Main features of the double helix:

1. DNA consists of two polynucleotide strands

2. Each polynucleotide strand forms a right-handed helical spiral and the two strands coil around
each other to form a double helix.
3. The diameter of the double helix is 2nm.
4. The two polynucleotide strands run in opposite directions i.e. they are antiparallel. One strand is
oriented in the 5’ to 3’ direction while the other is oriented in the 3’ to 5’ direction.
5. Each strand has a sugar phosphate backbone.
6. Specific complementary base pairing occurs between adenine and thymine and between
cytosine and guanine
7. A-T base pair is held by 2 hydrogen bonds. The C-G base pair is held by 3 hydrogen bonds.
8. The ratio of A to T is 1:1 and the ratio of C to G is 1:1.
9. Along the central axis of the DNA molecule, the base pairs are stacked 0.34nm apart. One
complete turn of the double helix has ten base pairs and spans a distance of 3.4nm.
10. Because of the way the bases bond with each other, the two sugar phosphate backbones of the
double helix are not equally spaced along the helical axis.
- This results in grooves of unequal sizes between the backbones called major and minor
grooves.

Stability of the DNA molecule:

1. Phosphoester bonds between nucleotides are strong covalent bonds
2. A large number of hydrogen bonds between base pairs
3. Hydrophobic interactions between stacked base pairs
4. The exposure to outside influences of only the sugar-phosphate backbone
5. The involvement of nitrogenous bases in hydrogen bonds
6. [Only in eukaryotes] The DNA double helix is tightly wound around an equal mass of histones to
form a repeating array of nucleosomes
Main features of the DNA double helix:
1. DNA consists of 2 polynucleotide strands
2. Each polynucleotide strand forms a right-handed helical spiral, and the two strands are coiled
around each other to form a double helix
3. The diameter of the double helix is 2nm
4. The two polynucleotide strands are antiparallel, with one strand being oriented in the 5’ to 3’
direction and the other oriented in the 3’ to 5’ direction
5. Each strand has a sugar phosphate backbone
6. Specific complementary base pairing occurs between A and T and between C and G
7. The A-T base pair has 2 hydrogen bonds, and the C-G base pair has 3 hydrogen bonds.
8. The ratio of A to T is 1:1 and the ratio of C to G is 1:1
9. Along the central axis of the DNA molecule, the base pairs are stacked 0.34nm apart. One
complete turn of the double helix has 10 base pairs and spans a distance of 3.4nm.
10. Because of the way the bases bond with each other, the two sugar phosphate backbones of the
double helix are not equally spaced out along the helical axis
- This results in grooves of unequal sizes between the backbones called major and minor
grooves

Stability of the DNA molecule:

1. Phosphoester bonds between nucleotides are strong covalent bonds
2. A large number of hydrogen bonds between base pairs
3. Hydrophobic interactions between the stacked base pairs
4. The exposure to outside influences of only the sugar phosphate backbone
5. The involvement of nitrogenous bases in hydrogen bonds
6. [Only in eukaryotic cells] The DNA double helix is tightly wound around an equal mass of
histones forming a repeating array of nucleosomes

Ibsen uses diction and stage directions to portray Nora as someone who refuses to conform to society’s
norms. It was mentioned in page 14 by Mrs Linde that “a wife can’t borrow without her husband’s
consent” which was one of the many rules society had set, where males, as heads of the household, are
the ones in charge of the money. If a woman wishes to obtain money, she can only do so through her
husbands or male guardians. However, Nora “disobeyed” that rule that society had imposed and
borrowed money from Krogstad to pay for the trip in order to save Torvald’s life as seen from “Is it rash
to save your husband’s life?”. Thus showing that she refuses to let society as a whole prevent her from
doing what’s necessary to save the people she loves.

Ibsen also uses diction and stage directions to depict Nora as someone who has a child-like personality,
which helped to reinforce the idea that Nora is like a “doll” to Torvald and her father. This could be seen
in pg 13 when Mrs Linde questioned where Nora had gotten the money from, she had only hummed and
smiled secretively, like a child keeping a secret from everyone. It was also mentioned in pg 16 that when
Nora was trying to get money to pay back Krogstad, she used to pretend that she managed to get that
money needed from an old wealthy gentleman. It shows a part of her creativity and imagination,
something that is usually associated with children rather than adults, thus further highlighting the fact
that Nora has a childish personality. Furthermore, in the same page, Nora mentions that “No more
worries! Just think of being without a care in the world”, which is not realistic in society, showing that
she is incapable of comprehending the weight of real world problems, and thus resembles a child. Lastly,
Nora mentioned that during last Christmas when she was doing the copying job, she said “it was
tremendous fun all the same, sitting there working and earning money like that. It was almost like being
a man.” This further emphasises how Nora has an optimistic and simple-minded perception of the world,
viewing it as something “fun”, and is unable to grasp the reality of the working world and how harsh it
can be.

In conclusion, Ibsen utilises diction and stage directions of the play to present Nora as someone who is
not conformed by societal gender norms and has a childlike personality.