Some quotes

'... Torvald has his pride - most men have -  he'd be terribly hurt and humiliated if he thought he owed anything to me.' Act one, P161 (After Nora has spoken to Mrs Linde about her desperate fight for money). These words spoken by Nora suggests that Torvald values his power associated with his position very highly, surpassing everything else. His pride has caused him to be a very 'sensitive' person who can not withstand criticism. It is as though that if one does not live up to the standard that Torvald possesses, he will immediately look down on the person, disregarding the position of the individual - whether he/she may be his wife. This simply shows that Torvald is a very narrow - minded person. That though on the surface, he shows great affection to his wife '"Now, now, my little song-bird mustn't be so crestfallen... Is the squirrel sulking?"', but deep down, he is just a person who is shallow, vain and proud.

'"Just think how a guilty man like that must have to lie and cheat and play the hypocrite with everyone. How he must wear a mask even with those neareset and dearest to him... an atmostphere of lies like that infects and poisons the whole life of a home... It's generally the fault of the mother... when I'm near people like that, I actually feel physically ill' Act 1, P179-180 (After Nora pleads Krogstad's case to Torvald). Torvald 'lectures' Nora about the importance of honesty. Here, he is portrayed almost as a father to Nora. Later in Act 2, the words '...you can see that being with Torvald is very like being with papa' confirms this , it is almost as though she does not love him as a husband, but rather believes that it is in her best interests to 'amuse' and 'entertain' him as he is a fatherly figure to her and that he is able to shield her from dangers. This not only shows a clear difference in status - that women are always lower in the hierarchy than men. But at the same time, it also emphasises his love for power, he clearly 'enjoys' the idea of guiding his wife through difficult times and protecting her from possible dangers that society poses. 'The fault of the mother' hints Nora's dishonesty, at the same time, it also foreshadows a possible barrier that will be formed between the 'loving' couple, this barrier may potentially result in irreversible consequences for Nora. The significance of Ibsen's use of diction "infects and poisons" is to portray that lies are contagious, they spread in a way that nothing is able to stop them, they will spread until no one is able to see the truth. They are like masks, covering up all the pain, joy and anything else associated with the truth. Thus in an environment where lies are predominant, the children will be brought up perceiving lying as the 'right' way of communication.

'"...that's such a petty reason"..."Your said my motives were petty, so I must be petty too. Petty! Very well, we'll settle this matter once and for all..."' Act 2, P189 (Torvald talks to Nora about the dismissal of Krogstad). This confirms my belief that Torvald is a shallow indivdual who can not stand criticism. He wants to be the absolute best and that no one should ever surpass him in terms of ability. As a person who holds a powerful position, it is natural that Nora's comment about his reasoning behind dismissing Krogstad would not upset him. However, here it is not the case, he seems to be hugely upset about Nora's single doubt about his ability. He wants to prove to her that it is not true, that he is a man with courage, a man that is able to carry out all of his plans and is not easily influences by the environment and the temptations that are associated with it. But this does nothing, except to illustrate Torvald's arrogance and the inferior qualities of him.

'"Whatever happens, when it comes to the point you can be quite sure that I shall have the necessary courage and strength. You'll see that I'm man enough to take it all on myself... then we shall share it as a man and wife..."' Act 2, P190 (After Torvald sends off the letter  outlining the dismissal of Krogstad. Torvald's words have left me feeling skeptical, it feels almost as though that his words are not to be trusted, but instead used to emphasise his vain love for his status and the power that he possesses. His eagerness to show his 'courage and strength' has an adverse affect on the readers, he now seems as a character who is childish, immature, weak and is not capable of supporting a family.

'"Helmer's too sensitive to be able to face anything ugly - I won't have him in my sick-room.' - Act 2, P191 (Dr Rank hints to Nora that his health is deteriorating). Torvald is described as 'sensitive' and unable to 'face anything ugly', this forms a stark contrast with the view that he has of himself, 'courageous' and 'strong' leading us to question his intentions - whether he is really a loving husband to Nora or whether he is only an insecure man who strives to present his strengths to the society and at the same time, mask his weaknesses. I believe that here 'ugly' is used to illustrate that the society is unable to accept anything apart from normality. It is almost as though that Torvald is a mere imitation of the society, his narrow-mindness is the key factor of him valuing his status highly, that he will disregard anything insignificant. Bringing it into a larger context, it demonstrates that in society, the demand placed on these people have reached an extent that they consider anything out of their zone of experience as abnormal, and thus 'ugly'. The society has placed an unnecessary amount of pressure on people that has led to them not being able to accept 'the invalid'.