DH3.Questions+6-10

6. When Mrs. Linde says Nora “must tell [her] husband all about it,” Nora replies “I knew it”. What does Nora mean? Nora sees herself as a "knight in shining armor" and a self-sacrificing hero; Nora says she "knew it" because she has felt all along that she was alone in her actions. From the start, Nora felt that she would have to take all of the burdens upon herself and that every one is against her and no one understands her situation.

7. Why does Ibsen include the scene in which Helmer tries to convince Mrs. Linde to take up embroidery rather than knitting?

8. What are Helmer’s intentions regarding Nora after the dance? Helmer is possessed with love for Nora, because he has had a lot to drink. All night, Helmer has been imagining different scenarios involving he and Nora being in love, and he has brought her home early so that he and Nora could enjoy each other’s company, to put it politely. Helmer's obsessive, and possessive, love for Nora is shown when he refers to her as "all the beauty that belongs to no one but me - that's all my very own" (p. 215). Helmer's determination to make Nora follow his desires and show him her love reenforces his overall need to be Nora's puppet-master, and control their relationship.

9. How does Ibsen emphasize Helmer’s tendency to reshape the world according to his own emotional needs? Helmer, despite Nora's resistance, "had to use force" (212) to remove her from the party they attended so that they would not "spoil the effect" (212) of the tarantella Nora had danced there; according to Helmer, "an exit should always be well-timed" (213), demonstrating his tendency to reshape the world as he sees fit. Helmer also comments to Mrs. Linde after the party that "it'd be much better if you did embroidery" (213) rather than knitting. He insists that "it's so much more graceful" (213) and goes as far as taking her sewing and showing her how to embroider (213), again showing his tendency to impose his own ideals on other people, reshaping the world according to his own emotional needs.

10. What are Nora and Doctor Rank referring to when they talk about Doctor Rank’s well-spent day and his scientific investigations? They are referring to Dr. Rank performing the last few medical tests to determine if he is dying or not. When they refer to "doctor and patient" (216) they mean that Dr. Rank is performing the tests for himself and has determined with "complete certainty" (217) that he is dying. They are speaking cryptically because Dr. Rank has not informed Helmer yet that he is terminally ill.

DH3.Questions 11-15