1. “Women are largely unappreciated for the roles they play in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House.” With illustrations, discuss the validity of this statement.

2. Introduction All over the world, women do a lot to people around them but many a time, their roles and service to others around them go unappreciated. Women in the play, A Doll’s House by H. Ibsen do a lot that is not appreciated even by people who are close to them or no one seems to notice what they are doing.

3. When the play opens, Nora is busy preparing for Christmas. She is secretly adorning the Christmas tree to unveil it as a secret to the family (p.1). During the previous Christmas, we are told that she shut herself up for three weeks making ornaments for Christmas tree. Helmer reveals: “it was the dullest three weeks I ever spent!” (p.8). his confession shows that he did not appreciate what she was doing to ensure that family has a happy Christmas.

4. Nora gets little money from her husband for daily family use but despite her financial obligation to Krogstad, she affords to buy clothes, gifts and toys for her children and the servants (p. 4). This is a great sacrifice on her part which goes unappreciated by her husband’s trip to Italy for his healing; she repays the loan for long using the pocket money she gets from him (p.21). She hopes that her husband would own up the guilt after discovering the secret about the loan and to prevent him from being blamed for her mistake, she is ready to kill herself once such a wonderful thing occurs. Despite all these sacrifices and selfless acts, her husband does not seem to appreciate her actions for at the end, when he discovers the secret, he refuses to forgive her and quickly makes thoughtless decisions against her. This is a great break of trust, a big betrayal to Nora who has lived all her life trying to please and care for husband.

5. Mrs. Linde has also done a lot that easily escapes the notice of those around her. She marries a man who is not her choice but is financially stable for the sake of her bedridden mother and two brothers. She says, “My mother was alive then, and was bedridden and helpless, and I had to provide for my two younger brothers; so, I did not think I was justified in refusing his offer” (p.14)

6. Linde decides to go back to Krogstad to save his reputation and to try to protect Nora and her family from Krogstad who is determined to expose Nora’s forgery. She wants to work not for herself but for someone else for she tells Krogstad, “Nils, give me someone and something to work for” (p.88). This reveals her selfless nature, an attribute that Krogstad doubts by saying, “I don’t trust that. It is nothing but a woman’s overstrained sense of generosity that prompts you to make such an offer of yourself” (p.88). Linde also plays a great role in helping Nora Navigate the turbulent waters in her marriage and home after her secret gets threatened to be revealed to her husband. She promises to talk to Krogstad, arranges a meeting with him and even reasons that Mr. Helmer should know about the secret to save the marriage (p.90). Despite the fact that all her actions might go unnoticed, it is clear that she has played a great role towards the play’s resolution

7. QUESTION 2 ‘Things are not always as they seem’. Write an essay basing your illustrations from A Doll’s House to confirm this assertion. (20marks)

8. We live in a world of contradictions where what you see is not always what you get or what there is. Truly, all that glitters is not gold.

9. First Nora seems like a silly, childish woman that is extravagant, hardly self-reliant and only good for housekeeping. However, her actions prove that she is wise, mature and strong willed. Her husband refers to her as a little squirrel and little spendthrift. Torvald overworks himself and falls dreadfully ill. She borrows a loan of 250 pounds when her husband falls sick in order to facilitate a year belong vacation in Italy for him to get some rest as recommended by the doctors. She does needle work and crocheting to pay off the loan herself. She also saves the money she gets from her husband so she’s not a spendthrift after all. This is great sacrifice. When her husband rebukes her for borrowing the money, she leaves him. This shows her strong will and independence. It turns out that she was never happy after all. Indeed, things are not always as they seem.

10. Also, Torvald seems like a loving, strong, benevolent husband. Later on, we realize that he is egocentric and cowardly. He only cares about his reputation and what others think of him. This is illustrated by the reason he gives for wanting to dismiss Krogstad. When Torvald gets to know 29 aboutKrogstad’s impending blackmail, he calls Nora a criminal and a miserable creature and forbids her from raising the children. This is due to his cynicism nature. He also fears being exposed.

11. At first, Krogstad seems to be a bitter, vengeful extortionist. Later, we realize that he is actually merciful and sympathetic. Nora borrows a loan of 250 pounds from him and forges her father’s signature in the process. Torvald plans to dismiss Krogstad forces Krogstad to blackmail Nora in order to keep his job and as well as safeguard his reputation. He writes a letter to Torvald with the details of his secret transactions with Nora. He does all this for his two sons. When he reunites with Mrs. Linde,he recalls the letter. This reveals his merciful side.

12. Div) Doctor Rank is introduced as true friend to the Helmer’s. Nora says that he is Torvalds’s best friend. He visits them on a daily basis. Little did we know that he secretly admires his best friend’s wife. He even confesses this to Nora. This depicts his motive for the daily visits. He intimately loves Nora.

13. Dv) Helmer’s marriage appears loving. Nora’s marriage to Torvald seems like happy marriage but it turns out to be a suffocating prison for Nora. It is full of lies, pretense, play-acting and an unequal relationship. At first, Torvald appears as an affectionate and caring husband. He uses pet names to pamper Nora. He is also fond of giving his wife money.Nora appears happy. The difference appears when we come to know of the deception. Nora borrowed a loan without her husband’s knowledge. Nora thought that her husband will stand by her if the truth prevails. This is not what happened. Torvald seems to be a selfish man who does not love Nora but only cares about public reputation. Eventually, she is forced to leave Torvald.