Mrs Linde-Foil character

In what ways is Mrs Linde developed as a foil character* and for what reasons?

*A foil character is a person who contrasts with another character (usually the protagonist) in order to highlight various features of the main character’s personality: to throw the character of the protagonist into sharper focus.

	Mrs Linde	Nora
Marriage	Husband dead, married him to support her family, not for love	Loving husband
Freedom	Freedom but no money	No freedom in society, has money
Money	Not in debt, not a kroner	In debt, husband has a steady income
Life experiences	Knowledge of the world, realistic. Calm, subtle, honest, outright. Self disciplined, independent. Now has nothing to live for.	A dreamer, little knowledge of how society outside the home works. Self-centred, childish. No self discipline (macaroons). 2 personalities. Depends on Thorvold.
Maturity	Grown up, more masculine role	‘only a baby’ feminine. Frivolous.

Page 157-158

·         Mrs Linde’s dialogue reveals much about her perspective on life and the views of herself

·         Comment on stage directions

o   [Gets up restlessly] always has energy, takes her mind off what she has said, and says after. What she does matches the theme of what she says; she is a restless soul, but has “no one to live for any more.”

·         Nora cuts in to Mrs Linde’s speech, shows the contrast between their characters (foil character). Nora is not fully aware of Mrs Linde’s situation (broke). Nora wants a life of ease (she is much more passive), Mrs Linde is more restless, wants to work. Nora is ignorant to the reality of having to work if you have no money.

·         [walking to the window] breaking eye contact with Nora, she feels anxiety. She would rather be ‘out there’ doing something than sitting chatting. She has a power which Nora doesn’t have, despite having many sources of sadness.

·         Nora rises, Mrs Linde returns. Understands Mrs Linde’s intentions for going to Nora, gone to see Helmer not Nora really for work.

·         Mrs Linde shows how harsh the world beyond is. She is an exemplar character for Nora (at the end).

Mrs Kristina Linde

Page 153-163

• Appears in travelling clothes
• She is 'subduedand hesitant'- she hasn't seen/spoken to Nora in years and has turned up without warning at her door. Shows that they have a past relationship which was strong, but is no more.
• She has changed in the years "nine years-nearly ten" that Nora has not seen her.
• She has travelled by herself in winter, which Nora discribes as "brave," at this time few women would have travelled alone, especially during mid winter when the weather is worst.
• Kristina knows that she is older, says it outright.
• She is understanding, still came to Nora even though they had not communicated at all over the last 9-10 years. Nora hadn't written Mrs Linde a message when she found out that she had become a widower, yet it appears that Nora is the first person that Mrs Linde turned to now in her time of troubles.
• He left her nothing, no money, no children, no regrets
• Mrs Linde puts herself last, she doesn't want to dwell in her own sorrow whilst at the Helmer's home, she asks about how Nora is, and listens actively, asking the odd question or stating the odd fact amidst Nora's chatter about how well her life is at the time. She is pleasent and takes the minor role in the first part of the conversation.
• Mrs Linde did not love her husband, she felt that she was unable to refuse his offer for the sake of her family. In the past, marriages were less based on love, and social status was important-more like arranged marriages.
• She has no reason to live for now, she married to help her mother and brothers (and is proud of herself for helping them), but now her mother is dead therefore nolonger neading support, and her brothers are working supporting herself so she no longer has the drive to work to help them as they are fine without her, she feels "unspeakably empty," which is why she left the area that she was in, in an atempt to regain her purpose in life.
• She needs another job, and on the ouside looks overworked nd needing of a holiday, but she has not money to pay for one. She thinks Nora's husband might be able to help her get a better paying job. Kristina also thinks that Nora's had it easy, as Nora has already given an explanation of what she has been doing for the last number of years, which appears that she does nothing particularly worthwhile.
• She knows that a wife can not borrow money without her husband's consent. She believes the heirachy of husbands over wifes, saying that "I think it's rash to do anything without his knowing." She is shocked that Nora has gone behind her husbands (and in a way fathers also) back.
• Feels pity on Nora for having to save up all the money
• She knows Krogstad from the past.

Pet names- Nora and Thorvold Paragraph

In the opening Scene of Henrik Ibsen’s play, ‘A Doll’s House,’ the relationship between Nora, and her husband Torvald Helmer is explored through the use of dialogue and stage directions. Nora is deceitful to her husband. He questions her 4 times about what she has done and every time, her reply starts with “no,” then adds more defensively, promising that she has done nothing wrong. She does this while facing him eye to eye, as he orders her to “look straight at me.” This questioning sounds like a parent questioning their child, ‘wagging his finger,’ and giving her many opportunities to admit to having done something wrong. Nora believes that Torvold wants her to act like a child and is submissive to him. In return, she acts like a good wife, “not [thinking] of going against” his wishes. These questions and answers appear to be a regular routine, that Nora has either “paid a visit to the confectioner’s” or has “been nibbling sweets,” on other occasions or Helmer has suspected that she had done so. By continuing to be dishonest to her husband, she aims to please him, so that he will continue to give her money, and leave her with the freedom which she has. Despite being victimised by Helmer interrogating her and calling her by pet names, not her given name, she is deceitful to him. 

Pet names ‘v’ first name

Often use of the possesive pronoun 'my' saying that she belongs to him. He owns her like he would an object. She likes this though, untill she 'sees.' 'Little,' is also degrading, she is smaller than him, he must protect her. He doesn't understand that calling her these her names robbs her of her rights to make herself her own indervidual. Helmer has seen husbands acting this way throughout his life due to his upbringing, he doesn't know any different. A lark, is often a caged bird, although it is actually a wild bird known for it's song, birds wish to be free as she eventually wants to be, but she is caged by society, and Helmer.
He does genuinely care for her, but he dehunamizes her through the use of the pet names as he usually refers to her as a small animal.

Diminutives / Terms of endearment / Pet names

They are all condescending, “little,” is often part of the name. She is a little chick in a nest that needs looking after.

Miss sweet tooth: Sweet to do with sugar

My sweet little skylark: Sweet to do with feminine beauty

My little skylark: He finds her beautiful

My little lark twitting:

My darling:

My little spendthrift: Unrestrained with money

Little featherhead: not inteligent

My little squirrel bustling about: She is industrious, hard working

An odd little soul:

My dear little Nora:

Research project

By Alice and I (google documents)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1flP4kRCz2hOtr-qrWSJOP3VhDkO5Xjd1DkdyQtlwm_U/edit?hl=en&authkey=CNn1tc8H#

Class notes:

• A doll's house is one of his greatest plays.
• 3 distinct stages, romanitic tools to make irony, social affairs, realism, symbolism
• The father of modern drama-realistic portayals
• physchological exploration- portrays the real world-e.g. the role of women, middle class. It is Ibsen's perspective of the real world, focus on one small section, never is faithful to real life as it is performed on stage.
• Themes of misfortune, financial dificulty within a family, what he grew up with.
• His relationship with his father was not as good as that with his mother-she loved the theater.
• feminist theory, class struggle (Marxist theory), psychoanalytic theory
• He is a  moralist, commited to his ethics, at odds with conventional (bravery/courage) values
• He is brave, demonstates courage, doesn't give in to the common view, he put out ideas which could get him shunned. As a result, he was one of the leading voices that liberated women.
• First person to bring this kind of writing out into the open- showed the femine perspective, men came out and said that it was wrong, looking back after he died, people realised what he had done, and made A Doll's House popular as it was realised how it helped to liberate the individual.
• It is an urban middle class family
• Shows the importance of education for a job in order to have financial ease
• Society ruled by patriachal law
• At the time, women were seen as having no power. When Nora walks out at the end, both women and men were shocked as women aren't meant to have this much power (at that time). The german's made an alternative ending at one stage
• The year after it was published, the divorse rate trippled!
• Women can be raised to the dignity of men, he thinks women should be equal to men
• Individual freedom, self determination
• Nora is shown to appear content on the outside, but actually she is not as many women at that time. At the start, she is blinded to her captivity, she has no power to go her own way. Her experience before the play when she take out money forging her
• Relationship which people have with money, success as a person reflects success financially
• Role play, forging character on stage
• A symbolic battle between those with a feminist opinion and the masculine one
• Nora's fears of upsetting her husband
• She sees an example of a free women, Mrs Linde, she likes this idea and wants to be on her own also. She struggles against what she wants, how she has been brought up at this time verses what she wants. Are we socially structured?
• Nora's transformation and escape. She is blinded, then she gains 'sight' and reacts.

A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen-relooking at it

HAct 1. (Page 147 to 180)
Including: The messages convayed in the stage directions. The dipiction of Nora's and Thorvold's relationship.


Page 147- Stage directions, setting

• Modern, realistic theater. Little room for the director to use artistic liscence.
• Objective Correlative (the setting in some way represents a character), the stage directions are and object correlation representing Nora (buys without thinking, but also saving money) and Thorvold Helmer (doesn't want to save money, but wants to show off). Helmer's study is only one door away, his private place, Nora often sidles up to it. Books show his education, puts money and value into education, 'hansomely' show's masculinity of the books, Man controlls education, learning is apart from the family. This is a microcosmic situation of class within the family showing gender difference.
• Staged directions, show that they are middle class
• simplistic, organised house furished wasting no money yet still looks good. Makes use of the money which they have. Care about the look of their house, by placing objects well/ having a good layout, it shows that they care for the state of their house which gives a good impression to visitors.
• comforatble for regular use, good layout suggest regular use, round table and sofa-comfortable to sit down and have a conversation. Easy chairs for late night, relaxing, comfortable. This part of the house is used for a number of functions.
• The piano suggests that they are cultured, have an interest in music/dance
• It is winter, carpet and fire to show warmth. Christmas tree symbolises new life, and winter symbolises death, 'death' brought into the house.
• the position of the middle class in society (Ibsen often writes about this as it is part of his upbringing)

Page 147-Stage directions, character & setting

• Nora first appears happy-by the end she is not
• Porter and maid- they can't be that poor, as they have 'staff' yet Heler always acts as though they are very tight on money

Page 147-text

• Nora has her own ways of doing things, e.g. with the christmas tree, "the children musn't see it till this evening."
• Pays more than needed for the tree, "keep the change," shows that she is in a joyous mood, doesn't act as if she is saving money, if anything that she has pleanty to share- but as found out later that she is in need of money- it is possibly just the joyous christmas mood and she wan't to make the porter happy., or give him the impression that she and Helmer are well off.
• Acts a bit like he's her older brother.

Page 148

• Laughing quietly and happily to herself, reinforces that she is in a joyous mood.
• Eats a few macaroons, creeps to her husband's study door to see if he is in, gives the idea that she is rebelious. Afterwards she starts humming again to make sure he isn't suspicious.
• In Helmer's first line, he adresses her as, "my little skylark," making her sound weak (small, and birds are light with thin bones,) and a type of animal, degrading showing that his status and physical strenght is far superior, but the use of a nickname shows their intamacy.
• His next line compares her to a "little squirell," again showing her supposed weakness, and calling her a type of animals- same effects as "little skylark."
• Nora hides the macaroons and wipes her mouth, further showing that she doesn't want him to know that she has been eating them.
• She call's him Torvold, his first name showing intamacy, but everyone else calls him Helmer
• He call's her "featherbrain," meaning stupid, and this name links to his other pet name for her, "song bird," which also gives the idea that when he calls her skylark, it to is meaning that she isn't smart/educated in handling money.
• He calls it "wasting money," but she wants to make chrismas as enjoyable as possible, and believes that they are in a secure enough situation to do so.
• Nora brings up the idea of borrowing money, Helmer is strongly against it-first hint that she borrowed money behind his back, although this isn't obvious when reading the play for the first time.

Page 149

• Helmer says that it's a sin to borrow money, but that's what his 'little skylark' has done. Throughout the play, she is trying to save money to pay Krogstad back. Show's Helmer's perspective, and what she has done.
• Act's like a little kid/ gold digger, H-"Guess what I have here!" N-"Money"
• Nora acts upset, goes to the stove, to please her/make her like him, Thorvold pulls out his wallet to give her money.
• Counts out money and thanks for it, "This'll keep me going for a long time!" Enough money to pay Krogstad back for a bit.
• Lists what she's bought, makes it clear that she didn't spend too much.
• "Nanny really ought to have something more," wants to spend more, but knows that she needs to save up even more.

Page 150

• N-[Squealing] "No Torvold!" She acts childish, appears that she is younger than Torvold
• Nora says that she doesn't want anything, then plays with his waistcoat buttons. This shows that at this part of the play, their bodies are very close together, and playing with his waistcoat is an intimate guesture. She is doing this to please him, trying to subtely show him how much she likes him.
• She rushes when she asks for money as if she knows that its the wrong thing to do, feels ashamed, especially because he just gave her money.
• She manages to persuade him that its a good idea as shown by H-smiling
• Helmer puts an arm around her waist, which is intimate and affectionate. Shows that what he is saying to her about spending the money isn't being said to hurt her.

Page 151

• Nora is able to make Helmer laugh, she amuses him, this throughout the book seems to be what he likes most about her, then she can sing and dance-entertaining him.
• Him laughing makes her happy, nodding and smiling happily, it is her intention to please him so she gets what she wants and its working. Hint at the "expences" that she has, paying back the loan, telling him to "imagine," she doesn't think he would ever dream of it.
• wagging his finger, acting like he is a parent and she is a child, shows on a microcosmic scale the hierachy, she is well below him as a wife.
• Lies to Torvold, she has had macaroons/ sweets. Shows that she is not honest with him.

Henrik Ibsen

How can we start to understand 'A doll's house.'


What were his influences?
What is he know for dramatically?

• From 'A Doll's House and other stories'
• Born at Skien, Norway in 1828. His family went bankrupt as a child, struggled with poverty
•  Scholorship to Rome, wrote theather and worked in them
• He had become interested in women's idependance
• He had been impressed on a book about the status of women
• He sponsored a proposal that women members should be allowed to vote
• Ibsen speaks of working on 'a play of modern life.'
• In Munich, while working on the play, he meets an old friend (female) who had since been married and the marriage wan't going well. This visit had a great influence on Ibsen. Torvald is like her husband, she is far from the 'doll' which Nora is described as.
• Imagines the characters of the plays, dreams of them comming to him and what they are wearing.

A Doll's House by Nenrik Ibsen-first thoughts

• Wife has gone behind husband's back
• Doesn't want to let him know
• Very close to his doctor (Dr Rank)-can appear as a relationship
• Happily ever after ending (except Nora leaves); he forgives her. Mrs Linde and Krogstad together, and therefore fighting over job doesn't matter. No one in trouble for forging signatures. Nora leaving is what she wants, she does not want to be opressed by men as she has been with Krogstad.

• Shows the power of men over women at this time
• Middle class family? Short on money but have a nanny
• Nora want's more freedom from her husband and cares for her children in a strange way
• Nora doesn't appear to understand how to manage money well
• Helmer has pet names for her, making her sound weak and fragile, (also that she is young and less educated on the ways of the world and focused) portrays her as submitting to his will, and that he is in charge of her
• These nick names also often relate to animals, animals are 'lesser' than humans, meaning that Nora is 'lesser' than Helmer
• She also acts childlike at times-partially deserving the names, or is it that his names for her make her act this way in an effort to please him??
• Just before chirstmas, winter
• Idea of the money lending introduced early by Nora, and Helmer's opposition to doing it.
• Slowly give clues to her borrowing money
• In first part, shows her rebelious side, eating the macaroons when he has banned themBlackmailing, and scheming for Nora to get her money back/and others to stop it
• Appears that Helmer doesn't want to loose her, but also seems to pay little attention, and time with her except infront of others.
• Mrs Linde and Krogstad's relationship
• both wanting the same job
• clear to reader when first finding out about them that they are suited for each other, he has kids, and she wants kids
• Idea of exposure of the borrowing of the money, what the penalties, forged signature- breaking the law
• Krogstad's has been shunned by society because he broke a law once, it is found out that Nora has broken the same law.