ACT 1: “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen

1.What does the opening stage direction reveal about the Helmer family? About the time of year?

The transaction between Nora and the porter that opens A Doll’s House immediately puts the spotlight on money, which emerges as one of the forces driving the play’s conflicts as it draws lines between genders, classes, and moral standards. The opening stage direction also reveals a setup where we see a joyful mother and a hard working father. These two aspects lead the reader to think that the Helmer family is an ideal and functional one. Torvald and Nora’s mutual tenderness to one another gives the reader another peek into the kind of family they raise.

2. Examine the opening dialogue …ver más…

He told her that he was capable of suing her because he had proof that she had forged a signature in their contract. This signature could cost her jail and the job loss to her husband.

6. How does Ibsen show that Krogstad is a threat when he first appears? The reader can see that Krogstad is shown as a threat since the beginning when the maid looks out the door and sees this gentleman and she looks up to Nora with a frightened face. After this, when Krogstad walks in, Nora rapidly tries to avoid him from talking to Helmer. She is afraid that he will do bad to Helmer, specially since he is going to be the new bank director where Krogstad works.

7. Why should Nora's scene with her children in Act I not be cut in production? What does it show about Nora and the household?

Nora’s scene with her children should not be cut in production because it demontrates how Nora faces her problems. When Nora feels happy and has no preocupations, she likes to play with her children. But, when she feels afflicted she send the nanny to play with the children because she feels in no condition of paying them attention. Her attitude towards her children reflects the though of her conscience but it also reflects (in occasions) her loving nature as a mother. The children also represent the way of working the Helmer household. 8. What is Nora's secret "crime"? What is the explanation and justification for it? At the end of the act, what new