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A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen
Study Guide/AP English Literature & Composition
Examples of
self-awareness:
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Find examples where the character recognizes or
understands something important about him/herself.
For each example, explain whether or not you think the character’s
“revelation” is honest or ironic.
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Helmer
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Nora
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Mrs. Linde
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Dr. Rank
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Men’s and Women’s
Roles:
In 2003, men’s and women’s social and family roles are far
more blurred than they were in Ibsen’s day. Find instances in the play where
characters reveal their beliefs about what men and women should be or how they
should act/behave. Then, for each example, write your reaction to the idea.
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Example of role
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My reaction
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Developing
characters:
Nora and her husband Torvald have
both contributed to the fact that their home is a Doll House. Each also has a
chance to make it something less, to make their marriage more a shared
experience. Track the changes each experiences in their character development.
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Nora
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Helmer
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How does this character behave toward the other in the
beginning of the play?
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In what ways does this character contribute to the Doll
House?
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What is this character’s opportunity for positive change?
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How does this character change positively or how does this
character fail to change?
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Personal Response:
Choose one of the following to respond to. Use textual
evidence to support your claims.
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Which
character do you most sympathize with and why?
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Which
character would most easily fit into contemporary society and why?
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If you
were Nora, how would you have behaved differently and why?
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If you
were Torvald, how would you have behaved
differently and why?
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What
didn’t happen in the play that you were expecting to happen? Why do you
think the play evolved differently than you expected it to?
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