The Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen - Essay Example

 The proof of this is when he rebukes Nora for being a spendthrift and Nora argues back saying that they can spend on credit till he gets paid. Torvald opposes this and says what if they are unable to pay off their debts? Act one reveals self-centeredness of Nora and this is through her conversation with Linde. Nora asks how she has been and pretends to have an interest in her affairs, but she keeps on turning the conversation back to her own life with Torvald. For instance, when Linde tells Nora of her financial difficulties she responds by saying how she and Torvald expect to have lots and lots of money (Ibsen, 1992).

In as much as Nora is a spendthrift, she is not driven by money in comparison to Linde. Nora married Torvald and they had to work a way out of their poverty while Linde got married for money to escape poverty. Act one identifies Nora’s other character as assertive and secretive. She managed to acquire a loan from Krogstad, but by forging her father’s signature. Nora confesses this to Linde, but she doesn’t reveal the source of the loan. Nora and Krogstad are similar in this sense. Krogdstadt forged a loan certificate to help her ailing wife who later died (Ibsen, 1992). The continuation of this character revelation is in act two, where Krogstadt threatens to reveal this act to Torvald. This makes Nora uneasy since she wants to protect the dignity of her husband.

This action portrays her as a caring person, and the author develops this by asserting that Nora did not want to interact with her children to protect them from curses emanating from a parent's sin. This is regarding the belief that Dr Rank became sick due to his father’s sin. Act three portrays Nora's character as an independent woman, who comes to learn that life does not revolve around Torvald alone. The proof of this is when Torvald accuses her of taking a loan without informing him. This alone is an act of independence. From the act, her independence is shown when she realizes that Torvald and she decide to leave.

The major event that shapes the structure of scene one is the arrival of Dr Rank and Linde, Nora’s friend. From Linde's conversation with Nora, the author can develop the plot of the play by categorizing it into different acts. It is from their conversation that we know of the illegal loan that Nora took, and thus the entry of Krogstadt, the source of the loan (Ibsen, 1992). This leads to the development of act two where the blackmail of Kronstadt to Nora is seen. Nora’s actions to save her husband from disgrace lead to the introduction of act three. This act concludes the play.