets. For example, society at the time was quite influential. 
• Discuss Torvald’s point of view on his life. As the play progresses, the audience might notice that Torvald’s perspective is somehow too idealistic. Even though A Doll’s House is supposed to be realistic, this character prefers imaginary life to the real world. Here, you need to find the moments when such Torvald’s traits are the most obvious and analyze them. 
• When Mrs. Linde calls Nora a “child,” how does it reflect the truth? In one of the scenes, Mrs. Linde comments on Nora’s irresponsible and inappropriate behavior by calling her a “child.” However, no one truly knows Nora’s natural character and struggles. How fair is it to make such judgments?  
• Look into an inheritance in Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. How does the author describe the traits that characters inherit from their relatives? For example, Dr. Rank blames his father for having a disease that slowly kills him. Meanwhile, Nora’s relationship with her father was complicated to the point that even Torvald comments on it. 
• What is the meaning behind the title of Ibsen’s play? A Doll’s House might as well hide a metaphor behind its title. Torvald often calls his wife his “doll.” How does it reflect their relationship? What is the correlation of the title to the central theme of gender roles? Nora doesn’t seem to feel free in her house and is getting more and more tired of those plays. 
• How feminist is A Doll’s House ? Ibsen highlights gender roles’ theme in the play and reflects on the state of this issue back then. Even though the rise of feminism would happen years after its publication, the author had already introduced a character representing the movement . Discuss Nora’s liberation from her husband in this essay. 
• Analyze the progression of Nora’s character in the play. Nora is not the only dynamic character in A Doll’s House . However, she is one who undergoes the most change. She goes from pretending to be an obedient and happy housewife to a woman who is ready to leave her family to seek independence and her true self. 
• Write about the theme is self-sacrifice in Ibsen’s play. The central themes of A Doll’s House are gender roles, freedom, and marriage. However, there are some less popularly analyzed issues that Ibsen highlights. For instance, self-sacrifice appears to be a shared aspect amongst some characters. All female characters have experienced it, and some men in the play have gone through it as well. 

📝 A Doll’s House Essay Examples

• Thorvald and Nora in A Doll’s House: Character Analysis
• Theme and Conflict in “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen
• The Role of Women in A Doll’s House
• Historical Context of A Doll’s House
• Characters in A Doll’s House: Analysis
• Ibsen’s A Doll’s House: Critical Analysis
• Symbolism in A Doll’s House
• Nora in A Doll’s House: Character Analysis
• Setting in A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen
• The Role of Women in A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen
• “Ghosts” vs. “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen
• Nora in “The Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen

Thank you for reading this article! If you haven’t found the perfect title idea, try our topic-generating tool . Any questions left? Check the QA section ! 

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The play may seem as a simple story about an average family. A husband thinks he’s a good family member, while his wife takes care of three children and is supposed to be charming and dependent. However, everything turns upside down when the truth is revealed. If you want to...

If you’re looking for A Doll’s House summary, you’re in the right place. This page prepared by our experts contains a short play’s synopsis, an illustrated timeline, as well as detailed summaries of A Doll’s House act 1, act 2, and act 3. Let’s dive right in! ✂️ A Doll’s...

Want to know more about A Doll’s House characters? Nora and Torvald, as well as minor characters in The Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, are discussed in this article by Custom-Writing.org experts. Let’s dive right in! 🗺️ A Doll’s House Character Map Below you’ll find A Doll’s House character map....

Ibsen introduces quite a lot of serious topics in his play. The key themes in A Doll’s House are: love and marriage, money and work, feminism and gender roles. All of them are related to social issues that are still considered relevant nowadays. Gender roles and the way women stand...

On this page with A Doll’s House analysis, you can find a few aspects that may help you understand Ibsen’s work. Custom-Writing.org experts have prepared it for those who love getting into details. The first things to look into are A Doll’s House symbolism and literary devices since there may...

In case you don’t have enough time to read out the complete guide on Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, this section can serve you well. There might be too much information available about this play, which is quite confusing and exhausting since it would take forever to go through all of...

Dr. Rank is generally considered to be Torvald’s foil because of such different attitudes and behavior. The most sticking aspect is how the two men treat Nora. It is clear that Torvald doesn’t see his wife as an individual, which is one of the leading causes of her transformation. Meanwhile,...

The setting of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House is not totally clarified. It is only said that the play takes place in some city or town in Norway. Moreover, everything happens at Helmer’s house. There is a reason why the place is described so generally. Such a trick prevents the audience...

Henrik Ibsen wrote A Doll’s House in 1879. The same year the play was published and performed for the first time. It appeared to be a pretty revolutionary piece, from the perspective of both the perspective and genre. Ibsen’s play started up a trend for realistic writing. However, it wasn’t...

A Doll’s House takes place at the same time period as when it was written. Nowadays, we call it the Victorian era, since those were the years of Queen Victoria’s reign. That time was characterized by specific social norms that dictated how marriages and families should be run. Ibsen highlights...

There are quite a few themes that Ibsen highlights in his play. A Doll’s House is a unique mix of drama and realism, which allows the author to work on relevant and essential topics. Marriage, gender roles, money, and society are only a few of the themes that open up...

A Doll’s House is Henrik Ibsen’s play which describes challenges that women of that time had to go through. We can only assume that this realistic piece was quite relevant in the Victorian era. The author pictures a life of an average Norwegian family that seems happy. However, everything starts...

It would only be fair to claim that A Doll’s House‘s central theme is gender equality. Even though Ibsen masterfully raised many others, such as marriage and social code, they don’t seem to be as crucial in the play. Nora’s character represents the theme of gender roles and proves that...

The mentality and perspective of people change with time. Therefore, we shouldn’t be shocked by the fact that the audience saw Nora as scandalous in the Victorian era. Back then, the whole of Europe had pretty traditional views on marriage, and women who leave their families behind just to self-explore...

A Doll’s House is considered to be a drama. Ibsen presented it in the limits of one family. However, this issue concerns many people. At the same time, the play is also tragic, even though no character is shown dying. A Doll’s House introduces a conflict between an individual and...

The play is set in some random Norwegian town in the Victorian age. No details are describing the exact location and time of the events. However, even that little information about the setting can give you some insight into Ibsen’s style and intentions. It appears to be vaguely described on...

Mrs. Linde is Nora’s old friend who unexpectedly shows up at Helmer’s house at the beginning of the play. Her husband died, leaving her without any money, so she comes to ask for a job. She seems to be a sensible and understanding woman yet following the generally accepted social...

It didn’t take long for the play to go out to the public. A Doll’s House was first performed in December 1879, the same year Ibsen finished it. The Royal Theatre in Copenhagen was honored to offer the stage for it. Even though Henrik Ibsen was quite popular, this play...

Nora is the main character of the play, and we get to find out about her secret when Mrs. Linde comes to have a chat with her. It appears that Nora borrowed a large sum of money from Krogstad to pay for the trip to Italy. It was the only...

A Doll’s House was written and presented to the public in 1879. It was a time when women had few rights. Ibsen used it as the central theme for his play, which was met with some criticism. However, we can’t ignore that the social issues he highlights weren’t relative back...

A Doll’s House ending was considered somewhat scandalous back in the Victorian age. At the time, when women were supposed to be obedient wives and take care of the family, Nora’s decision to leave everything behind was not exactly socially acceptable. She chose independence and the path to self-discovery over...

'A Doll's House' Questions for Study and Discussion

Henrik Ibsen's Famous Feminist Play

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A Doll's House is an 1879 play by Norwegian writer Henrik Ibsen , which tells the story of a discontented wife and mother. It was highly controversial at the time of its release, as it raised questions and criticism about the societal expectations of marriage, especially the subservient role women were expected to play. Nora Helmer is desperate to keep her husband Torvald from discovering that she forged loan documents, and thinks if she is revealed, he will sacrifice his honor for hers. She even contemplates killing herself to spare him this indignity.

Nora's being threatened by Nils Krogstad, who knows her secret and wants to reveal it if Nora doesn't help him. He's about to be fired by Torvald, and wants Nora to intervene. Her attempts are unsuccessful, however. She asks Kristine, a long-lost love of Krogstad's, to help her, but Kristine decides Torvald should know the truth, for the good of the Helmers' marriage.

When the truth comes out, Torvald disappoints Nora with his self-centered reaction. It's at this point Nora realizes she has never truly discovered who she is but has lived her life as a plaything for the use of first her father, and now her husband. At the end of the play, Nora Helmer leaves her husband and children in order to be herself, which she is unable to do as part of the family unit.

The play is based on a true story, of Laura Kieler, a friend of Ibsen's who went through many of the same things Nora did. Kieler's story had a less happy ending; Her husband divorced her and had her committed to an asylum.

Discussion Topics

• What is important about the title? Who is the "doll" Ibsen refers to?
• Who is the more significant female character in terms of plot development, Nora or Kristine? Explain your answer.
• Do you think Kristine's decision not to prevent Krogstad from revealing the truth to Torvald is a betrayal of Nora? Does this act ultimately hurt or benefit Nora?
• How does Henrik Ibsen reveal character in A Doll's House ? Is Nora a sympathetic character? Did your opinion of Nora change from the beginning of the play to its conclusion?
• Does the play end the way you expected? Do you think this was a happy ending?
• A Doll's House is generally considered a feminist work. Do you agree with this characterization? Why or why not?
• How essential is the setting, both in terms of time period and location? Could the play have taken place anywhere else? Would the final outcome have had the same impact if A Doll's House had been set in the present day? Why or why not?
• Knowing that the plot is based on a series of events that happened to a female friend of Ibsen's, did it bother you that he used Laura Kieler's story without it benefiting her?
• Which actress would you cast as Nora if you were to stage a production of A Doll's House ? Who would play Torvald? Why is the choice of actor important to the role? Explain your choices.
• 'A Doll's House' Summary
• The Character of Nora Helmer
• 'A Doll's House' Overview
• 'A Doll's House' Characters: Descriptions and Analysis
• Profile of Torvald Helmer From "A Doll's House"
• 'A Doll's House': Themes and Symbols
• The Best Plays For New Theatergoers
• 'A Doll's House' Quotes
• 'A Doll's House' Character Study: Dr. Rank
• "A Doll's House" Character Study: Nils Krogstad
• "A Doll's House" Character Study: Mrs. Kristine Linde
• Nora's Monologue from "A Doll's House"
• 4 Creative Ways to Analyze Plays
• Torvald Helmer's Monologue From 'A Doll's House'
• Biography of Henrik Ibsen, Norwegian Playwright
• Ednah Dow Cheney

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

KCSE SET BOOKS ESSAY QUESTIONS and ANSWERS

Enjoy free KCSE revision materials on imaginative compositions, essay questions and answers and comprehensive analysis (episodic approach) of the set books including Fathers of Nations by Paul B. Vitta, The Samaritan by John Lara, A Silent Song, An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro and Parliament of Owls by Adipo Sidang'. This blog is useful to Kenyan students preparing for KCSE; and their teachers.

Monday 26 August 2019

A doll’s house essay questions for kcse candidates, a doll’s house essay questions.

Wafula Wekati  After looking at  easy ways to analyze A Doll’s House for Kenyan secondary schools, let us now have some practice questions for students and teachers. 

Tip: Some of these sample essays may lack full textual illustrations and are simply meant to guide the learner on how to go about essay writing. Ensure you know the process of essay writing before you attempt writing the essays.  Always support every claim with sufficient textual backing while attempting to clearly highlight the embedded moral value .

A DOLL’S HOUSE ESSAY QUESTION 

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7.    Unwise decisions can cause misery. Write an essay to qualify this statement citing illustrations from Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House.

     Do you think Dr. Rank makes an irresponsible decision when he confesses her love for Nora? Let me hear your views in the comments’ section below.

8.   Write an essay to show how secrets damage relationships making reference to Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House ?

9.    Selfishness does not pay. Write an essay to show the truth in this assertion in relation to Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House .  

     Is it fair to consider Krogstad selfish? Leave your thoughts in the comment section. 

       Others: Dr. Rank’s decision to confess his love to Nora that eventually makes Nora to lose the trust that she had in him.

  A DOLL’S HOUSE ESSAY QUESTION

12. Self sacrifice must be rewarded. Write an essay to validate this claim basing your illustration on Nora in Henrik Ibsen’s  A Doll’s House .

Nora, a paragon of selflessness, gives up her own desires and wishes in order to help her husband and her children and spare her dying father care and anxiety. She sacrifices her self-worth, material comfort and opinions for the sake of others. These altruistic acts eventually pay off.

First, Nora sacrifices her self-worth and respect when she illicitly acquires two hundred and fifty pound loan from Krogstad in order to save her husband Torvald’s life. According to the laws and customs at the time, a wife could not borrow without her husband’s consent.  Nora’s husband Torvald was dreadfully ill and the doctors recommended a trip to Italy to aid in his recovery. He had earlier quit his job, overworked himself and fallen ill. Nora tries to coax him to take the trip by asking him for a tour abroad like other young brides. She tries tears and entreaties and even suggests that he takes a loan. He remains adamant forcing Nora to take a loan in order to save his life. She forges her father's name in the process. She does it to spare him care and anxiety about her husband’s life. She does it for love’s sake. Nora’s troubles pay off since the trip saves Torvald’s life. When they from Italy after a year, he’s healed sound as a bell. Nora sacrifices her respect but saves her husband’s life.

Nora endeavors to repay the loan secretly without her husband’s knowledge with a view of sparing him pain and humiliation of knowing he owed her something. In the process she gives up her material comfort. Torvald is a vain man who values manly independence. Knowing Nora took a loan for his sake would hurt him and upset their mutual relationship, so Nora decides to repay it by herself. She works tirelessly doing needle work, embroidery and crotchet-work. This affair causes her a lot of worry since it is difficult to meet her engagement punctually. She tells Mrs. Linde about her quarterly interest and payment in installments which are difficult to manage. She sacrifices her material comfort by buying the simplest and cheapest things in order to save part of the housekeeping money and pay the loan. She also tirelessly worked late doing some copying work to raise money. Nevertheless, she still buys Torvald a good table and her children smart clothes. Thus the money helps to maintain a beautiful happy home for Torvald and her three children.

Apart from that, Nora sacrifices her own preferences, aspirations and opinions in order to please and avoid upsetting her father and her husband. At home, her father influenced her to have same opinion as his. If she differed with him she concealed the fact to him. She was a doll-child to be played with. Nora feels that Torvald is just like his father. He does everything according to his tastes and forces Nora to acquire the same tastes. He considers her a childish play-object, a doll-child and their home is a playroom. He refers to Nora using playful pet names such as a little skylark and a little featherhead. He even forbids her from innocuous pleasure such as eating macaroons. He decides that she attends the fancy dress ball as a Neapolitan fisher girl. Nora blames Torvald and her father for failing to make anything out of her life. She gives up her own desires for the sake of her husband Torvald and her father, thus averting a strain in their cordial relationship.

Lastly Nora gives up her home and family in pursuit of self fulfillment and education. After persevering the suffocating environment of Torvald home for eight years, Nora decides to leave her children under her Nanny Anne’s care and go and seek fulfillment of her hopes and ambitions. Her marriage is rife with misunderstanding. As husband and wife they have never had a serious conversation. Nora has never been happy playing the role of a doll in a play room, yet she is a reasonable human being. Nora says that her most sacred roles are duties to herself not her husband or children. She is no longer content with what most people say, what is found in books, the law or religion. Since Torvald could not make a sacrifice for her sake, she says he’s not the man she thought he was. She leaves the children with Anne and says they are in better hands than hers. In order to make some strides in life and achieve personal objectives, we sometimes make hard decisions and sacrifices. Nora gives up her family with a view of achieving liberty and self-fulfillment.

In conclusion, self sacrifice pays off. When we are selfless we help our loved ones, avoid alterations or strained relationships and create joy.

A DOLL’S HOUSE ESSAY QUESTION

14. Proud people fail eventually. Making reference to Torvald Helmer in A Doll's House , write an essay to validate this statement.

People who are overly arrogant are bound to fail. Torvald Helmer is too conceited. He feels self-important on many occasions. Eventually he looks foolish when Nora decides to leave him because of his pride.

First, because of his actions of self-importance, Torvald treats Nora as a child and an unreasonable woman. Torvald never takes her seriously. He takes her playfully by the ear and refers to her by pet names that denote pride for example poor little girl or helpless little mortal. Instead of regarding Nora as a reasonable wife, he calls her a squirrel or a skylark. When Nora complains about having been in a eight year marriage that was devoid of any serious conversation, Torvald foolishly compounds the matter by averring that playtime is over and lesson time begins for both Nora and her children. Tired of his egotism, Nora decides to leave him. Torvald tries to forbid her like he would a child. He calls her a blind foolish woman and spells out her supposed most sacred duties – duties to her husband and children. Nora sticks to her guns further exposing Torvald’s pride when he dismisses her stand. He claims that it is unheard of for a girl her age to challenge conventional societal norms. That she talks like a heedless child. Reality dawns on him when he realizes that an abyss had opened between them. He is stunned that Nora is resolute about parting with him. In his despair, he promises to change and suggests rather ludicrously that she stays and they live as brother and sister. He begs her to allow him to write to her or help her if need arises but she declines. When she leaves he feels empty. Pride, really, comes before a fall. (pg. 108, 111-115, 117,118, 119, 120)

Secondly, Torvald cannot make any sacrifice for Nora because of his pride. He later on regrets this and begs her earnestly to allow him to treat her well. Following Krogstad’s impending blackmail, Nora hopes that Torvald would be selfless enough to take everything upon himself for her sake. That would have been a wonderful thing. Torvald is too haughty to make such a sacrifice. He claims rather absurdly that no man would sacrifice his honour for the one he loves. Nora tells him that she cannot bind herself to such a man who only cares about himself. When Krogstad sends the bond, he wants things to go back to normal as they were before. To Nora, he is a strange man. Nora chooses to leave him. He is turned into a beggar, coaxing Nora to stay. He asks her to stay until the next day. He even suggests that they live as brother and sister when it becomes apparent that she is determined to leave. He offers to help her if need be. His hypocritical pleas prove futile when she leaves him, astounded and feeling empty. His pride leads to his inevitable fall. (pg. 106, 108, 117-120)

In addition to that, Torvald is too proud to openly express his love to his wife Nora. She exists only to please him. During the dress ball, he speaks so little to her. He only steals furtive glances at her, like a secret lover, enjoying the frivolous entertainment. Nora tells him that he has never loved her. He only thinks it pleasant to be in love with her. Like her father, Torvald treats her like a doll. She has to obey or pretend to like all their opinions and tastes. She exists merely to perform tricks for Torvald. Nora has never been happy in Torvald’s home. She is only merry. She decides to leave Torvald because of his excessive pride. Torvald is shocked. He wonders what he had done to forfeit her love. She has waited for eight years for him to stand up for her. This does not happen. When Krogstad blackmails her, he insults her instead of coming to her defense as she had hoped. She finds this odd. Torvald’s fall is clear when he implores Nora fervently when she decides to leave. He cannot fathom parting from Nora. He is willing to fill the abyss that has opened between them. He promises to become a different man. He offers to help her and request her to allow him to write to her. She declines help from a “stranger”. He feels miserably empty and stunned when she leaves him reeling in shock, his face buried in his hands. Surely, his pride results in his downfall. (pg. 96, 110, 111-120)

Also, Torvald is too chauvinistic to accept any help from Nora. His manly independence would make it too painful and humiliating for him to know that he owed her anything. Nora is thus forced to keep the loan she got from Krogstad a secret. If Torvald found out about it, it would upset their mutual relations and dampen their beautiful happy home. Nora is forced to repay the money secretly and this gives Krogstad an opportunity to blackmail her. The secret is her joy and pride and the revelation would put her in a disagreeable situation. She hopelessly tries to beseech Torvald to keep Krogstad at the bank to avert the blackmail but Torvald is too proud to listen to her. Eventually, Torvald's true colours are revealed when Krogstad lets the cat out of the bag. He calls Nora a liar, a criminal and a thoughtless woman. He is so worried about what people will think or say about him. He compels Nora to stay but forbids her from raising her own children. She decides to leave him because of his selfish  haughtiness. Torvald is forced to adjure Nora to stay. He miserably promises to change. He desperately asks her to leave the next day. He hopelessly fails to stop her departure even when he avers that they could live as brother and sister. Due to his pride, Nora regards him as a stranger she cannot bind herself to. She leaves him feeling dreadfully empty. (pg. 20, 36, 42, 61, 103, 110-120)

Torvald is too proud to borrow money. Nora grapples with the gargantuan burden of repaying a hefty loan of 250 pounds she incurred from Krogstad. When Nora suggests that they borrow some money before the new year, Torvald in his usual arrogant fashion labels her a little featherhead. He claims that Nora's suggestion is womanish and that there is no beauty in debt and borrowing. When he falls dreadfully ill, Nora hints that he raises a loan to facilitate the lifesaving trip to Italy. He almost gets angry and haughtily dismisses her “whims and caprices”. Nora is forced to borrow to save the money Torvald’s life and now she must repay the loan secretly. It is a dreadfully difficult affair and many a times she is at her wits end. When Krogstad threatens to blackmail her about the forgery, she hopes Torvald would sacrifice and say: “I am the guilty one”. He is, however, not ready to make such a sacrifice for her. Nora says she cannot bind herself to such a man and chooses to walk away from her marriage. She commands him to sit and listen as she recounts the pain she experienced in their eight year marriage. When she is determined to leave him, Torvald earnestly entreats her to stay. She asks her to leave the next day. He wonders if there is anything he could do to fill the abyss between them. He offers her help but Nora would not accept assistance from a strange man. Nora laughs off his ridiculous suggestion that they live as brother and sister. She walks away leaving Torvald hopelessly empty. Needless to say, pride comes before a fall. (pg. 2-3, 19, 116-120)

Lastly, Torvald’s pride is apparent when he seems to care more about his reputation than his wife's happiness. When Torvald finds out about Nora's secret he does not empathise with her. Instead of talking it out reasonably, he insults her calling her a liar, a criminal and a thoughtless woman. He demands an explanation from Nora whom he arrogantly refers to as a miserable creature. He compares Nora to her father, whom he says was want of principle. He blurts out that Nora has destroyed his happiness and he is being punished for ignoring Nora's similarities to her father. He is worried that people will suspect he aided Nora in her ostensible indiscretion . He is in the power of an unscrupulous man thanks to a thoughtless woman, he says. We know that his arrogance led to all this. Furthermore, he forbids Nora from bringing up her own children and demands that the matter be hushed up at all costs. He intends to paint a picture of normalcy to the outside world, unwary of the abyss between him and his wife. He struggles to guard his reputation at the expense of her happiness. Later on, Torvald is elated that he is saved when he gets the bond back from Krogstad. As a result of his apparent self-indulgence, Nora chooses to leave him. He unsuccessfully tries to implore her to stay. Nora commands him to sit and listen to her as she recounts her unhappy role in their marriage. She walks out terming him a stranger. He asks if he could be anything more than a stranger to her. Torvald's miserable pleas fall on deaf ears. He loses his dear wife because of his pride. (pg. 103-104, 106-108, 109-120)

Surely, pride leads to a fall. Torvald's arrogance results in his downfall. His wife leaves him feeling desperately empty.

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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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A Doll's House Essays and Answers - A Doll's House Study Guide

« Previous Topic CHARACTERS AND CHARACTERISATION - A Doll's House Study Guide

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Essay questions and answers on A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen - Set 1

The essays below are mostly in marking scheme format. With points that examiners check.

It should be noted that in an exam situation, essays should be written in prose and not point form as in some of the examples below. In an exam, the "Introduction", "Body" and "Conclusion" titles should not be added in your essays. The examples below just guide on the format that your essays should take.

1. “Women are largely unappreciated for the roles they play in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House.” With illustrations, discuss the validity of this statement.

Introduction All over the world, women do a lot to people around them but many a time, their roles and service to others around them go unappreciated. Women in the play, A Doll’s House by H. Ibsen do a lot that is not appreciated even by people who are close to them or no one seems to notice what they are doing.

Accept any other relevant introduction 2 marks

Points of interpretation/ Body/ Content

• Christmas decoration When the play opens, Nora is busy preparing for Christmas. She is secretly adorning the Christmas tree to unveil it as a secret to the family (p.1). During the previous Christmas, we are told that she shut herself up for three weeks making ornaments for Christmas tree. Helmer reveals: “it was the dullest three weeks I ever spent!” (p.8). his confession shows that he did not appreciate what she was doing to ensure that family has a happy Christmas.
• Loan Nora gets little money from her husband for daily family use but despite her financial obligation to Krogstad, she affords to buy clothes, gifts and toys for her children and the servants (p. 4). This is a great sacrifice on her part which goes unappreciated by her husband’s trip to Italy for his healing; she repays the loan for long using the pocket money she gets from him (p.21). She hopes that her husband would own up the guilt after discovering the secret about the loan and to prevent him from being blamed for her mistake, she is ready to kill herself once such a wonderful thing occurs. Despite all these sacrifices and selfless acts, her husband does not seem to appreciate her actions for at the end, when he discovers the secret, he refuses to forgive her and quickly makes thoughtless decisions against her. This is a great break of trust, a big betrayal to Nora who has lived all her life trying to please and care for husband.
• Selflessness Mrs. Linde has also done a lot that easily escapes the notice of those around her. She marries a man who is not her choice but is financially stable for the sake of her bedridden mother and two brothers. She says, “My mother was alive then, and was bedridden and helpless, and I had to provide for my two younger brothers; so, I did not think I was justified in refusing his offer” (p.14) Nora is not appreciated by Helmes for the sacrifices she makes for the family e.g. clothes or Torvald’s health improvement
• Peacemaker Linde decides to go back to Krogstad to save his reputation and to try to protect Nora and her family from Krogstad who is determined to expose Nora’s forgery. She wants to work not for herself but for someone else for she tells Krogstad, “Nils, give me someone and something to work for” (p.88). This reveals her selfless nature, an attribute that Krogstad doubts by saying, “I don’t trust that. It is nothing but a woman’s overstrained sense of generosity that prompts you to make such an offer of yourself” (p.88). Linde also plays a great role in helping Nora Navigate the turbulent waters in her marriage and home after her secret gets threatened to be revealed to her husband. She promises to talk to Krogstad, arranges a meeting with him and even reasons that Mr. Helmer should know about the secret to save the marriage (p.90). Despite the fact that all her actions might go unnoticed, it is clear that she has played a great role towards the play’s resolution.

Conclusion Women should be appreciated for the invaluable and integral roles they play in the society.

Accept any other valid conclusion.   (2marks)

2. Women play key roles in the society but more often than not their roles are never recognized. Using illustrations from A Doll's House support this assertion. 

• Men and women play different roles in the society but more often than not, the roles of women are overlooked as they are only seen as home makers whose area of specialization is child bearing in addition to acting as husband pleasers. This makes men who are considered as providers to be more appreciated than women. However, the reality is that women too play great roles in the society.
• Nora is a woman who plays a great role of saving her husband after his illness. The doctor recommends that they go south for some time so that Helmer can get better. The family has no resources to finance such a trip but Nora takes it upon herself to get a loan to finance the trip. Most people, Helmer included, assume that Nora got the money from her father
• We see Nora struggling to repay the loan where she tries to save as much as possible from what is given to her by her husband for domestic upkeep. Even when she is asked what she would want as a Christmas present, she asks for money which makes Helmer conclude that she is a spendthrift. Mrs Linde too considers Nora extravagant not knowing the sacrifices she makes to repay the loan. We learn that the previous Christmas, Nora had to lock herself in for days pretending to be doing some crotchetry when in reality she was doing some copying for people in order to get money to repay the loan. This shows that many people do not recognize her role in saving the husband's life.
• Mrs Christine Linde is another woman who has played a major role in the well-being of her family yet no one seems to recognize this. We learn that she was forced to sacrifice her love for Krogstad who had nothing to offer her by marrying a rich man that she did not love. She did this so as to provide for her ailing mother and also to support her younger brothers.
• After the death of her husband, she engages in odd jobs so as to support her mother and brothers and now that they are dead she feels the need to go slow on her struggles. Ironically people do not appreciate the sacrifice but rather judge her negatively as is insinuated by Norah when he asks her about her dead husband who left her nothing.
• Hellen, the maid, is also portrayed as a woman who plays a great role in the society yet her role is not recognized and appreciated. We learn that she was Nora's nanny who is now taking care of Nora's own children. Ironically, she had to leave her daughter behind so as to take care Of Nora. Bringing up someone else's kid is a major sacrifice on her part and she even goes on to take care of Nora's own children. She explains to Nora that she had to do it since she was needy and could not come over with her own child.
• Nora, Mrs Linde and Hellen are women who have played major roles especially in regard to providing for their families. Sadly, their roles are not appreciated by anyone. The society should stop looking down upon women and start appreciating the things they do for their families.

3. “Appearances are often misleading.” Validate this statement basing your illustrations from Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House.

INTRODUCTION

It is human nature to judge a person from their outlook and not from who someone is from the inside. A well-dressed person, for example may be given special treatment over a shabbily dressed one. The character of a person, however, cannot be judged from how the person appears from the outside. This is well illustrated by Henrik Ibsen in A Doll’s House.

POINTS OF INTERPRETATION

• Nora has an unwavering trust in her husband Helmer. She believes that he really loves her and would come to her defense even when Krogstad publishes information concerning her fraud act. This stems from the way Helmer treats Nora with affection. She is however astonished when Helmer scolds her when he learns of the forgery. He goes ahead to restrict her from involving herself with the children.
• Nora trusts that Christine would put in a word for her and convince Krogstad to recall the letter, unread. This is after Nora had helped Christine secure a job by convincing Helmer to hire her. Once the opportune moment presents itself, Christine asks Krogstad not to recall the letter so that Helmer can read and know what ails the family. This results to disintegration of Helmer’s marriage.
• The marriage between Nora and Torvald Helmer looks perfect yet it is not. Helmer refers to Nora using affectionate pet names and spoils her by giving her more money. He believes that Nora is perfect and could not hide secrets from her yet Nora is hiding the secret of the borrowed loan. Actually, Helmer knows that Nora took money from her father yet she took it from Krogstad and forged her father’s name in order to get the money.
• Nora seems like a spendthrift and a spoilt wife yet she works tirelessly. Both Christine and Torvald accuse Nora of being inexperienced and a spendthrift. She discloses to Christine that she does copy work and has to scrape off every penny in order for her to repay Krogstad. She spent sleepless nights the previous Christmas in order to make ornaments to decorate the Christmas tree.

In conclusion, it is true to say that a book should not be judged by its cover.

4. “Desperate situations call for desperate measures.” Referring closely to A Doll’s House, write an essay in support of this statement.

• Nora becomes desperate when she is informed by the doctors that her husband is very ill and needs to go to Italy for a year to recover yet they have no money. She takes a loan with Krogstad, an individual of questionable character who blackmails her later.
• Nora becomes desperate again when her husband fires Krogstad yet the latter threatens to expose both Nora and Helmer on the matter of Nora’s forgery. This leads Nora to plan for suicide to save her husband.
• Krogstad is desperate to regain his reputation which won’t happen if he is fired. He blackmails Nora to try and secure his position in the bank.
• Linde forfeits her relationship with the person she loves because he is penniless. This is because her mother is very sick and there are two younger brothers to fend for. Mrs. Linde marries a rich man to take care of herself, her mother and her brothers.
• Nora has to work in secret to get money to repay the loan from Krogstad. Out of desperation, she has to sacrifice any money due to her for her personal needs to pay both instalments and interest.

Accept any other valid points. Mark any 4 points 3:3:3:3 =12 marks Introduction: 2 marks Conclusion: 2 marks Language competence: 4 marks

5. Women in A Doll’s House challenge society’s perception of the female gender. Write an essay justifying the assertion. (20 marks)

Introduction

• In A Doll’s House, Nora, Linde and Hellene, outstrip the accepted social practices of the time by promoting women empowerment. (Any other relevant introduction)

Points of interpretation

The candidates should describe the event, the character involved and the background to the event as well as pointing out how the traditional role of women is challenged.

• W1: Nora secures a loan so as to take Helmer to Italy for treatment.
• W2: Hellene finds a job as a nanny so as to care for her child.
• W3: Mrs. Linde finds a job so as to care for herself and is supportive of her siblings and mother.
• W4: Nora decides to leave her husband and children and refuses to submit to her submissive role.
• In conclusion, the female characters challenges the stereotype afforded to women living in a male-dominated society. (Any suitable conclusion)

Language 0-4 1mk 5-7 2mks 8-10 3mks 11-12 4mks

6. The society presented in the play, A Doll’s House, is rotten! Using Nora, Torvald, Dr. Rank and Krogstad, discuss the truthfulness of this statement in reference to the aforementioned play.  (20mks)

Isben’s A Dolls House shows how this society is corrupt. Many characters are involved in one ways or the other with morally unacceptable behavior.

• To begin with, Nora forges her father’s signature to secure a loan when her husband got ill and could not raise the required amount for his treatment, Nora decided to take matter into her own hands. She went to borrow money from the bank(Krogstad) in the process Nora had to have some written documents to her to secure the loan. She then decided to forge her father’s signature which later come to haunt her.
• Secondly, Kregstad forging someone’s name to illegally get access to his money. As an employee of the bank, he took advantage of his position to exploit his clients. His act was later reveled and he was to face the law (punishment) but got himself out of it through corrupt ways. “…but Krogstad did nothing of that sort; he got himself out of it by a cunning trick, and that is why he has gone under altogether …”pg 46.
• Moreover, Dr. Rank secretly admiring Norah despite knowing that she’s a wife to Torvald his close friend. Dr. Rank still wants to have an affair with her. He feels Nora should be in his company as much as she is in Torvald’s. This clearly shows the level of rot that is portrayed in this society. When Nora tells him that she is certain that Torvald would willingly give his life for her. Rank interjects and says that it’s not Torvald only who can do that. This insicuates that he’s willing to do anything for her because of what he feels for her. “…do you think he’s the only one who would gladly give his life for your sake? I was determined you should know before I went away …”pg 68
• Finally, Torvald giving Mrs. Linde a job at the bank, he uses his position as the manager of the bank. He uses his position as the manager of the bank to offer Mrs. Linde a job illegally without any due process followed as a public institution, we expect that after the position Krogstad was holding fell vacant after his dismissal, the due process of recruitment and interviews were to follow. This didn’t happen. Instead, Torvald just offered it directly in his house to Mrs. Linde. This is being corrupt and illegal use of the one’s position and power. Pg 58 “… it is his/Krogstad’s post that I have arranged Mrs. Linde shall have …”

In conclusion, it is clear that corruption runs in the veins of most characters in this play for us to achieve a corrupt free society, the root causes of corruption should be identified and addressed promptly.

7. Women are generally loving and self- sacrificing. Validate this statement basing your illustrations on the play ‘A Doll’s House’ by Henrik Ibsen  (20mks)

Introduction In today’s society, a person who claims to love you or really concerned about you would go to any level to show how much they care. Nora and Mrs. Linde clearly brings out this in the plays, A Doll”s House.

• Nora, proves her true love and concern when she risks by forging her father’s signature in order to acquire money for the sake of her husband’s health. She goes against societal expectations and provides financial support to Helmer when he fell ill and takes him to Italy to recover. This clearly portrays her love towards her husband.
• Nora sacrifices her comfort, a good and comfortable life and good clothes too in order to look for money and save as much as she can to pay the loan. She does odd jobs like embroidery and crocheting, she also saves some money given by Torvald and buys herself cheap and simple clothes with an aim of saving for the payment of the loan. Torvald also reminds her how she shut herself up for three weeks during the last Christmas Holiday making ornaments. This clearly portrays her love and sacrifice for her family.
• Mrs. Linde also sacrifices her happiness when she abandons Krogstad whom she really loved for a richer man. She did this in order to get money to take care of her sick mother and younger siblings. Later on the old man dies leaving her Childless, poor and lonely. This is real sacrifice for the sake of love.
• Christine Linde also sacrifices her honour and pride when she approaches Krogstad and apologies to him for her actions. She explains her reason for leaving him and asks him if they can come together as she feels empty and has no one to mourn for and no one to care for. Krogstad accept their proposal. This clearly brings Linde as a selfless person who is able to sacrifice for the sake of love and concern.
• Ann sacrifices her comfort in order to take of Nora and later Nora’s Children. Anne leaves her own daughter behind and moves in with Nora’s family to become Nora’s nurse. Nora had no mother and Ann fitted in the gap with lots of love. Even Nora wonders how Ann had the heart to give up raising her own child in order to work but it is clear that Anne had to make this sacrifice in order to fend for her own family. She gladly takes care of Nora’s children and contends herself with letters from her daughter on important occasions such as her wedding.

In conclusion, it is clear that a person who loves and is concerned about another becomes selfless and goes to any extent to prove this as brought out in the essay.

8. Using illustrations from the ‘A Doll’s House’ by Henrik Ibsen, Show how lies and deceit are exposed in the play   (20mks)

• Whenever people find themselves in a difficult situation, they use lies to cover up for their actions. This is clearly potrayed by Henrik Ibsen in his play ‘A Doll’s House’.
• As the play begins, Nora behaves like an obedient and honest wife. However, this is not her real character.
• She does not want to reveal to her husband that she had loaned money from Krogstamnd to facilitate their trip to Italy.
• Krogstad deceit is exposed. He commits a forgery. This act of deceit destroys his reputation that he fins it difficult to get employed.
• Dr. Rank also comes out as deceitful and dishonest. He has been deceiving both Nora and Torrald for years about the depth of the depth of his feeling for Nora. Only when she attempts to seek his financial help does Nora finally see beneath the surface to the doctor’s real feelings. He has been lusting for his best friend’s wife all those years.
• Torrald, who has been deceived throughout most of the play, is finally revealed in the final act to be the one most guilty of deception. He has deceived Nora into believing that he loved and cherished her, while all the while he had regarded her as little more property.

(Mark any other well illustrated point)

9. The past always catches up with the present, sometimes with some unintended consequences. Using the play, A Doll's House, explain this statement.

The choices that we made in the past have consequences that show up in our present lives, sometimes, influencing it negatively.

• Nora Helmer made a choice in her first year of marriage that later leads to the breakdown of something for which she had worked so hard and persevered a lot of humiliation to preserve. It was a choice she had made out of her great love for her husband. Torvald Helmer was seriously sick because of overwork and the doctors had recommended that he takes a holiday in the warmer climes in Italy. Nora tried giving hints to make him get a loan for the trip and eventually told him to get it, but he would hear none of it In this society, only men could get loans with minimal obstacles. Nora takes a loan of 250 pounds to save her husband. The loan is given by Krogstad who gives almost 'impossible conditions' and Ann has to forge not only her father's name but also his signature. Three days after the loan was extended, her father dies.
• She patiently repays the loan for eight years. She has to skim some household expenses, work long hours on her knitting and get a copy typist work to put together enough to repay the loan and also keep her home running. By 'good luck', her husband gets a job at a bank as a manager. Krogstad is also employed in the same bank. In a twist of fate, Krogstad engages himself in some indiscretion, forgery, and in Helmer's housecleaning task, the first assignment is to get rid of Krogstad as he cannot work with the likes of him. Krogstad blackmails Nora to plead his case to keep his job or else he reveals her past indiscretion. But there are some complications. First, Mrs. Linde, an old school friend of Nora, and a girlfriend to Krogstad has requested for the job through
• Nora, and it has been given. In any case, Nora's guiles and white lies will not sway Helmer who has even written a dismissal letter.
• Matters go from bad to worse. Krogstad relents about the letter and tries to retrieve it. This is after they have had a discussion with his old girlfriend Mrs. Linde, and made up. Mrs. Linde is of the opinion that the letter should be read to end the lies and the hypocrisy in the house. Though apparently Krogstad tried to retrieve the letter from the mailbox, he did not succeed, Helmer discovers the secret the wife has kept hidden for years. He is upset that his image in the society will suffer a battering due to his wife's thoughtless actions. Ironically, he does not even pause to ask why she had done it in the first place. In his estimation, his wife should not even be a mother. She will contaminate the children, a belief current in the society that vices among parents destroy the children eventually. He does not even contemplate living as man and wife with such a contaminated wife and tells her that they can only live as brother and sister for appearance's sake.
• Nora is upset. She feels betrayed that this is what her husband feels. In fact, she is disappointed because he does not even take the burden of her shame, or even try to understand. His cruel judgment is devastating considering that she did it for him. She has always tolerated his openly condescending attitude towards her, petting her with the diminutive little this or that, reducing her to a play thing, a doll. She was Little Squirrel, Little Skylark, Little Doll, terms degrading whatever the intention. She has always lived in his shadow in accordance with social expectations.
• Helmer 'offers' her a lifeline, and 'forgives' her for her treachery. The chutzpah of the man is truly unbelievable. Nora has had enough of the marriage and she feels she is not the woman for the patronizing and utterly insensitive Helmer. She will no longer be a pet, a doll for him or the society to play with and she is walking out of the marriage to go and rediscover herself. NO pleading or even appeal to her religion or conscience is going to change her.
• Thus, we can conclude that our present circumstances are usually the consequences of the choices we have made in our paste Nora made a decision out of a deep love for her husband, not to lose him, but ironically the decision comes back to split them up. The marriage she sought to preserve is broken up. The consoling grace though, is that she comes to realize the kind Of man.

10. A marriage founded on falsehood and secrets is bound to fall apart. To what extent do you agree with the statement? Draw your illustrations from the play A Doll's House

Marriage should be founded on mutual trust between the wife and husband. Any sort of secret or insincerity between them is bound to bring irreparable damage to the marriage once the truth comes in.

• Nora has many secrets and falsehoods that she keeps behind her husband. She secretly borrows a loan from Krogstad to fund her husband's trip to Italy for his recovery. She has kept this matter a secret from him for eight years and is not ready to reveal it to him any time soon. The secret is finally revealed when Krogstad writes a letter to her husband that exposes the forgery. Helmer reacts angrily to this discovery and Nora angry that he does not understand her, decides to walk out of the marriage.
• Nora also is not sincere on how she uses the money she gets from Krogstad. She saves most of it to repay Krogstad's loan. She says that she has survived on cheap clothes and also keeps borrowing money from him to service the loan. All this is discovered at the end of the play. They react differently to the discovery making their marriages to break.
• Nora cheats Krogstad that there was nobody who had visited him when he was way while Krogstad has just left the room where he had been pleading with her to speak to her husband to prevent the sack. As she cheats him thus, her husband has just met with him as he leaves the house. Nora's speaking to Krogstad and refusing to admit it reveals a very serious weakness in the marriage. It shows mistrust and underscores the dark secrets that Nora has been keeping behind her husband. Finally, some of these actions contribute to the dissolution of the marriage.
• Nora cheats her husband that she has forgotten the dance practice and dances poorly so that she can compel her husband to help her practice. The truth is that she has not forgotten how to dance but wants to buy time so that her husband cannot open the letter box. She and Christine have agreed to keep him as much as possible from his letters so that she can speak to Krogstad first. Nora instead should just be open with her husband and tell him the truth. She increases tension in their marriage and is the one who suffers most. Finally, the truth comes out and the marriage breaks.

It is important for a couple to be sincere with each other no matter the seriousness of the matter. This can help prevent far-reaching damage to their marriage.

11. How could the submissive, selfish and silly Nora of the first two acts transform herself into an independent woman by the end of the last act? Is the transformation realistic?

While Nora puts on a convincing performance of being a submissive, selfish and foolish woman during the first act, there are early signs that this is not the real her. When she asks Torvald for more money despite having just been on a spending spree, she appears selfish and grasping. But we soon discover, in her conversation with Mrs Linde, that she is not squandering the money to satisfy her own desires, but using it to pay off the loan she took out in order to save her husband's life. In doing so, she has denied herself new things so that her husband and children can have all they need. Her arranging the loan and the trip to Italy - and her subsequent careful management of money and of her secret - show an astonishing strength of character. In addition, she secretly takes jobs to pay off the loan, a step towards the independence she finally embraces. But in the first two acts, Nora does not dare to acknowledge her own strength, let alone use it. There are many reasons for this. Chief among them are that her beloved Torvald, and society in general, would not comfortably countenance such strength in a woman. So it is easier for Nora to keep her head below the parapet rather than risk the consequences of showing herself as she is.

Nora's submissiveness to Torvald is not all it seems. By playing the doll-child according to his wishes, she manipulates him into the role of indulgent father-figure. But in spite of her skill at 'managing' him, there is one instance in which she desperately wants him to adopt the manly and dominant role: she wants him to rescue her from the ruin caused by Krogstad's revelations. When he fails to provide the strength she needs, she realizes that she no longer loves him, as he is not the man she thought him. It is almost inevitable that she is forced to find that strength within herself. Her realization that she wants to pursue her independence is not so much a transformation as an awakening to a strength she has possessed all along.

12. In what way does A Doll's House explore social issues?

A Doll's House shines a searchlight on Victorian society, drawing attention to its hypocrisy and use of public opinion to suppress individuality. The critic Bjorn Hemmer, in an essay in The Cambridge Companion to Ibsen, wrote: "The people who live in such a society know the weight of 'public opinion' and of all those agencies which keep watch over society's 'law and order': the norms, the conventions and the traditions which in essence belong to the past but which continue into the present and there thwart individual liberty in a variety of ways."

Torvald lives by society's norms, and when faced with a choice of whether to support his wife or society, he sides with society. When he realizes that she has broken the law in forging her father's signature on the loan document, he never questions the morality of such a law: it is left to Nora to do that. His aim is to preserve the appearance of respectability and ensure his continued acceptance in society. He has become so shaped by society's conventions that he cannot see his wife's suffering. In The Cambridge Companion to Ibsen, Gail Finney writes that in Ibsen's own notes for this play, he notes that a mother in modern society is "like certain insects who go away and die when she has done her duty in the propagation of the race." This view is confirmed by Torvald's rejection of Nora when he discovers her secret; he says she is not fit to bring up their children if her reputation is tarnished. For Torvald, public life has obscured and overtaken private self. In order to find out who she is and what she wants, Nora has to reject the life that society prescribes for her as a wife and mother, and strike out on her own. "I am going to see," she tells Torvald in Act 3, "who is right, the world or I."

But this is not simple. The nineteenth century saw a huge shift from the old social order of self-improvement within a stable rural society to a new social order founded on money. But women at the time could not control money without the authority of the man who 'owned' them, be it husband, brother or father. Single and lone women like Mrs Linde had more control over their lives and money than married women, who were discouraged from taking jobs and had to surrender money matters to their husbands. But as Mrs Linde's story shows, having no male 'provider' brought its own problems.

In sum, women had little power. Power lay with people like Torvald, who is a banker and lawyer. Torvald is able to dictate the fate not only of his family but of Mrs Linde (by giving her a job) and Krogstad (by giving away his job). He is gratified by the prospect of sacking Krogstad because he disapproves of his morality. In effect, the Torvalds of this world defined morality. As we have seen with regard to Nora's crime, they also defined the law, and therefore, who was a criminal. It is worth noting that Ibsen based the episode of Nora's forgery on a similar 'crime' committed by a female friend of his, which ended tragically for her, so he was drawing attention to what he saw as a genuine social problem. He supported economic reform that would protect women's property and befriended European feminists.

Other social issues addressed in the play include how women should be educated, both for the responsibilities of family and for self-fulfillment; the right of women to define their role in the family and society; the degrading effects of poverty on self-fulfillment (as with Mrs Linde and the Nurse); and the scourge of venereal disease (as suffered by Dr Rank).

13. How do different characters use the words "free" and "freedom"? How does the use of these words change throughout the play?

• It is Torvald who introduces the concept of freedom in the play, claiming that "There can be no freedom or beauty about a home life that depends on borrowing and debt." He defines freedom in economic terms, as befits an age where power depended upon money. He is also adopting society's values, as debt was disapproved of and considered a sign of moral degeneracy. The dramatic irony behind his words lies in the fact that Torvald would not have any life at all if his wife had not gone into debt, though he does not realize this.
• Like Torvald, Krogstad sees freedom as moral respectability in the eyes of society. His job at the bank is the means by which he will "cut [himself] free" from the stigma of his "indiscretion" of forgery. The problem with this approach is that his "freedom" depends upon the whim of his employer, who also sits in moral judgment on him and can withdraw his job if he finds that he falls short in that respect.
• Mrs Linde feels proud that by working hard, she was able to support her brothers and mother, and "I was privileged to make the end of my mother's life almost free from care." Like Torvald, she is defining freedom in economic terms. But she is operating at a lower economic level than he is. She is talking of being able to provide the necessities of life, whereas he is talking of the relative luxury of being free from debt.
• In Act 1, Nora is delighted that soon she will have paid off her debt to Krogstad and will be "free from care, quite free from care; to be able to play and romp with the children; to be able to keep the house beautifully and have everything just as Torvald likes it!" At this point, she defines her freedom in terms of the very things that (as she later realizes) restrict her: her role as a submissive wife and mother.
• By the end of Act 2, Krogstad's letter revealing Nora's debt and forgery of her father's signature is sitting in Torvald's letterbox. Nora, who fears yet hopes that Torvald will shield her by taking the entire blame upon himself, means to disappear or commit suicide, thereby saving him from disgrace. She tells him: "Then you will be free." Thus Torvald will maintain his respectability by means of Nora's obliterating herself from his world.
• At the end of the play, Nora has been awakened to Torvald's narrow-mindedness and no longer sees freedom in terms of bondage to him or obliteration of herself. On the contrary, she defines freedom for herself and Torvald as complete independence from each other, as she leaves the marriage to forge a new life for herself: "I set you free from all your obligations. You are not to feel yourself bound in the slightest way, any more than I shall. There must be perfect freedom on both sides."

14. Compare Torvald’s and Nora’s attitudes toward money.

Torvald and Nora’s first conversation establishes Torvald as the member of the household who makes and controls the money and Nora as the one who spends it. Torvald repeatedly teases Nora about her spending, and at one point Mrs. Linde points out that Nora was a big spender in her younger days. These initial comments paint Nora as a shallow woman who is overly concerned with -material delights. Yet Nora’s generous tip to the porter in the play’s opening scene shows that she is not a selfish woman. More important, once the secret of Nora’s loan is made known to the audience, we see that Nora’s interest in money stems more from her concern for her family’s welfare than from petty desires. We realize that the excitement she has expressed over Torvald’s new, well-paying job results from the fact that more spending money means she can finally pay off her debt to Krogstad. While Torvald seems less enthralled by money because he doesn’t talk about it except to chastise Nora for her spending, he is obsessed with having a beautiful home, including a beautiful wife. He considers these things important to his reputation, and keeping up this reputation requires money. Although Torvald accuses Nora of wasting money, Nora spends her money mostly on worthy causes, whereas Torvald uses his for selfish, shallow purposes.

15. Why does Torvald constantly reprimand Nora for her wastefulness and foolishness while simultaneously supporting her behavior? What insight does this contradiction give us into Torvald and Nora’s relationship?

Torvald perceives Nora as a foolish woman who is ignorant of the way society works, but he likes Nora’s foolishness and ignorance because they render her helpless and therefore dependent on him. It soon becomes clear to us that Nora’s dependence, not Torvald’s love for Nora as a person, forms the foundation of Torvald’s affection for her. In Act One, Torvald teases Nora about wasting money but then tries to please her by graciously giving her more. Similarly, he points out her faults but then says he doesn’t want her to change a bit. He clearly enjoys keeping Nora in a position where she cannot function in the world without him, even if it means that she remains foolish. In general, Torvald disapproves of any kind of change in Nora’s constant, obedient demeanor because he needs to control her behavior. When Nora begins to dance the tarantella wildly in Act Two, he is unsettled. In Act One, Nora says that it would humiliate Torvald if he knew he was secretly in debt to her for his life, indicating that Torvald wants the power in his marriage to be one-sided rather than mutual.

16. Compare and contrast Mrs. Linde and Nora at the end of the play.

By the end of Act Three, both Nora and Mrs. Linde have entered new phases in their lives. Nora has chosen to abandon her children and her husband because she wants independence from her roles as mother and wife. In contrast, Mrs. Linde has chosen to abandon her independence to marry Krogstad and take care of his family. She likes having people depend on her, and independence does not seem to fulfill her. Despite their apparent opposition, both Nora’s and Mrs. Linde’s decisions allow them to fulfill their respective personal desires. They have both chosen their own fates, freely and without male influence. Ibsen seems to feel that the nature of their choices is not as important as the fact that both women make the choices themselves.

Using specific examples, discuss how Ibsen's "progress from one work to the other" is due to a "perpetual scrutiny of the same general questions regarded from different points of view."

19. The past always catches up with the present sometimes with some unintended consequences. Basing on the play A Doll's House, justify the above statement.

• Most of the characters in the play, have a past (history) that has made the present day a rough and worrisome time.
• One's presen life will be affected and in many were dependent on their past. In 'A Doll's House, characters such as Nils Krogstad, Christine have a past that is altering their present situation
• Nora thought she could borrow money, forge a ignature and still come out unscathed. These past actions cause Nora too much trouble.
• Helmer gets seriously ill, doctors recommend they go to Italy. Helmer cannot take a loan, he gets angry when Nora hints they should. Nora,.....would like to go abroad like other young wives 
• Nora takes the matter into her own hands, borrows 250pounds from Krogstad, lies that her father gave her the money. To solve her dying father trouble and anxiety, she forges his signature
• When Krogstad's position at the book is threatened he blackmails Nora. Nora does everything possible to hide. She is forced to overwork - does crotchet work
• She is almost committing suicide, Suffers emotionally
• Krogstad is later affected by the consequences of his deceitful achon
• He forged a signature was caught but never admitted to his crime. He got out of it through ..a cunning trick,
• He has had to fight and work barelessly in order - to regain any ounce of respect that he had lost Dr. Rank for instance calls him a morally diseased person who goes out sniffing 
• The rigid society has made it nearly impossible for him to move beyond his pash crime(s), These circumstances force Krogstad into money business (shylock). he loans Nora money. His past is the driving factor behind why he blackmails Nora
• Krogstad will do anything to keep his job in order to slowly improve his reputation for his son's sake. He says " my sons are growing up; for their sake I must try and win back as much respect as I can in the town This post in the bank was the first step up for me and now your husband is going to kick me downstar again into the mud" . Krogstad's past illegal acts hurt him, and leads to his termination at the bank.

Torvald Helmer. - like a loving, caring husband gives her money when she droops her

• assures her (Nora) that he would give up his blood for her sake
• He even wishes that Nora might be threatened by some great danger
• He treats her like a doll and calls her pet names and she has to adopt his likings. Nora confessess that she had been simply transferred to Helmer both treated her like a doll
• Helmer arranged everything recording to his own taste
• Both Helmer and papa have wronged her
• She has never been happy but merry
• Consequences - Helmer begs Nora to live with him under the same roof as brother and sister
• She decides to leave Krogstad. She marries a rich man
• Krogstad's prospects seemed hopeless, then with a sick mother and two young brothers to take care of Mrs Linde did not think she was justified in refusing his offer
• Though she was privileged to make the end of Ther mother's life almost free from care, her action comes to haunt her later. When the husband died, there was nothing left she had to turn her hands low anything first a small shop them a small school ... the last 3 years seemed like one long working day with no rest
• She is so bitter... with no one to work for ...l am like a shipwrecked woman clinging to some wreckage - no one to mourn for, no one to take care for my life is dreadfully emply and I feel so forsaken

20. Human relationships are bound to break during hard times. Using relevant examples of the actions of female characters from Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, write an essay in support of this statement.

Introduction When human beings face challenges, there are always attempts to overcome them. In the process of trying to solve the problem, they are bound to be misunderstood by their partners which can bring to a breakup an otherwise strong relationship/ bond. This is the case of female characters in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House.

• When Nora’s husband falls ill, the doctor recommends that he has to be taken for treatment in the South. This brings about a situation worth making a decision about. As things stand, Nora does not have any income to sustain the trip. She however has to save her husband’s life. In her quest to save her husband, she decides to seek for a loan from Krogstad who draws a bond that needs to be signed by Nora and her father. At this point however, Nora’s father is equally very sick and Nora cannot imagine taking for him the bond to sign. In this confusion, Nora decides to forge her father’s signature and as a result receives 250 pounds from Krogstad which enables them to travel to Italy. Torvald is hence treated. Later, Nils betrays Nora by writing a letter informing Torvald how the money to take him to Italy had been acquired. Helmer cannot take this lying down as a man. He calls Nora all sorts of names and even bars her from interacting with the children. This makes Nora very angry as she had done that out of her love for her husband. She decides to walk out of her marriage with Helmer.
• After Helmer has read the letter from Krogstad revealing the secrets of the bond, Helmer is so furious. He refers to Nora as a criminal, a hypocrite and a liar. This is despite the fact that Nora saved his life by acquiring the loan from Krogstad and taking him to Italy for treatment. In fact, Helmer warns Nora against interacting with the children as she would poison their minds. This situation is beyond Nora’s comprehension as she cannot believe that her husband can be that ungrateful. Even when Krogstad writes another letter forgiving Nora and promising not make the whole issue public, Nora is still adamant to forgive Helmer, she acted out of good will but Helmer abused her and looked down upon her. She decides to end the marriage by walking out on her family. She did not want to continue living in their family house yet she Helmer had barred her from being around the children.
• Mrs. Linde decides to give up on the man she loves for a richer man. Faced with an ailing mother and two young brothers, she has no choice but to choose the tougher option. She believes that the rich man would take care of her financial needs and help her take care of her family. As a result, her marriage with Krogstad collapses. Even though her mother eventually dies and the two brothers are old enough to take care of themselves, her marriage is no more as she tells Nora that even her rich husband had died and she had no one to live for. She had to put up with loveless marriage for her mother and brothers, when her husband dies, she finds no reason to mourn just because it was by sacrifice that she got married to him.
• Mother and daughter are also separated. Anne, Nora’s nurse, sacrifices her comfort in order to take care of Nora, and later Nora`s children. Anne leaves behind her own daughter behind because she had no means to take care of her and moves in with Nora`s family to become Nora`s nurse. Nora had no mother, and Anne filled in this gap with lots of love. Nora wonders how Anne had the heart to give up raising her own child in order to feed her own family. She gladly takes care of Nora`s children too, and contents herself with letters from her daughter on important occasions such as wedding.
• It is evident that human relationships can sometimes be affected by difficult circumstances which
• lead to separation of people who are otherwise supposed to be together. Marking points Introduction 2mks. Four well illustrated points 3:3:3:3. Valid conclusion 2mks. Language up to 4 marks.

21. Henrik Ibsen: A Doll's House. "Self sacrifice must be rewarded" Write a composition in support of this statement drawing your illustrations from A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen.

Some characters in A Doll's House are portrayed as selfless. They give up their comfort and time in order to keep others. This is eventually rewarded . Mrs Linda abandoned Krogstad whom she loves and marries a rich man for the sake of her family. In the end, her brothers become independent. Nora sacrifices a lot for the sake of her husband Helmer. He is awfully sick and needs urgent care. Ehen they get married, Torvald leaves his office work becasue there is no prospect of promotion. With a view to providing for his family, he works early and late. In the process, he overworks himself and falls dreadfully ill. The doctor tells Nora, his wife, that the only remedy is for him to take a rest in the south (Italy). The trip would cost a tremendous amount of money. Since her husband would not allow Nora to borrow the money and would not accept help from a woman, Nora is forced to borrow 250 pounds from Krogstad and forge her father's name since he was ill. A woman is not allowed to borrow without her husband's consent. She taked Torvald to Italy where they stayed for a year. They take the journey after Tvar is born. Torvals comes back from the trip and is sound as a belt. Indeed, Nora makes a huge sacrifice for the sake of her husband. In addition, Nora sacrifices for the sake of her three children. She leaves her home fearing that she may corrupt her three children. Due to the societal expectations, she is convinced that she is a corrupt person as a result of her lies and pretentious nature her marriage to Torvald is full of deception. She lies about trivial things like eating macaroons to serious issues like borrowing money from Krogstad and telling her husband that she got it from her father. Torvald convinces her that such an atmosphere of lies infects and poisons the whole life of a home. Fearing to deprave her own children and poison her home, Nora chooses to leave. Leaving her children is an act of self-sacrifice. She does it for their sake. At the end, she achieves independence from her suffocating marriage and gains freedom to try and understand her role in society. Mrs Linda also sacrifices for the sake of of her mother and brothers. She abandons Nils Krogstad whom she loves and marries a rich man whom she did not love or the sake of her family - her helpless mother and two little brothers. Nils prospects at that time seemed hopeless, she is proud and happy to make the end of her mother's life almost free from care. She is also proud of what she does for her brothers since they are since independent. This indeed was a big sacrifice on Mrs Linda's side. Lastly, Anna the nurse is also a selfless woman. She sacrifices her hapiness for the sake of Nora and her three children. She leaves her own child among strangers. Nora wonders how she would abandon her own child and she says she was obliged to since little Nora had no other mother than her. Nora says that she was a good mother to her when she was little. Anna benefits by getting a good place to live and also gets a salary.

22. “Outward appearance cannot be an indicator of someone’s character or value”. Write an essay to validate this assertion citing relevant examples from the play, A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen.

• People make assumptions based on first impressions. Characters project an outward look, which contradicts their true character and intention. This is shown in the play. A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen.
• Krogstad is not who most people think he is. He is presented as immoral but later proves to be caring and considerate. Rank says he is immoral and of questionable character. He starts by blackmailing Nora over the loan issue. Mrs. Linde promises to come back to him and these changes him. He promises to change and starts by returning the bond to Nora; proving to be good and considerate.
• Torvalds appears morally upright but turns out to be cowardly and selfish. He refuses the idea of borrowing a loan. He prefers honesty and upright life. He disposes of Krogstad saying that he is immoral. He however hid Nora's father's similar crimes. In the end, he turns out to be a coward and immoral. He calls Nora a horrible creature and refuses to understand that taking a loan was a sacrifice to save his life.
• Nora is presented as a naïve woman but turns out to be indigent and self-conscious. The husband thinks she is a spendthrift but she is wiser than as presented. She procures a loan to save Torvalds’s life. She works to repay the loan without the husband's knowledge. She challenges the gender roles that deny women the room to borrow loans without their husband's consent. she also forges her father’s signature. Later, she decides to leave Torvalds. She proves to be inept and knowledgeable and not the Doll that Linde and Ann think she is.
• Dr Rank is a bosom friend but in the end, he reveals his lust toward Nora, his friend’s wife. He is always at their house and spends time there. He is also Nora's confidant. One time he confesses his undying love and goes ahead to flirt with her. This shocks Nora. It was on purpose to be close to Nor. He proves a hypocrite.
• In conclusion, the characters in A Doll’s House are complex and cannot be understood without taking a closer look at Nora, Torvald, Krogstad, and Dr Rank.

23. The society can inhibit one from having personal freedom. Write an essay to validate this statement referring closely to Nora, in the text, A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen.

In the text A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, the community prevents/restrains an individual from exercising liberty in their day to day lives as seen when Nora has to work secretly and when she is unable to make independent decisions.

• The society inhibits married women from taking a loan without their husband’s consent. During the first year of Nora and Helmer’s marriage, Helmer overworks himself and becomes dreadfully ill. The doctors come to Nora and tell her that Helmer is in a dangerous condition and that they need to live in the South for him to recover. Nora tries all means to persuade Helmer to take them to South without success. She tells him how much she wants to live broad like other young wives. She tries tears and entreaties and that he ought to remember the condition she is in. She hints to him that he might raise a loan and this makes him nearly angry. Helmer calls Nora a thoughtless woman and tells her he cannot indulge in her whims and caprices. With no other option left, Nora devices a way out of the difficulty by taking a loan of 250 pounds from Krogstad without Helmer’s consent. This is against the law as Mrs Linde reminds her that a wife cannot borrow without her husband’s consent. In the process of keeping this as a secret from Helmer, Nora suffers anxiety to the point of contemplating suicide. When Helmer learns about this, he abuses Nora and forbids her from raising her own children. Nora is forced to leave her marriage.
• Nora has to work in secret in order to repay the loan that she took for Helmer’s treatment. Nora acquired a loan of 250 pounds through Krogstad which she had to pay in installments. Nora admits to Mrs Linde that it had not been easy for her to meet the engagement on time and many a times she has been at her wits end. she further admits that it has been always so dreadfully difficult to manage the instalments. She has had to save a little here and there by not spending more than half of Torvald gives her for shopping/housekeeping/ she has had always bought the simplest and cheapest things but it was often very hard on her. She had had to go to an extent of devising ways of earning money. last winter she locked herself up doing copying work until quit late at night and desperately tired but it she felt tremendous pleasure to work and earn money. She declares that it felt like a man.
• Nora lacks financial freedom. After the Christmas shopping Nora is excited to inform Torvalds what she had got for the children and the maid. However, Torvald is quick to reprimand her by calling her a spendthrift. He asks her if she has been out wasting money again. He tells her that they can’t spent money recklessly. He calls her a featherhead when Nora proposes that they should borrow money until the next quarter when his salary will be due.
• Nora’s lacks the opportunity to make independent decisions. For the Tarantella dance Torvald dictates the kind of dress that Nora should wear during the party. Nora informs Mrs Linde that Torvald wants her to go to the Steinborgs dressed as a Neopolitan fisher-girl and dance the Tarantella that she learnt at Capri. Mrs Linde observes that Nora is going to keep up the character and Nora confirms that that is what Torvald wants of her. Torvald had had the dress made for Nora but now it is all so torn. Mrs Linde offers to mend it as the trimming had come unsewn here and there. When Helmer finds out the truth about Nora’s secret loan and the forgery he is incensed and berates Nora. Nora takes off her fancy dress and puts on her everyday dress, as a sign of liberation. She sermons Helmer to sit down for a talk and tells him that it is a settling of accounts P. 108,109. She highlights the fact that for the eight years of her marriage they have never had a serious conversation on any serious subject because Helmer belittles her for being a woman. Helmer tells her that he could not have shared with her worries that she could not help him to bear, showing his demeaning nature.
• Nora has to bear with Helmers domineering nature for the sake of peace in their home. During the settling of accounts, Nora informs Torvald that she had greatly been wronged, first by her father and then by him. She tells Torvald that her father told her his opinion about everything and she never differed from him because he would not have liked it. He called her his doll child. She feels that she was transferred from her father’s hand into Torvald’s. She has now acquired his taste and arranges everything according to his taste. She argues that she had been living with Torvald like a poor woman, just from hand to mouth for she merely exists to perform tricks for him. She feels that a great sin had been committed against her by Torvald and her father and it is their fault that she has made nothing of her life. In conclusion, it is evident that societal limitations can hinder someone from fulfilling their obligations.

24. ‘Desperate times calls for desperate measures’. Write an essay showing the truth of this statement using characters from ‘A Doll’s House’ by Henrik Ibsen. (2mks)

INTRODUCTION( 2 MKS)

Sometimes individuals find themselves in a situation in which they have to react desperately and hence suffer the consequence or make others suffer.( Accept any other valid introduction i.e general /contextual/generalspecific.)

CONTENT ( 12 MKS)

• Loan Nora loved her husband Torvald and found herself in a desperate situation as she tried to source money to finance their trip to Italy as per the recommendations of the doctor. This was the only way Torvald would recover from over-working himself. Nora had tried convincing her husband to take a loan but that nearly got him angry. She tried asking to be taken for a vacation like other pregnant wives but totally refused. Having no other option Nora procured a loan from Krogstad behind Torvalds back. She also forged her father’s signature since he was very ill and she did not want to cause him any trouble. She later lied to Torvald that it was a gift from her father. For 8 years Nora kept the loan procurement deal a secret and would repay by installments from her savings of household expences and doing jobs such as writing and embroidery.
• Abandoned Love Mrs. Linde is another character who finds herself in a desperate situation. She had two younger siblings and a bedridden mother . She accepts a marriage proposal from an old rich man who was capable of taking care of her financial needs . In return she had to forfeit her love for Krogstad because he was not financially stable . Mrs. Linde had to endure a loveless and childless marriage for the sake of her family. Later her very sick mother dies and her two younger siblings are all grown and no longer need her help .She decides to go look for a job to sustain herself and find someone to live and work for.
• Blackmail Krogstad finds himself in a desperate situation as his sons are growing. Previously he had committed an indiscretion in his profession . He wants to rebuild his reputation for sake of his sons. Having no other alternative Krogstad decides to blackmail Nora to speak on his behalf to Torvald who has been promoted as the bank manager. Krogstad puts pressure on Nora that she should make sure that Torvald does not dismiss him from his position as clerk if not she goes down with him. This post had already been given to Mrs. Linde courtesy of Nora . Nora suffer psychologically and emotionally but Krogstad does not care about the money all he wants is to make his reputation change positively in the society and was ready to give his life for that. Nora’s persistence to speak on his behalf leads to the immediate dismissal of Krogstad. This in return makes Krogstad revenge by sending a letter to Torvald explaining the indiscretion that Nora had commited 8 years ago in regard to the loan procurement. Torvald reads the letter and gets very angry with Nora he calls her a criminal and even prohibits her from taking care of the children as she will infect them with her immorality. Eventually Nora realizes that she has been living with a total stranger and quits her marriage.
• Adopted daughter The nurse in a desperate move to cater for her daughter’s needs ends up giving her away for adoption . She does this because the man who had got her pregnant was irresponsible and did not care for their financial needs. The society in which they lived in did not appreciate single mothers. The nurse despite playing motherly role to Nora and later Nora’s children, which she does so well but misses out on taking care of her own daughter .She only gets communication from her daughter when getting baptized and married but only through a letter.

CONCLUSION (2 MKS)

From the above illustrations it is clear that the characters acted out of desperation .( Accept any other relevant conclusion) AWARD 2:3:3:3:3:2 + 4mks Language= 20mks

25. A Doll’s House is a play that shows that during tough times, the call for wisdom in choosing the best option is quite prudent. Write an essay to show the truth of this statement drawing your illustrations from the play.

Introduction: The introduction must capture the two sides of the question that when one is desperate he or she is supposed to make a wise decision (s) that will work for them. The candidate’s input in the introduction must be seen. At one point in our lives, we have encountered difficult moments and it is prudent we act quickly and wisely to resolve the problem for our own benefit and that of our immediate family members. It does not help when we stand aloof and choose to complain about it. The decision we make will go a long way in preventing much worse situation. Nora, Linde and Krogstad in A Doll’s House use wisdom to resolve challenging problems in their lives; consequently, saving their reputation. Accept any other relevant introduction.

• Nora decides to take a loan to save her husband’s life Torvald has been sick because he has been overworking himself dreadfully. The doctor recommends to Nora that he urgently needs to go south for medication. The family can’t raise the money to cater for travel and medical expenses as the whole venture is expensive to the family, as it will cost 250 pounds, a tremendous amount of money. Again, the society forbids women from borrowing without the consent of their husbands. The situation is made worse as Helmer doesn’t entertain borrowing and refuses to entertain her whims and caprices. Nora hatches a desperate though prudent plan to forge her father’s signature thus saving him a lot of anxieties during his last days. She uses this to obtain a loan of 250 pounds from Krogstad. The family spends one year in Italy and they come back when Helmer is as sound as a bell healthy wise
• Nora discretely pays the loan Nora has to pay back the loans she borrows from Krogstad in terms of quarterly interest and monthly instalments as per their agreement. When Helmer gives Nora cash for the family upkeep, she prudently spends some of the money and uses the rest to repay the loan since the burden of repaying this loan is weighing on her. She is desperate and works like a man by doing crotchet work, needle work, embroidery and copy work to supplement the repayment schedule. She locks herself every evening late in to the night for three weeks the previous Christmas doing such work. She is also forced to buy the simplest and cheapest of things and this makes Helmer question her spending habits thus calling her a spendthrift. She also has to learn how to make Helmer give her money which immediately seems to melt in her hands, though she uses the same in the repayments.
• Nora cleverly secures Mrs.Linde the much needed job. When Linde visits Nora, she requests that Nora helps her secure a job. Nora approaches Helmer over the same and he olliges but this means he will dismiss Krogstad and replace him with Mrs. Linde. Nora finds herself between a rock and a hard place. She therefore pleads with Helmer to spare Krogstad. Krogstad threatens Nora that he would have no choice but to disclose her murky business.Pg.76. She is even forced to reveal the secret to Linde that she forged a signature to procure a loan. However, Helmer is determined to dismiss him, forcing Nora to come up with strategies to divert her husband’s attention from the letter that Krogstad drops in his letterbox which includes pleading with him, dancing tarantella, demanding Helmer coach her for the whole night. (Pg8 1, 84) By doing this she manages to keep the secret of the loan deal for some little more time.
• Nora’s self-realisation makes her walk out on a sham marriage. Helmer is agit ted by Nora’s defense of Krogstad and sends Krogstad the dismissal letter. Krogstad revenges by disclosing that Nora committed a fraud as she secretly borrowed 250 pounds from him. This irks Helmer who calls Nora a criminal, a liar, a hypocrite and tells her he shall not allow her to bring up the children lest she also corrupts them. He also tells her that she will remain in his house but not as his wife anymore for he no longer loves her. Nora is shocked by his outburst since she had done it out of love and in fact had saved his life. She had not expected such a reaction from him since he had said he would shelter her from any danger that would threaten her. In fact, though she had been psychologically disturbed prior to this revelation (pg. 76, 77, 80) she had thought that a wonderful thing must happen. Probably, Helmer would defend her once Krogstad makes the threat real. It is against this backdrop that she gives back her marriage of eight years. She could not bear the betrayal from her husband. She prudently decides to go on a quest of self-discovery and tells Helmer that if they would ever reunite, both of them must be so changed that it would he a real wedlock and this gives Helmer some bit of hope at the end.
• Mrs. Linde selflessly sacrifices her love for Krogstad for the sake of her family Mrs. Linde has an ai1kng mother and young siblings to take care of but she has no means of income. The mother is sick, helpless and bedridden. She is in a relationship with Krogstad who cannot support her financially since his prospects seem hopeless at that time. To save the situation, she prudently dumps Krogstad and marries a wealthy old man who approaches her and offers to marry her. This is a man she does not love but she feels justified in accepting his offer since she will be able to take care of the family interests at the time. She is able of take care of her mother till she dies free from care. Her younger brothers are now well off since they have got situations and can shift for themselves, thus they need her no longer.
• Mrs. Linde comes to the rescue of Krogstad Unfortunately, the wealthy old man passes on and his business which was a precarious one crumbles down thus leaving her with no inheritance, not even children or even grief. In her joblessness and desperation, she attempts to run a small shop, work at a small school but fails. She feels she can no longer stay in the back water anymore and goes to Nora’s town in search of some work. While at Nora’s home she also has a job offered by Helmer. She also initiates her reunion with Krogstad since she has been lonely and yearns for someone to live for and work for. The two forgive one another and reconcile. She is a happy woman after this prudent decision. She also makes Krogstad write a letter withdrawing his threats to Helmer and returns Nora’s bond, citing something good that has happened to him (a happy change of fortunes).
• Anne decides to leave her daughter with strangers/ decides to quit her relationship with the wicked man. Daughter grows up well and she is confirmed and married and happy to invite her mother for both occasions. The wicked man did not do a single thing for her. She get a good place by being Nora’s nurse who did not have a mother to raise her. She also nurses Nora’s children P.51

Conclusion When we find ourselves in difficult situations such as Nora and other characters found themselves in, we ought to do all we can to reverse the situation regardless of our reputation

Marking points:

• The character;
• Background information leading to the desperate situation/decision
• The desperate prudent / wise action/decision made/reaction
• The anxiety the pain/the stress/the suffering that goes with the situation
• The outcome of the decision/result/consequence/benefit 

26. “Helping one person might not change the world, but it could change the world for a person and leave you happy.” Verify this statement using illustrations from the play “A Doll’s House.” (20 mks)

Introduction Any relevant introduction.

• Mrs Linde is much in need of a job to keep her occupied and busy. She hopes that Torvald can get her something to do. Nora assures her that Torvald must help her. She says that she would think of something to please Torvald, before broaching the subject of offering Mrs Linde a job. Nora sours that she would be happy if she could be of some use to her friend.
• Mrs Linde jilts Krogstad her true but penniless lover for a richer man she did not love to take care of her bedridden mother and her two younger brothers. She is proud to have offered such help and happy that she made her mother’s last days free from care and her brothers are now grown and can shift situations for themselves. (pg 17)
• Nora is proud and happy for having saved Torvald. She is glad that it is through her that she raises money for the journey that saw Torvald’s health restored in Italy. She says that Torvald comes back as sound as a bell and since then he has not had an hours illness.
• Mrs Linde is ready to help Nora talk to Krogstad after he drops a letter in the letter box. This is the letter that is to expose the secret Nora wouldn’t like the husband to know. Mrs Linde offers to go to Krogstad so that he claims back his letter unread. She hopes that just like in the past, Krogstad would be glad to help her. She then leaves for Krogstad’s only to find he has already travelled out of the town.

Conclusion Any relevant conclusion.

27. The society in A Doll’s House is portrayed as one that inhibits personal freedom. Show the truth of this statement using Nora. ( 20Marks)

• Nora has to bear with Helmers domineering nature for the sake of peace in their home. During the settling of accounts, Nora informs Torvald that she had greatly been wronged, first by her father and then by him. She tells Torvald that her father told her his opinion about everything and she never differed from him because he would not have liked it. He called her his doll child. She feels that she was transferred from her father’s hand into Torvald’s. She has now acquired his taste and arranges everything according to his taste. She argues that she had been living with Torvald like a poor woman, just from hand to mouth for she merely exists to perform tricks for him. She feels that a great sin had been committed against her by Torvald and her father and it is their fault that she has made nothing of her life.

In conclusion, it is evident that societal limitations can hinder someone from fulfilling their obligations.

28. Drawing examples from Henrick Ibsen's "A Doll’s House," write a composition to illustrate the validity of the statement below. (20 marks) "True motherhood comes from self sacrifice to one’s family.”

INTRODUCTION Many have failed in their responsibilities to their families as many more succeed. Motherhood goes beyond giving birth or siring a child. It includes actively being involved positively in their life. At the family level, it includes the provision of meaningful sustainability to ones entire family. That is what is seen in the set text, A Doll's House, by Henrick Ibsen in the following instances.

• Nora, out of love and concern, takes a loan from Krogstad to enable her travel to Italy for the husband to get well.
• Christine sacrifices her love for Krogstad in order to find a way of helping her ailing mother and two younger siblings.
• Nora, convinced that her children aught to grow in a clean family environment, sacrifices her marriage,and walks out of her marriage.
• Nora, sacrifices her personal comfort to enable her family get all they need. She buys clothes and gifts for her children,and house provisions, and making her house be exactly as Tovarld wants it. These she does by denying herself good clothes as any woman would want. She also works hard and late on typing and crocheting to enable her meet her monthly loan repayments obligation.
• The nurse fails as mother for failing to be available for her daughter. Blaming it on the father of her daughter, she claims if working as Nora's nurse could give her good prospects then it was better. She an obvious an absent mother. The evidence we have is only the letters she(daughter)writes during her confirmation and when she was getting married respectively.
• Tovarld, from a professional point of view, states that those who have gone under( failed) early in life have had a bad mother. Asked by Nora why not father, he says mothers have a greater role and influence on children but agrees that fathers too. He gives example of Krogstad who is struggling to cleanse his reputation and image for the sake of his growing children. He has been a failure to them.

CONCLUSION As demonstrated above, true motherhood is in proper upbringing of children,conscious desire to provide to ones family, and being present to ones family members.

29. Money is a potential source of confusion and instability in the society. Write an essay that touches on this assertion with reference to Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House.

Points of interpretation shall elucidate how many caused conflicts among

• Nora and Krogstad
• Nora and Torvald
• Krogstad and Mrs. Linde
• Torvald and Krogstad

30. Self-sacrifice and love is what is required for the sake of the family. Using Nora in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, write an essay in support of the above statement.

Introduction: Any relevant introduction

• Forgery . Nora secretly, against all the legal odds, forges her father’s signature and borrows money to help treat her husband.  She chooses to help her sick husband instead of her father, ( pgs 13,17-20,36-41)
• Insults . Nora tolerates Torvald’s decrees and condescension all the time for the sake of their family. ( Pgs2, 3, 6, 20, 57, 61, 95-97,102-120)
• Secret . Nora must fight to hide her loan from her husband Torvald because these knows he would never bring himself to accept that a woman did all this for him.  It would lower his self-worth.  And so she work in secret to pay off her loan because he fears to embarrass her  husband since it is illegal for a woman to secure a loan without her husband’s permission and thefore,with this she has to endure Krogstad’s blackmail. (Pgs12, 1921, 48, 72-76)
• Upkeep . Nora keeps the family warm and protected for weigh years despite her fears and tribulations. (Pgs 13, 30-31, 49-51) – Crotchet work, embroidery- Copying
• Children . Nora’s abandonment of her children is act of self-sacrifice. Despite her great love for them- manifested by her interaction with them and her great fear of corrupting them – she chooses to leave them, Nora truly believes that the nanny will be a better mother and that leaving her children is in their best interest. ( 103-120 )
• Loan . She struggles to repay the loan and its accruing interests from her partime work and house savings .(Pgs 13,21-22)
• Love. .Nora chooses her husband over her father yet the latter’s condition seems worse as he is critically ill.  She tells Mrs.Linde that did not want to bother her father with the bond.  She therefore forged his signature.  Her dies a few days a few days later, on 29 th September. (pgs 19-22)

Conclusion: Any valid conclusion

31. Juana is the pillar of strength for her family. Show the validity of this statement using illustrations from The Pearl by John Steinbeck.

The society in A Doll’s House is portrayed as one that inhibits personal freedom. Show the truth of this statement using Nora. ( 20 mks) In the text A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, the community prevents/restrains an individual from exercising liberty in their day to day lives as seen when Nora has to work secretly and when she is unable to make independent decisions.

32. Too much preoccupation with one’s own interest can easily lead to self-destruction.” Write an essay to validate this statement using illustrations from Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House.

• In Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, characters who are self-centered and do things for personal gain end up hurting themselves.
• Torvald in his quest to guard his reputation lacks consideration for Nora. Despite Nora’s sacrifice by borrowing money from krogstad after forging her father’s signature he sees her as one who is out to destroy his status by calling her a liar, hypocrite and unfit to be a mother to his children. Nora after learning this decides to walk out of the marriage.
• Tovarld is reluctant to retain krogstad in his job since he believes 6that other people will think that his wife who influenced his decisions to do so. He wants to come out as someone who is independent in thought. Krogstad in a desperate attempt to retain h9iis position at the bank exposes Nora’s forgery which in turn hurts the husband
• Krogstad’s attempt to retain his position at the bank ends up hurting him. He blackmails Nora and tells her to influence the husband’s decision and when Nora is not able to do so he ends up losing his job as he is dismissed by Tovarld.
• Dr Rank frequently visits the Tovarlds since he is interested in winning Nora’s heart. And when he Nora comes to know of his intentions she rejects him. (pg 97-98)
• Torvald dismisses Krogstad from the bank for a rather petty reason. Krogstad is struggling to keep his job at the bank, in order to take care of his sons and to redeem and clear his name.
• Eventually, Krogstad sends the damning letter about Nora’s secrets to Torvald making him angry, insolent and openly inconsiderate. Nora decides to leave him and their marriage breaks.
• In conclusion, being selfish may cause pain to us. This insensitivity always goes unrewarded, surely.

33. “There is a lot of betrayal in our society”. Write a composition to support this statement drawing your illustration from the play “A doll House”, By Henrik Ibsen (20marks)

(Introduction 2 mks) Most people betrays others by deceiving who trusted them, failing to honor an agreement or simply disappointing a person who has put trust in them. A marriage partner may betray his or her partner by breaking the vow or being unfaithful; A politician betrays the citizens by not honoring his or her campaign pledges/Betrayal run through the play as show by characters such as Helmar, Krogstad and Christine.

• Helmer betrays his wife Nova by not defending and understanding her when he finds out the secret she has been keeping from him. Nova had hoped and feared for the wonderful thing to happen when Helmer finds out that she had lied and sacrificed her comfort and money to pay the loan that save his life. She had hoped that Helmer would take the guilt upon himself because Nova committed the forgery to save his life. To her wild disappointment, Helmer tells her that he can work day and night for her, bear sorrow for her but no man can sacrifices his honor for the one he loves. She also realizes that the Helmer has been treating like a doll to amuse and entertain himself. This make her realize she has been living with a stranger all a long and she decides to leave him.
• Krogstad betrays Nova by failing to Keep the secret a bond the loan he had advanced her. When Helmer is promoted to the managerial position in the bank he threatens to fire Krogstad, who also works in the bank, claiming that he is corrupt and describes him as morally diseased. Helmer also says that he feels sick in the presence of such people Krogstad blackmails Nova by telling her to use her influence and ensure that he(Krogstad) is not fired or else he would divulge the secret. When Helmer becomes adamant and refuses to be influenced by Nova. Krogstad makes good his threat and drops a letter with Helmer abuse and reprimand Nova.
• Christine (MrsLinde) betrays Krogstad, her trust but broke lover. When she realizes that she needs money to take care of her helpless and bed ridden mother and two younger brothers, she abandons her true love Krogstad ( because his prospects seemed hopeless then pg 86) and gets married to arichg man who later dies and his business collapses leaving her with nothing. The two meet again at Nova’s hase when Linde is looking for job and Krogstad is there to talk to Nova impending dismissal with an aim of blackmailing her. Christine explains the reason for her betrayal and then reconcile(pg 86-88)
• Linde also betrays Nova when She fails to help Nova by convincing Krogsta to withdraw his threat(letter)When Linde and Krogstad meet, they talk about their past and decides to reconcile. When Krogstad suggest that he will ask for his latter back, MrsLinde says that you must not recall your latter pg 90 arguing that there are too many lies between the Helmer. She takes advantage of Nova’s predicament to get back at her true love which make Nova feel betrayed pg93( To Christine suggestion that Nova “must tell her husband about it all(secret) Nova responds “I knew it” which express he disappointment and feelings of betrayal by Christine.
• Nova betrays her husband by borrowing a loan behind his back and keeping it a secret. Although the money was borrowed with an intention of saving his life, he feels betrayed that Nova has helped to get the loan by someday he consider “an unscrupulous man”(Krogstad) who can do what he likes not (Helmer)..(pg 104). When Nova reveals the secret to Christian, the letter brings out Helmers betrayal by his wife in her comment No, a wife cannot borrow without her husband consent marks 3:3:3:3=12mks Grammer and presentation 4mks
• BV1 Raml betrays the Helmers when he confess his desire for Nova despite knowing she is married to his friend Helmer(pg 68)

CONCLUSION (2MKS) In conclusion, many people in society cannot be trusted and prove to be false or faithful (2mks) Accept any other relevant conclusion

34. “Desperation can bring agony to oneself.” Using specific examples from Ibsen’s play, A Doll’s House, write a composition to justify the truth in this statement.

Introduction Sometimes when one becomes desperate to get or do something they may end up suffering in the process. This is the case with characters such as Nora, Dr. Rank, Helmer and others in A Doll’s House. (Accept any other relevant introduction) 2marks

ILLUSTRATIONS

• Krogstad is desperate to redeem his reputation through the job he has at the bank and in so doing he suffers a lot. He visits Nora frequently hoping to arm-twist her to put in a good word for him to retain the job. He threatens her with dire consequences through a court action if she would not do so. He reminds Nora of the discrepancy he had noted in the bond. However, instead of retaining the job, he gets fired.
• Helmer is desperate to maintain his manly dominance over Nora and this makes him suffer. He struggles to keep her in good moods by giving her money. He cautions her against associating with those regarded as morally diseased such as Krogstad. He coaches her on the Tarantella so as to have a stellar performance at the Stenborg’s and is disappointed when Nora doesn’t dance as he instructs. Finally, when Nora decides to walk out on him, he pleads with her to remain even if they were to behave like a brother and a sister. He asks if he even write to her but Nora refuses. In the he is embarrassed and sinks down in his chair when Nora leaves.
• Christine is desperate to save her ailing mother and help her siblings and in the process of doing so she suffers. She leaves Krogstad to marry a rich man that would afford him the money with which to make the end life of her mother bearable. In the end she fails to find fulfillment in that act. The man dies leaving her with not even a child. Even the business the man leaves behind goes under and her effort to start a school and a shop collapses. She ends up haggard looking to the extent that even her former classmate cannot recognize her. She also confesses to Krogstad that she is a ‘shipwreck.’Pp 9-13; 87-88
• Nora’s efforts to hide the secret causes her agony. She has to save money from the little she gets for housekeeping to pay off the loan in secret. She juggles between giving the husband a good table and saving some money to pay the loan. She hides Krogstad from everybody around her and even when it is obvious that he has been entertaining Krogstad, he openly lies about  it. She is forced to lie to her husband that he has forgotten all the dance moves so that he can coach her again and in the process not read the letter that would reveal the secret. She contemplates suicide when she thinks the husband will know the secret. 13-19; 42-43; 61-62; 81-83
• Dr. Rank is hell-bent on winning Nora’s love and this causes him agony. When he get the chance with Nora, he whips up her sympathy by talking about his eminent death and flirts with her. He is desperate to have Nora in his arms. On noticing his ill intentions, Nora rebukes him for his ill manners. 63-70; 97-99
• Nora’s effort to get a loan to save her husband makes her suffer. She pleads with her husband to take a loan but he declines. She cannot take the loan herself because the society doesn’t allow women to secure loans without their husband’s consent. At the time of the loan she was pregnant with her first child her father was also sick. Desperate to save the husband’s life at the time her father was also sick, she forges the father’s signature to secure the loan. Pp. 13-21; 38-41

Conclusion Sometimes when we are desperate for something we may end up hurting ourselves. (Accept any other valid conclusion) 2marks

35. Write an essay to show that appearances can be misleading. Draw your illustrations from Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House.

Introduction Indeed, appearances can be deceiving. In A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen, some characters portray naivety yet they are not. Others look harmless yet they are capable of blackmail.

Illustrations

• Appearances can be deceiving. Nora appears naive and helpless. Her role in the home is taking care of the children and her husband yet she is very intelligent. She takes a loan secretly and women are not allowed to take loans without their husband's consent. She forges a signature so that it looks like her father signed the bond. What Torvald does not know is that Nora takes a loan and to pay for his trip to Italy to save him as he is very ill. Nora makes him believe she also wants to go on a trip. He believes the money came from her father. What he does not know is that Nora deceived him.
• Torvald thinks Nora is a plaything and is expected to be a wife and a homemaker. When she tells Torvald she is leaving him, he tells her she is deserting her most sacred duties of being a mother and a wife. He does not realize that Nora is awakening and taking back her independence.
• He still thinks her as naive. She even tells him to shut up as she talks. She takes charge of the situation for the first time since she got married.
• Krogstad is a friend to Nora and helps her secure a loan only to blackmail her later. He wants her to ask Torvald to retain him at the bank or he will tell him about the loan Nora took. He wants to retain the bank job to help him repair his reputation which had been damaged.
• Torvald is confident that he has power over Nora. When he learns of his wife's secret letter, he severely reprimands her. When a second letter absolves them from the debt, he tells her they will live together but only for the public. When she tells him she is leaving, he begs her as he always thought he had power over her. Nora takes back the power that Helmer always had taken from her.
• Dr Rank is a loyal friend of Helmer, but the whole time he is secretly in love with Helmer's wife, Nora. He is loyal to Helmer though and retreats when Nora does not seem interested in his love.

Conclusion It is evident that appearances can be deceiving. Nora is not as innocent as Helmer thinks, Krogstad is out to blackmail Nora for his own good yet he at first pretends to be her confidant. Nora looks like she cannot leave Helmer but she does it so easily to Helmer's shock.

36. “Money is the source of all evil”. Support this statement with illustrations from the play the doll’s house by Henkrik Ibsen (20marks).

Introduction:  Accept a valid introduction

• Lack of money can lead to breakage of marriages. Mrs Linde divorces her husband, Krogstad, because he is financially unstable. She gets married to a rich man. Money can be a source of humiliation.
• Krogstad, a money lender, blackmails Nora in order for him to retain his job at the bank. Money can make people to focus on materialism at the expense of humanity.
• Torvalds felt discontented dealing with unsavory cases' as a lawyer. For that reason, he decided to get a job in a bank where he would be dealing with money.
• When the business of Mrs Linde's late husband collapsed, she was left with nothing to survive on.

Conclusion: Accept a valid conclusion

37. Using Henrik Ibsen’s play A Doll’s House for illustrations, write an essay in support of the statement: “Things are not always what they seem to be.”

Suggested response for question 2 The suggested responses only give the gist of the points to be discussed. The students expected to provide enough support and evidence for each point Suggested response for question 2 Introduction

• It is true that appearance can be deceptive. Ones initial judgement of a person or an issue may turn out to be the opposite in the end. Several character and issues in the play A doll’s house turn out to be the opposite of what they had appeared to be.
• Nora who at first appear to be Naïve and incapable of making decision in life turns out to be the opposite she had made a decision to acquire a loan that helps to save her husband’s life. At the end of the play she makes a decision to quit her marriage and develop herself independently.
• Torvald who had appeared as a loving a caring husband also turns out to be to opposite. The revelation of the truth about Nora’s loans brings out Trovald’s real character. He does not love Nora and only uses her as a doll to please himself
• Krogstad who at first appeared to be cruel turn out to be kind and forgiving. He is ready to withdraw his letter and save Noras marriage. He also accepts back Mrs Linde who had betrayed his love to mar a rich man.
• Mrs Linde is the opposite of what Nora had believed her to be Nora thought she would convince Krongstad to withdraw his letter but it is Mrs Linde who convinces Krongstas not to do so hence treading to the corrupts of Noras marriage.
• Dr Rank who was the family’s best friend always welcome in the house turns out to be Noras secret lover. This comes as a surprise to Nora who is unable to seek any assistance from him.
• Nora and Tovarld’s marriage which had appeared to be a happy one turns out to be one based on lies and manipulation hence it corruses at the end.
• It is clear from the discussion above that appearances can be deceptive. People should strive to give a true picture of themselves and not pretend

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A Doll’s House by Norway’s Henrik Ibsen Essay

Introduction: summary.

The main theme in a Doll’s House play is feminist of the time. Nora and Helmer is a model husband and wife, living in peace and harmony in their family until Mrs. Linde, an older friend to Nora made a visit in their home in search of a job. Nora manages to secure a job for Mrs. Linde, but unfortunately pushes Mr. Krogstad an accused forger out of his job. Generally, in this play Henrik Ibsen pointedly captures the inferior role of women in Victorian society through his doll motif.

The play ‘A Doll’s House’ is one of the controversial plays, where Nora’s decision actions to dump her kids is contradictory to her thoughts as she thinks that her kids need her more than she needs her own freedom. The author of the play believed that women were made to be mothers and wives.

Moreover, he brings some idea of having an eye for the injustice on the female characters. Although, feminists would later hold him, Ibsen was not an activist of women’s rights; he only handled the problem of women’s right as an aspect of realism within the play.

The key theme of this play is Nora’s insurgence against society and everything that was really expected of her (Ibsen 140). During her era, women were not expected to be self-reliant but were to remain supportive to their husbands, take care of the kids, cook, clean, and make everything perfect around the house.

When Nora took a loan to pay for her husband’s medical bill, this raised a lot of questions and problems in the minds of many individuals from the community, as it was taken as act against the community norms for women to take up a loan without their husbands’ knowledge.

She proved that she was not submissive and helpless as her husband Torvalds thought she was. Thus the author referred her as “poor helpless little creature.” A good example of Torvald thought control and Nora’s submissiveness was when she got him to remind her tarantella, she knew the dance style but she acted as if she needed him to re-teach her everything.

When he said to her “watching you swing and dance the tarantella makes my blood rush” (Ibsen 125), this clearly shows that he is more interested in her physically than emotionally. Then when asked him to stop he said to her, “am I not your husband?” once more this is another example of Torvald’s control over Nora, and how he thinks that Nora is there to fulfill his every desire on command.

Marriage is another aspect that the play addresses; the main message seems to be that, a true working marriage is a joining of equals. In the beginning, Helmers looks happy but as the play progress, the imbalance between them becomes apparent. At the end, their marriage breaks because of lack of misunderstanding among them. They fail to realize themselves and to act as equals. (Johnston 671)

Women and Feminist

Throughout the play, Nora breaks away from the control of her arrogant husband, Torvald. The playwright, Ibsen denies that he wrote a feminist play. Still, throughout the play there is steady talk of women, their traditional roles, and price for them of defying with the traditions. (Johnston 570)

Men and masculinity

Men in this play are trapped by general traditional gender responsibilities. They are seen as the chief providers of the family and they should be in charge of supporting the entire household. Men must be the perfect kings of their respective palace. We see these traditional ideas put across at the end of the play.

Respect and Reputation

The men in this play are occupied with their reputation. Some men have the integrity in their society and do anything to protect it. Even if the play setup is in a living room, the public eye is portrayed through the curtains.

In within the play, ‘A Doll’s House’, the characters spend a lot of time discussing their wealth. Some characters are financially stable and promise for a free flowing money in the future while others struggle to make the end meet. (Ibsen 132)

Love has been given a priority in the play where good time has been used on the topic but in the end, Helmers realize that there was their no true love between them. Romantic love is seen for two of the other characters, but for the main character, true love is pathetic (Ibsen 200).

Dramatic irony

There are some examples in the play where this aspect is used, in Act 1 where Torvald condemns Krogstad for forgery and not coming forward. He also mentions that this action corrupts children’s mind. As a reader, you should know that this is very important to Nora because we know that she had committed forgery in the play and kept it a secret from Torvald. (Johnston 603)

It’s ironic when Torvald says that he pretends Nora is in some kind of trouble, and he waits the time he can rescue her. When the truth is known and Torvald has been given a chance to save Nora, he is all concerned with his reputation (Ibsen 128).

He abused her by calling her names such as featherbrain; he is not interested with rescuing Nora is interested on how he escapes out of this mess without affecting his reputation negatively. Then, when krogstad brings back the IOU document, Torvald shouts that he is rescued and he has forgiven Nora. Ironically, he did not even consider that she had borrowed the money earlier to save him.

Christmas and New Year

The play is set during the holiday period. Its Christmas period for the Helmers and New Year celebration is approaching. Both Christmas and New Year are associated with rebirth and renewal (Johnston 589).

Several characters in the play go through a rebirth process both Nora and Torvald go through a spiritual awakening, which can be taken as a rebirth. When things fail to happen, she realizes that it will not be possible for her to be a fully realized person until she divorces her husband. Finally, at the end of the play Helmer and Nora have been reborn.

Works Cited

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

Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll’s House . London: Faber and Faber, 1997. Print.

Johnston, Brian. Ibsen has Selected Plays: A Norton Critical Edition . New York: W.W. Norton, 2004. Print.

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Bibliography

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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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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.”

Relevant topics

• A Raisin in The Sun
• Macbeth Ambition
• Romeo and Juliet
• Antigone Tragic Hero
• Merchant of Venice
• Hamlet Madness
• Oedipus Rex

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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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