Act I A Doll's House

A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen

As we read and discuss the full length play A Doll’s House, complete these questions below and those that will follow.  

Act I

Helmer and Nora

1.  What is Helmer’s new job?

2. Why is Helmer so concerned about “spend[ing] money recklessly”?

3.  On page 2, what does Helmer say is “like a woman”?

4. What does Nora buy Ivar?

5.  What does Nora buy for Bob?

6.  What does Nora buy for Emmy?

7. Who are Ivar, Bob and Emmy?

8.  What do Nora and Torvald agree will be Nora’s Christmas present?

9.  What is a person called who is always spending money? From the play?

10.  What has Nora given her word that she will not do?

Mrs. Christine Linde and Nora

1.  How has Mrs. Linde changed since Nora and she last met?

2.  Does Christine Linde have any children?  And how did she feel about her deceased husband, before his death?

3.  What kind of jobs has Nora taken up to ‘make ends meet,’ during her marriage to Helmer?

4. Why did Nora and Helmer go to Italy, according to the conversation?

5.  Whose death happened right around the same time as the trip to Italy?

6.  What is Christine Linde’s reason for marrying her late husband?

7.  What is it specifically that Nora has  “to be proud and glad of”?

8.  Who “procured the money” for the trip to Italy? And how?

9.  What is Nora’s “great secret”?  Explain your answer.

10. What does Nora spend her money on, mostly?

11.  What is that Nora states is “like being a man”?

12.  From the stage directions, how does Mrs. Linde feel about Krogstad?

13.  What is it that Krogstad has to discuss with Helmer?

14.  What is Krogstad’s marital situation?

Dr. Rank

1.  Why can’t Mrs. Linde “manage stairs very well”?

2.  What illness does Rank believe Krogstad to suffer from?

3.  What subject do Linde and Rank get into an argument about?

4.  What exactly is Nora laughing about that breaks up the argument?

5.  For what purpose does Nora introduce Christine Linde to Helmer?

6.  What is it that Christine has accomplished by her visit?

Krogstad and Nora

1.  For what purpose does Krogstad come to speak with Nora?

2.  What is Christine Linde’s and Krogstad’s prior relationship?

3.  How did Nora become associated with Krogstad?

4.  How, exactly, does Krogstad plan to “compel” Nora to “plead his cause”?

5.  What legal indiscretion is Nora guilty of- what does she confess to Krogstad?

Nora and Helmer

1.  What lie does Helmer catch Nora in?

2.  What is  Torvald responsible for at the bank, after New Years?

3.  What is it that Torvald Helmer supposes is the root of  ‘criminal’ behavior- “those who have gone to the bad”?

4.  Why does Nora’s temperature rise, at this point in the Act?

5.  Why won’t she see her children?