Previous
Dramatic Irony
Key Examples in A Doll's House
Foil
Explanation and Analysis—Torvald and Krogstad:
Torvald and Krogstad are foils for one another. Both men are extremely ambitious, to the point where their desire for success and respectability can lead them to cause harm to others (even if, in Torvald’s case, this is done unintentionally). When the play begins, they are in very different places in life: Torvald has just been promoted at the bank where he works, he is happily married (supposedly), and a father. Krogstad, on the other hand, has just learned that he is going to be fired from that very same bank, has no partner, and no children.
Related Themes:
Foil
Explanation and Analysis—Nora and Mrs. Linde:
Throughout Henrik Ibsen’s play A Doll’s House, Nora and Mrs. Linde are set up as foils of one another, demonstrating two different examples of femininity. Both women struggle to find meaning in their lives beyond the influence of the men they are beholden to (Nora contemplates suicide, while Mrs. Linde feels her life is pointless as a widow). When the play begins, Nora appears to be the ideal woman—a loving wife and mother of three, dutifully devoted to taking care of her family—while Mrs. Linde is a childless widow who had a loveless marriage. Ibsen directly contrasts Nora’s deception for a good cause (i.e. the saving of her husband’s life via a secret loan) with Mrs. Linde’s strict devotion to the truth, traditional values, and rule-following.
Unlock with LitCharts A+
Related Themes:
