Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll's House. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1992.
One Man's Change In Henrik Ibsen's play A Doll's House, characters may change or stay the same. In this case, Nils Krogstad is a dynamic character that changes during the course of the play. Krogstad is a conniving and ruthless person who will do what it takes to keep his position at the bank by blackmailing Nora into convincing Torvald into letting him keep his job. This all changes when the love of his life, Christine, comes back to amend their past. Krogstad's dynamic character traits changed to influence the outcome of the play by saving Nora's life instead of destroying it.
Originally Krogstad is a devious character that did clever things so that the other characters would not know of his wrongdoings. Krogstad says, "I promised to get you"æwhich I drew up" (Ibsen 22).
Hedvig Paus (1763-1848), Henrik Ibsens mormor (Hed...
Title page in the manuscript of A Doll's House, pl...
English: Detail of photograph taken in 1900 of Hen...At this point Krogstad has enclosed small documentation in the bond to Nora at which he knew she would not be able to go over because she was in such panic over Torvald. He uses his wits to go about his business and trick others.
To start off, Krogstad was a deceitful man that would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. Krogstad said to Nora, "Foolish or not, it is the law by which you will be judged if I produce this paper in court" (24). He is willing to bring this to the court just to keep his job at the bank no matter who gets hurt in the process. Later on Krogstad has a change because of the love of his life. Christine goes back to speak to him as a favor for Nora but Christine actually wants to go back to him. To rekindle their long lost flame, Krogstad says to Christine, "Thanks, thanks, Christine! Now I shall find a way to clear myself in the eyes of the world. Ah, but I forgot""" (53). He refers to the fact that he has changed and wants to be a new man with Christine. He changed for the better and in the end he has also changed Nora's life for the better too.
Therefore, because of Krogstad's change, he has become a nicer man that wants to do good for those that he has done harm in the past. Krogstad says to Nora, "Yes, of course I will. I will wait here till Helmer comes; I will tell him he must give me my letter back""that is only concerns my dismissal""that her is not to read it""" (54). He says he will wait for her until she is done talking with her husband and will help her get back on her feet. He attempts to make reparations with her but she refuses and excepts what has happened and talks to Helmer herself; she decides she must leave him and pursue her life without lies and people that control her.
By having Krogstad and his acquired traits change to reform the outcome of the play and letting Nora become a new woman. Krogstad has earned the respect back of his old friends. Because of his change for the better it has changed others lives for the better also. In turn if we all must change, let us change for the better as Krogstad did.
English: Norwegian writer Henrik Ibsen photo portr...
Silhoutte of Marichen Ibsen (1799-1869) as a young...
Portrait of a younger Henrik Ibsen, one of the fir...