A Doll’s House Extract

Act -3

Page – 95 – 96

Helmer- you have loved me as a wife should love her husband ……have you changed?

Global issue – power and dominance in relationships. Through various means and rhetorical
devices Helmer tries to persuade Nora that she needs his protection, that she is weak and that
he needs to control her.

Irony – you are safe here- ironical when he had condemned her a few minutes ago.
Unharmed- Helmer does not realize that the harm is already done.
Sarcastic tone- Nora says thank you for your forgiveness

Images – hunted dove- equating her to a hunted dove

Claws of the eagle- shows. ‘bewildered little creature’ – that is how he sees her and tries to
impress upon her that she is so. Songbird- again images that objectify her and shows he is is
in control.

Belittling language – she is his property now’ sees her as a possession and not as a human
being. I shall be your will and conscience- as is she has no will of her own and needs to be
directed and supervised all the time.