Friday, December 20, 2013

How many children do Torvald and Nora have in A Doll's House?

It is interesting that the children are but minor
characters in this play that is so much about the family and Nora as a mother and as a
wife. It is also important to note that the way Nora interacts with them is a precise
imitation of the way that she interacts with her husband, Torvald, except with the roles
reversed. Thus, with her children, it is Nora who becomes the parent-like figure,
playing with her children and treating them as if they were charming playthings or
dolls, whereas very clearly in her relationship with Torvald it is Torvald who treats
her like this. If we look at the beginning of the play, which introduces the major
characters, we can see that Nora and Torvald are said to have three children. Their
names are Ivar, Anne-Marie and Bob, as is made clear from the scene in Act I when Nora
plays with her children.

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