A Doll’s House

Learning Stations

Station 1: Background Information

Probable passage: The wife will use fogery to borrow money from the bank. Her husband will be
blackmailed through a masquerade invite found in the mailbox. They will then dance the tarantella and
will see a blackcross above the door of the dollhouse. Their morality and reputation will be tested.

Station 2: Contemporary Reviews

1. Great excitement and fascination, with strong applause.

2. They are happy but they both have secrets.
3. She has illegally borrowed money with her dead dad’s signature.
4. Nora is a ditzy, naive lady who is cowardly, but charming.
5. An arrangement which corrupts them and they both lose their moral right.
6. They find out about each other’s secrets.
7. The writer doesn’t seem to find an ending that satisfies himself and the audience, and the final
scene is too long
8. Husband treats his wife as a child he amuses himself with.
9. This review women empowerment rather than on the first review.

Station 3: Defining Identity

Step 1: Rank and explain

● Beliefs/ morality
● gender
● race/ethnicity
● behavior
● Sexual orientation
● religion
● Country of origin
● Education level
● Social class
● occupation

Step 2: Group definition of identity

Identity is the perception of oneself and the basis of one’s actions.

Station 4: Heinz Dilemma

Individual Reaction: I don’t think he should. They aren’t completely, or at least mostly sure that
the drug would save her, so they might end up killing her more quickly instead. And that wouldn’t
be worth going to jail for. But if they were sure then he should steal the drugs.

Group Discussion:
1. Whether the drug actually worked, saving someone’s life versus stealing, the inevitability of
death.
2. Getting arrested, fines, jail time, doctor calls police, they don’t actually get to administer the
drug. Based on the severity of the consequences it could not be worth it. But if the jail tim is
minimal and the fines practically nonexistent, then it could be worth it.
3. If the woman was a stranger he should not steal the drug. It would not be worth it to get
involved, and go to jail for someone he doesn;t even know.
4. He shouldn’t steal it if he doesn’t like his wife, then it would be a huge hassle for no reason,
that he also could easily make an excuse for.
5. An animal is not worth jail time to save.

Consequences:
He should be punished, but if nobody was hurt, then he should be sentenced to community service or a
small amount of time in jail.

Station 5: Essential Questions

1. No, because helping others or being responsible for other people don’t impede on your rights,
just impedes on your time to exercise those rights. But that entirely depends on said
responsibilities.
2. Society’s expectations for mothers are to be caring, raise the kids, and be the primary child
rearer. The fathers are to make the money, and to protect the kids.
3. Yes, of course. Mothers can work, fathers can stay at home. Fathers can be the caring and
understanding ones. There can be 2 fathers, 2 mothers. Raising styles can be different than
convention and the kids can still turn out okay, as long as you love your kids and raise them with
attention and involvement.
4. No, because you can still be a good parent and grow as an individual. Just as long as you make
sure your kids are in a comfortable and stable environment.
5. Yes, but that is readily changing. Non-traditional parenting, like same-sex couples, adoption,
switched gender roles, etc are becoming more common, excepted, and celebrated.
6. Yes it does, because it is all about compromise, and mutual understanding.

Station 6: Opening Scene

1. The Helmer’s house seems comfortable and well-off.

2. It is during Christmas, and not in the modern time.
3. They are very in-love and Torvald seems to love Nora very much, or be very comfortable
around her.
4. Nora seems to not mind or pay attention to the pet name.s.
5. She would not have any money.
6. He is concerned about having debt, because he doesn’t want to owe anything to anyone.
7. Money means freedom, and is very important to Helmer.
8. He doesn’t trust her enough for her to have her own money, and has to give it to her.
9. Their relationship seems a little superficial, and he treats her like a child.
10. Helmer will find out that she borrowed money.