IB English HL 1: A Doll’s House

Socratic Seminar Preparation Questions

1. Discuss any number of symbols and motifs used throughout the play and how/why they are
being implemented by the author: macaroons, Tarantella dance, doors, dolls, letters, nicknames,
disease, sewing, money, the Christmas Tree, etc.

2. Compare and contrast the main characters and their relationship dynamics as foils of each
other. How do their differences highlight specific qualities in their characterization and social
relationships that Ibsen uses to support his main ideas?

3. In Act One Torvald says, “Oh, what a glorious feeling it is, knowing you’ve got a nice, safe
job, and a good fat income. Don’t you agree? Isn’t it wonderful, just thinking about it?” Of
course Nora does not have a nice safe job or a good fat income. She is entirely dependent upon
her husband for every decision she makes. Is this play about the importance of money? Can a
woman ever be “independent” if she does not have her own source of income? Pay attention to
the numerous times in the play when the people themselves act as “currency”—exchanging
themselves and their values to get ahead in life. How might this relate to Christine Linde? Anne,
the maid? Nils Krogstad?

4. In what ways is Torvald pretty typical of men during the Victorian period? How do you feel
about Torvald at the end of the play? Is he a villain, a chauvinistic bore, an insensitive and
insecure man? Or do you feel sympathy for this man who works hard, saves his hard-earned
money, finds success, and then is betrayed by a deceiving wife? At the end of the play Torvald
says he will change. Do you think that he can or will? How must he change? How does Ibsen
use Torvald to criticize Victorian society?

5. How does Nora’s identity (how she perceives her “self”) evolve as the play progresses? How
would you characterize her identity early on in the play? How does Nora’s identity begin to
change? What factors contribute to the changes? Do any characters negatively impact her
identity? If so, who and how? Does anyone help her expand or improve her sense of identity?
If so, who and how? By the end of the play, Nora acts and sounds very different; she seems to
have awakened to a stronger sense of “self”. What accounts for this sudden change? What is
Ibsen suggesting through Nora’s transformation?

6. Why is Ibsen’s play called A Doll’s House? What references can you find to “dolls”? Who
says them? Who or what is responsible for the “doll house” conditions of the Helmer marriage?
To what extent is it Nora’s fault? To what extent is it Torvald’s fault? To what extent is it
Victorian society’s fault? What does the title suggest about marriage and how women are treated
in Victorian society?

7. Throughout the play, there are several instances where we encounter characters who are
negatively impacted by the failings of their parents OR they negatively impact their own children
by their own moral failings. We see this in the case of Dr. Rank’s father, Nils Krogstad, Anne
(the nurse), Nora’s father, and Torval’s accusations against Nora. We cannot ignore the number
of times this issue comes up in the play. What might Henrik Ibsen be suggesting through this
motif about morality? Do you agree or disagree that a parent’s actions or moral character can
negatively impact a child's prospects for the future? Should a child’s reputation be so intricately
tied to his/her parents’ actions and/or choices? Will Nora’s children be better off without her?

8. How does Nora’s character challenge the perspectives and values of the Victorian period?
Look hard and long at her final conversation with Torvald. What does Nora reveal is missing in
her life? How do you feel about her complaints? Do you agree with Torvald that Nora’s “sacred
duties” outweigh her desire to find “selfhood”? Or is Nora justified in her pursuit? In what ways
is Nora’s departure the ultimate challenge to Victorian society’s conception of marriage and
motherhood?

9. How does the play represent Henrik Ibsen’s criticism of Victorian societal norms and
conventions? What is Ibsen suggesting about marriage? Gender roles? The power of and
emphasis placed on one’s reputation? Is this play just a quaint period piece, or does this play still
resonate with the lives of women today?

10. Henrik Ibsen is known in theatrical circles as the “Father of Realism:” his plays often depict
realistically the ordinary lives of ordinary people. The Helmers are quite ordinary and are a
realistic depiction of a typical middle-class Victorian household. But look closer: do you feel
Nora’s character is realistic? Or is she somewhat “cartoonish”? Is her decision at the end of the
play realistic; is it reasonable for a wife and mother to abandon her husband and children? Why
or why not? Critics of Ibsen’s day said Nora’s actions were neither realistic nor reasonable. Do
you agree or disagree? Why would the “Father of Realism” risk ending his play in a way that
would be deemed or viewed unrealistic?