The Outline

Introduction:
Background information: -choices affect life. (important)
-Bad choices (downfall)
- Ibsen’s characters and their decisions

Thesis: unwise decisions lead to misery: - Torvald patronizing Nora

- Krogstad’s crime of forgery
- Dr. Rank confessing his love to Nora

Paragraph 1:
Topic sentence: Torvald patronizing Nora
Supporting details: 1. Pet names’ reference. (their meanings)
2. accusing Nora for spending money.
3. destructive marriage (based on appearance/ society norms)
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Paragraph 2:
Topic sentence: Krogstad’s crime of forgery
Supporting details: 1. Morally diseased man (poisons his children)
2. blackmails Nora (no mercy/ Nora’s suicidal thoughts)
3. keep his job to save his reputation
_____________________________________________________________________________

Paragraph3:
Topic sentence: Dr. Rank confessing his love to Nora
Supporting details: 1. Very close to Nora (with proofs)
2. by confessing his love – cheats his friend/ Nora is uncomfortable
3. Nora regrets him (he becomes sad)
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Conclusion:
- All characters suffer from their choices: Torvald- marriage/ Krgstad- children+
reputation/ Dr. Rank- Nora’s’ rejection
- Society shapes individuals (thoughts/ life)
- Decisions made by characters (based on social norms)
-
 Unwise Decisions Can Lead to Misery
 
All the choices that people arrive at can significantly impact their whole life. One should always
think thoroughly about making major life decisions, for poor choices can miserably ruin
anyone’s life in no time. In A doll’s house, a Norwegian play written by Henrik Ibsen in 1879,
the author illustrates how making unwise and irresponsible decisions can lead to the downfall of
individuals. Throughout the play, Ibsen’s characters are faced with making serious life decisions,
yet they fail in making right choices, and their lives turn completely into sorrow. Accordingly,
this essay will discuss three unwise decisions made by the play’s characters: Torvald patronizing
his wife, Krogstad forging a name and Dr. Rank confessing his love to Nora.
 
 
Torvald, Nora’s husband and the antagonist of the play, constantly patronizes his wife by
addressing her with pet names, such as “my little squirrel” and “my little sky-lark”. By using
such a malicious tactic, Torvald is asserting his control over his wife. When he calls her “my
little spendthrift”, Torvald suggests that his wife is an irresponsible woman who cannot make
any wise and thoughtful decisions regarding financial matters. Nonetheless, he never hesitates to
give her as much money as she desires to watch he joyful reactions. He even attempts to
objectify her by viewing her as a doll that is only meant to be for him. Nora is completely aware
of the way her husband views her, “Torvald is so absurdly fond of me that he wants me
absolutely to himself, as he says” (Ibsen, 1996, p.54). she, as a result, uses this power for her
advantage to get money from Torvald by “playing with his coat buttons” (Ibid, p.5) and sexually
manipulate him by performing attractive dances, knowing that they are the only ways to please
him and hide her secret loan. At the end of the play, Torvald becomes furious when he discovers
that his wife has ruined his reputation. Nora comes to the realization that their marriage breaks
apart, for her husband only cares about is how society views their relationship. She adds, “You
don't understand me; and I have never understood you—till to-night” (Ibid, p.112). By calling his
wife offensive terms, Torvald undermines his partner’s role in their relationship which
eventually leads to the destruction of their marriage.
 
 
 
Krogstad forging a name is another decision that considered unwise in Ibsen’s view. In Torvald’s
eyes, Krogstad is a corrupt man whose wicked actions and lies have been “poisoning his own
children for years past” (Ibid, p.47). Though ,just like Nora, Krogstad is accused for committing
the crime of forgery, he does not show empathy for her and decides to blackmail her for forging
her father’s signature. Nora, due to Krogstad’s blackmail, starts to consider the prospect of
committing suicide. It is evident that Krogstad’s respectable position at the bank means the
world to him since it is the only possible way to clear his name, be accepted in his judgmental
society and set a good for his children “My sons are growing up: for their sake, I must try to
regain what respectability I can” (Ibid, p.35). Krogstad’s decision to commits a forgery not only
affects his reputation but also leads to the suffering of the people around him.
 
Dr. Rank, The Helmers’ friend, is also accused for making a poor decision when he decides to
confess his love to Nora. Dr. Rank is the closest person to Nora. She confirms, “I know you are
my best, my truest friend” (Ibid, p.67). In contrary to Torvald, Dr. Rand never treats the woman
who he truly loves like a child. It is also apparent that Nora feels so comfortable around Rank
that she openly eats the macaroon in his presence. He even quickly identifies Mrs. Linde,
Nora’s old friend, when she visits Nora for the first time which indicated that Nora often talks
about her past with him, “I’ve often heard Mrs. Linden's name” (Ibid, p.25). However, Dr. Rank
confessing his love to Nora is not justifiable. Nora is already married to the person whom he
considers a close friend. Thus, by confessing his love, Dr. Rank puts Nora in an uncomfortable
situation and breaks his friend’s trust at the same time. Despite the fact that he seems to know
that he has no chance to win her love, he still risks revealing his feelings to her. It is
undoubtedly disheartening for Dr. Rank to face his own death knowing that the woman he loves
the most does not see him the way he does. In brief, Dr. Rank should have realized the fact that
his decision to reveal his feelings to a married woman is morally unacceptable and can only lead
to him facing the pain of rejection alone.
 
 
To sum up, the three unwise decisions that are portrayed in the paly are Torvald humiliating his
wife, Krogstad committing a crime of forgery and Dr. Rank expressing his love to Nora. All
these inconsiderable decisions lead to the downfall of the characters. Torvald destroys his
relationship with his wife when he decides to address her with offensive terms, Krogstad and his
children’s life become full of sorrow after forging a signature and Dr. Rank deals with rejection
alone when he confesses his love to his friend’s wife. In A doll’s house, Ibsen skillfully conveys
that society has the potential to shape its individuals and control the aspects of their lives. Most
of the decisions made by the characters in the play are actually influenced the social norm of
their society.