The two main characters in Henrik Ibsens's "A Doll's House".

Essay by tdm2002High School, 12th gradeA+, June 2003

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The Tale of Two

Friendships develop in odd ways. Friends are not always alike but are different

in numerous ways. In Henrik Ibsens's A Doll's House two friends, Nora Helmer and

Christine Linde, are very different but they switch places during the course of the play.

Several circumstances cause Nora, who is carefree in the beginning, to become serious.

Christine, on the other hand develops a happier life.

In A Doll's house, Nora is the focal point around a not-so-satisfied marriage that

deals with the everyday struggles of domination by one partner. Nora is the wife in the play and

is dealing with her problems with her husband. Secrets and lies surround the marriage but Nora

tries to keep these away from him. Helmer, Nora's husband, treats Nora as a little child with no

sense of direction to chose in her life. In the beginning of the play, she is overjoyed because of

her husband's recent promotion.

Over the course of the play, however, she realizes that she does

not know the meaning of happiness in Helmer's house. Nora tries to avoid the outcomes of the

#Moore 2

marriage but is doubtful that she can withstand the pain. For instance, in Act One, Helmer says

"Is that my little lark twittering out there?" referring to Nora as a little lark. Those were the types

of comments that Nora was bothered and annoyed by. With those problems being dealt with, the

marriage was aiming for a failure if there was not a change.

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Throughout the story Nora's childhood friend Christine Linde tries to talk and

help Nora throughout her situations. In the First Act, Mrs. Linde arrives in town by steamer on

Christmas Eve. She says that her return to the city is for the purpose of finding office...