Question

Can you summarize A Doll's House in 7 bullet points?

Spoilers below!

Answer 1

Yes.

1. She started out in a "best of all possible worlds" mindset---thinking that love trumps the law, that her forgery of her father's signature was to help Torvald get better, so why would it be illegal? (of course it's illegal!)

2. Christine tells her that she has more experience and knows better, and tries to convince her that she should tell Torvald (why is this so important?).

3. Nora tries to passively tell Torvald a what-if scenario... what if Krogstad were to get his job back? That way, as she CLAIMS, she would be "absolved" of the guilt of the consequences that arose from her forgery (that is absolutely NOT true. Why?). Torvald could do it... He has the authority to fire Krogstad, so he has the authority to rehire him. But he scolds her (for what? Why is that?).

4. Krogstad confronts Nora and openly threatens to blackmail her if she didn't tell Torvald. He sends a letter revealing everything (what does "everything" entail?).

5. Nora tries to hide the letter by dancing like a maniac, but ultimately Torvald finds the letter and yells at her for a few pages.

6. Nora realizes that she has been criticized and disrespected for their entire marriage, and divorces him (how does he respond?).

7. Then she resolves to lead a questioning life to re-evaluate her goodness as a human being (because that is the Socratic path to wisdom).

Basically, she figures out that she's been suppressed her whole life in this 1890s society where she shouldn't work, is called a skylark/squirrel/spendthrift/featherbrain/featherhead, is criticized for being ignorant of man's important role (can you identify this role?), etc. So she leaves Torvald and he becomes speechless.

Now go back and read the book again! It's very short!

CHALLENGE: Can you figure out what quotes support Nora's timeline? Can you answer the questions in the parentheses?