Symbolism

Although //A Doll’s House// is a firmly realistic play, it uses strong visual symbolism to convey its points. The delivery of the Christmas tree and the revelation of Nora’s efforts to decorate for Christmas in the previous year symbolize the importance of appearances in the household. The tree itself is an ornament, just as Nora comes to see herself as an ornament in the home.

Later in the play, Nora’s changes of clothing take on symbolic importance. Her dress for the fancy-dress ball is all about appearances and unreality, for this is a costume to cover up her worries. When Nora changes into everyday clothes at the end of the play, she is symbolizing her new life of plainness, reality, and work.

The repeated references to the letter box are important because they remind the reader that Nora is locked out of the business transactions of the house, having no key to the mailbox.