A Doll’s House

Learning Stations

Station 1: Background Information

Probable passage: A wife and a husband are in an organization or cult named the Dollhouse, where
each member is given a small, black cross as a charm to showcase their loyalty to the brotherhood. One
day, the couple had a slight change in morality, where they realized that it might be wrong to join the
cult. They speak it allowed, and not even 5 minutes later they hear a crash outside. As they go to check,
they see that their mailbox has been smashed with something! As they step out, they step on a small
photo with them in their robes. Blackmail, they thought. One day they had an assignment: to rob the
bank with the use of forgery for a deposit of a large sum of money. The cult had a reputation for taking
money to fund their evil deeds. However, at the bank there currently was a giant masquerade,
celebrating a holiday. They proceeded to get closer to the goal, and yet the couple became arrogant
and proceeded to dance the tarantella, as they thought this wouldn’t change anything. However, while
dancing, the music broke them out of their evil ways as they realized and attempted to leave without
the money. They were never seen again.

Station 2: Contemporary Reviews

1. They responded with a sense of excitement and fascination.

2. The two’s marriage can be described as happy, since both are largely in love with each other.
3. The secret that Nora keeps from her husband in the play is that she forged a debt certificate
with her deceased father’s name.
4. Nora Helmer can be described as a sweet and charming woman who, despite her crime, can
maintain sympathy from the audience.
5. According to the reviewer, Henrik portrays the institution of marriage as a process where those
who are put in it are corrupted through lies and selfishness.
6. Paraphrasing what was said by the reviewer, Nora and Torvald consider divorcing from each
other because they slowly begin to find out the truth about each other, filling their heads with
doubts about the other.
7. The reviewer seems offended by the production because Ibsen seems to follow his
understanding of life and marriage over more well-known knowledge about such subjects.
Another thing to add was that he didn’t like this production’s, nor any other production made
by Ibsen, ending.
8. Doll-homes are described as situations where the husband treats his wife similar to a child,
spoiling her in a way, so much that she begins to act as such.
9. This reviewer differs from the previous reviewer because they appreciate Ibsen’s views on
marriage and how they enlighten the public to what a marriage is (usually) built on: lies and
selfishness.
Station 3: Defining Identity

Step 1: Rank and explain

● Beliefs and Morality- Someone’s thoughts and ideas on a subject matter means that they have
their own individual opinion, which is crucial for identity, since someone without thought
wouldn’t really have their own identity.
● Behavior- Behavior is acting out of one’s own thoughts, even if it is different from what they
might have wanted/expected. Still, this is crucial as such behavior can be associated with the
person that uses it.
● Sexual Orientation- In the modern day, what someone might identify as sexuality wise could
change how one might view them and how they might act in certain situations.
● Gender- In society, some might identify someone as what gender they are. However, this piece
of identity only becomes more important once sexual orientation is added to it.
● Race/Ethnicity- Earlier in the history of Earth, from around the 18th to 20th centuries, race and
ethnicity were large factors of identity, or rather ability to obtain rights. However, in modern
day’s more accepting society, many people choose to ignore ethnicity to see someone for who
they really are. Yes, there are some people who see others by the color of their skin, however it
is not as often.
● Religion- Many people can have identity traits that come from religion, such as how muslims
abstain from pork.
● Social Class- Some people can be immediately identified as something from if they are poor or
not, however in most instances it isn’t exactly part of someone’s personality.
● Country of Origin- Considering most of today's objectifications of races, most people label
someone as what their skin color is or what region they are from, rather than their actual
country of origin.
● Occupation- Although some might be viewed as a job, similar to how students might view their
teacher as just that, an occupation doesn’t always limit a person from being completely
different than one might expect.
● Education- People could have differing knowledge amounts, with some having higher amounts
than others, which isn’t dependent on education itself. For example, someone who joined the
military at a young age could have a higher IQ than a Harvard student, making the student’s
education invalid in technical terms.

Step 2: Group definition of identity

One’s sense of self or of others and how they might see the world.

Station 4: Heinz Dilemma

Individual Reaction:
I think that Heinz should break into the lab since, although it is morally wrong and could cause future
consequences, the only solution that can be provided would be to do so. Also, as well as that, he, like
Nora in the Dollhouse, wouldn’t be on the same moral footing as the founder of the drug, who raised
the cost for self interest.

Group Discussion:
1. Legalities and morals are large factors from both decisions, however Heinz’ decision is also
based on relationship.
2. A risk that Heinz could face would be incarceration for theft, especially for something with a
cost that high (although the cost was only raised for non-moral purposes). These consequences
are worth saving his wife because it might just be the final opportunity.
3. It’s probably a better idea for Heinz to not steal the drug if the cancer patient was the stranger
because the risk wouldn’t bring him direct benefit.
4. The drug could potentially kill his wife, only causing more damage to the situation. However,
she will still die anyway, so it’s worth a shot.
5. It could be illegal for the salesman to raise the price specifically for them, however it is most
likely not the case. If it is, he could sue the founder of the drug and gain money.

Consequences:
● He could be incarcerated over theft.
● He could be sued in court.
● His efforts and future other consequences would come to no avail, as his wife would still die or
the drug could speed up the process. This could also cause him to be charged for murder.

Station 5: Essential Questions

1. Even though in most cases they do, they should not since the r
2. In America, mothers are expected to care for their child, cook, and do other sorts of things
3. Although sometimes impractical, a person can contradict the expectations above and still be a
good parent, with one of the best examples being a working mother and a stay-at-home father.
4. Society’s expectations of a parent do prevent said parent’s growth as an individual because it
forces them to work in a somewhat traditional manner, which in some cases can be very
draining.
5. The expectations of parents are very much outdated for many different reasons, with one of
them being the difference in gender becoming smaller as well as the introduction as same sex
marriage. This forces the expectations to become obsolete.
6. Love requires plenty of sacrifices, such as things like money and time. There are also at times
sacrifices of mental health and sanity, however this would only prove in unstable relationships.

Station 6: Opening Scene

1. From the description that the bo0k gives, the Helmers’ house creates the impression of a
quaint little house that doesn’t seem too complex, as everything seems to be centered around
the same area: the living area and the kitchen.
2. The first scene shows that the setting of this book takes place just before Christmas time in the
early 1800s.
3. The pet names that Torvald uses for Nora shows that they are in a rather loving, possibly even
playful relationship. These names also imply that Torvald feels that Nora is adorable, with the
names that she is called being adjectives tied along with woodland creatures normally
associated with being cute and harmless.
4. Nora seems to be ok, or possibly even happy with being called such pet names. This can be
inferred with how Nora seems to respond on beat after Torvald says one of the names that he
usually addresses her by.
5. If a slate fell on Torvald’s head and killed him, Nora shouldn’t care if she owed money or not,
since they wouldn’t get the money that they were said to have.
6. Torvald feels that there can’t be freedom in a household that relies on borrowing and debt to
collect income.
7. Torvald believes that money is very valuable and should be spent wisely instead of carelessly
on things that don’t matter.
8. Nora’s allowance that she is given from Torvalt says that she has been spoiled by her husband
and is given the money to be appeased.
9. Nora and Torvald seem to be a rather playful couple that also cares alot about money. Their
relationship seems to be built off of Torvald spoiling Nora and treating her like a child, which
can also be implied through her allowance.
10. Based on the first scene, it can be inferred that when conflict arises, Nora will eventually “grow
up” from her childish ways and there will be some tension between the too. Also, referencing
the review from earlier, the two will consider divorcing and going their separate ways after
learning more about each other.