"A Doll's House"

Paper Summary:

Henrik Ibsen's characters are not the people they appear to be. This paper explains that, on the surface, and at the beginning of the play, audiences see typical people pursuing typical lives with typical problems. Not until the play progresses, and in retrospect, do audiences realize that society negatively or positively stimulates the characters motives and actions. This paper looks at three such characters in Henrik Ibsen's play, "A Doll's House": Torvald; the protagonist, Nora; and the antagonist, Krogstad.

From the Paper:

"Krogstad plays the role of the antagonist in A Doll's House. His actions mirror the traditional role of an antagonist. He is the source of the play's conflict and causes Nora to worry about resolving the seemingly irresolvable problem. He is the character that creates the tension in the play. Nora's husband, Torvald Helmer, wants to fire Krogstad and Krogstad is desperate (Johnston). This is one clue to the Krogstad's predicament and that he is not an antagonist in the formal sense of the word. When he hears of his impending job loss, he blackmails Nora. The two have forged Torvald's signature to a bank note and now he threatens to tell Torvald. Despite this, Krogstad has valid motivations for his desperation. He wants to build up his reputation so that he can provide for his family. Unlike most antagonists, he does not act out of egotism; he acts out of love for his family."

More papers on "A Doll's House":

• Analytical Essay # 8140 : "Ibsen's "A Doll House"
• Essay # 87734 : "A Doll House and Medea"
• Analytical Essay # 58442 : "Relationships in "A Doll House"
• Poem Review # 138815 : "My Life Is a Doll House"

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