A Doll’s House

Act III Discussion Questions

1. Why is Kristine willing to “risk everything” for Krogstad?

She cares for Krogstad and knows that overall it will help her friend fix Nora’s
relationship with Nora. Also Krogstad and her used to be married I think or at least engaged so
she still cares about him

2. Why does Kristine encourage Krogstad to let Torvald read the letter revealing Nora’s
deception?
She knows that in the end it will be the best for Nora that way she doesn’t have to keep
living in secret and always being on the edge of if her husband ever finds out the news. Also the
more they drag it on, the worse it is going to be.

3. Dr. Rank suggests Nora should go to the next masquerade dressed as “Charmed Life,” and
that she should dress “just as she looks every day.” What is the implication about Nora’s daily
life? Is it charmed? Or is the charm a masquerade? Explain.
That her life is beautiful and out on display. It isn’t charmed because she’s constantly
stressing about her crime and her relationship with her husband is a terrible one. The charm is a
masquerade because she wants everyone outside her family to believe she is the perfect wife
and mother.

4. Discuss the irony in Torvald’s accusation that Nora has played with him “like a puppet.”
Even though Nora treated him like a puppet, for years Torvald has been playing her like
a puppet so it’s funny that he thinks that what she is doing is so bad.

5. Helmer’s pronouncement that “before all else, (Nora is) a wife and mother” is contradicted
by Nora’s “before all else, I’m a human being.” Is this issue significant today, or is it only a sign
of Ibsen’s time? Explain.
I think this is still an issue today, but not as relevant in some areas of the world. In more
rural areas I think the roles of a mother and a wife are focused on. A lot of cultures and
religions deem that necessary that above all else they have duties as mothers. Which is
important as well, but being a human is also important.

6. Discuss Nora’s decision to leave her family. Is it truly the only way she can reclaim her
identity and humanity?
 I think this was a very hard decision on Nora’s part. It’s very abrupt and it comes out of
nowhere. It’s also hard to watch because she’s leaving her children behind and that could hurt
them in the future. So I don’t necessarily like that she left her family, but also I think it was
important. If she was with her husband there would be no way she could grow and become a
capable human being. So she needs to be on her own for sometime and learn the ways of the
world. Also I’m glad she gave her husband some clarity because if she just walked out that
would’ve done neither of them good, but having that conversation before about why she
needed to leave helped out the situation a lot.

7. The last sound the audience hears is the door slamming shut after Nora’s departure. Examine
the theatrical, literary, and historical significance of this stage device.
This definitely reminds me of putting a close on the story, but having a
knowledge that the door will open back up again is exciting. When one door
closes another opens and Nora will able to find a different, new life where she
can express herself as she closes the door behind her and opens a new one.
Also it shows how abrupt this impact is. The door shuts and Nora is gone
and we know she isn’t coming back, at least for a long time. It’s really cool to
see that affect Torvald too as he sees and hears the cutting of his own
relationship. That door is the final straw as the two separate from each others
lives