#1

Henrick Ibsen utilizes Nora and Torvald’s dishonest behavior to foreshadow the
downfall of their marriage. From the beginning of the play, Nora’s fabricated relationship with
Torvald is apparent when she eats the forbidden macaroons despite telling her husband, “I
should not think of going against your wishes”(Ibsen7). Dishonesty is the root cause of their
despair. In the play, Torvald forcefully pulls Nora away from the ball despite her protests, “No,
no, no! don't take me in. I want to go upstairs again; I don't want to leave so early”. In this,
Torvald exposes his true character. Instead of respecting the wife he claims to love, he insists
on society's expectations, establishing a position of power due to his gender. Although both
Nora and Torvald express their love through their grand statements, “I know what you did, you
did out of love for me”(Ibsen61), their behavior and actions undermine their words and
foreshadow the demise of their marriage. True happiness and contentment are impossible to
obtain in a stereotypically gendered marriage full of self-deceit.

#2
In the play A Doll’s House, Henrick Ibsen utilizes Nora’s dress as a symbol to
communicate her true identity. In Nora’s sphere, she cannot live her life with freedom. The
party dress Nora must wear is a problem as Nora requires assistance from Mrs. Linde, “Look,
here is the dress; Torvald had it made for me, but now it is all so torn”(Ibsen30). Nora's dress
represents her entire character as it is a masquerade she can hide behind. It's tattered and
requires mending, much like Nora believes she can't address her difficulties and therefore
gives the dress to Mrs. Linde to solve. In addition, when Torvald despises the sight of the repair
of the shabby dress, he demonstrates that he idolizes her fake image and does not want her to
rectify and transform herself. Ultimately her dress symbolizes her inability to solve her
problems and express her true character. Therefore at the end of the play, when Nora changes
out of the dress, “[in everyday dress]. Yes Torvald, I have changed my things now”(Ibsen61), she
reveals her true self.

#3
In the play A Doll’s House, Henrick Ibsen uses pet names to depict the marital power
dynamics. Partner nicknames are habitual in a marriage as they represent a partner's affection
and love. Nora and Torvald are a late-eighteenth-century couple whose pet names reveal
characteristics of their marriage. Nora is referred to by a multitude of pet names all through
the play, “little squirrel”(Ibsen4), “little skylark”(Ibsen5), and “my dear little Nora”(Ibsen6). As
Torvald refers to his wife by various diminutives, the word “little” is customarily apparent. This
remark exposes Torvald's mental image of Nora, which is that she is beneath him. In addition
to using pet names, Torvald constantly refers to Nora as a child, “The child shall have her
way”(Ibsen47). Through societal expectations, the pet and childish names are used for Torvald
to express his power and dominance both physically and intellectually over his wife. Although
the pet names are a sign of affection and love between the married individuals, they reflect the
underlying constraints imposed on Nora by her husband.