Questions on Act III of A Doll’s House

1. (a) What draws Mrs. Linde and Krogstad back to each other ? (b) Do these two characters have more in common than Nora and Torvald do ? Explain. (c) How does Nora’s and Torvald’s situation contrast with Mrs. Linde’s and Krogstad’s situation at the end of the play ?
2. Why does Mrs. Linde tell Krogstad not to ask for his letter back ?
3. After Nora and Torvald return from the party, why does Nora tell Torvald to « go away » and « leave [her] alone » ?
4. (a) How would you describe Torvald’s reaction to the news that Rank is going to die ? (b) What does Torvald’s reaction reveal about his personality ?
5. (a) What is ironic about Torvald’s comment that now that Rank is gone, he and Nora will be « thrown back on each other completely » ? (b) What other examples of irony can you find in his comments to Nora ?
6. How does Rank’s demise parallel the collapse of Nora and Torvald’s marriage ?
7. When Torvald asks Nora if she understands what she has done, she responds, « Yes. I’m beginning to understand everything now. » What is it that she is actually beginning to understand ?
8. (a) What does Torvald’s response to the letter reveal about the true nature of his feelings for Nora ? (b) What conclusions do you draw about him based on this response ?
9. (a) How does Torvald’s reaction to the note along with the immediate shift in his attitude following the receipt of the second note expose him as a hypocrite ? (b) Why is Nora unmoved by Torvald’s declaration that he has forgiven her ?
10. Explain whether you think that Torvald truly understands Nora’s reasons for leaving.
11. How does the play’s title relate to Nora’s explanation of her decision to leave Torvald and the children ?
12. When this play was first performed, the people in the audience were stunned by Nora’s decision to leave her husband and children, since it puts her duty to her family second to her responsibility to herself. (a) Do you agree with her decision ? Why or why not ? (b) Do you think that her decision is as shocking today as when the play was first performed ? Explain.