Ahhh…Act
2 was something and we were introduced to things we never expected! So first off Mrs. Linde thinks that there is
something fishy going on with Nora and Dr. Rank. She stated, “Does Dr. Rank
come here everyday?” (Ibsen 184). Mrs.
Linde thought that Nora borrowed the money from Dr. Rank. Nora actually borrowed the money from disreputable
Krogstad. Although Nora was thinking
about asking Dr. Rank for the money she never did. This was because he declared his love for
her! Who expected this from him especially since Nora was a married woman? How long do you guys think Dr. Rank loved
Nora and do you think she has feelings for him back? I feel that Nora does have feelings for Dr.
Rank because based on her current relationship there is nothing lovable about
it. Back in the day woman were nothing compared
to men and this situation can relate to real world situations. Woman never had a say just likes Nora does
not have a say in her relationship. Helmer calls her “you poor helpless little
creature” (Ibsen 203). That is so gross
and it seems likes he is her dad or something of the sort.
Krogstad
had a letter for Helmer that contained information about Nora’s signature
forgery and that she had borrowed money.
Helmer reproached Krogstad and would not listen to Nora’s plead
to let him keep his job so Mrs. Linde had a plan to help her out. Mrs. Linde was going to go convince Krogstad
to not send the letter. Nora thought
that Krogstad would never listen to Mrs. Linde.
Mrs. Linde replied back to Nora, “There was once a time when he would
gladly have done anything for me” (Ibsen 202).
Then we found out some juicy information from Krogstad’s and Mrs.
Linde’s past. They used to date but she
had left him for a rich man. Why do you think Mrs. Linde is willing to get back
together with him? I feel that she never
stopped loving him and she had to leave for the richer man so she could help
her mom and brothers.
Nora
was still in the crisis of Helmer finding our about her crime and I guess she
found that so intolerable. Nora
was thinking about suicide!!! That is honestly ridiculous. She shouldn’t have those thoughts just
because her husband doesn’t approve of something. If you were placed in Nora’s situation would
you react the same?
If I was Nora I wouldn't do the same. Honestly Nora is being paranoid and it is showing in her actions. She stalls for a day and a half, pretending like she doesn't remember the tarantella in order to distract Torvald, tries to pick the lock of the mailbox (but leaves her hairpin in the lock???), and causes a scene exiting the party with her drunk husband while trying to stay longer. I see these desperate attempts as a reflection of her fear of her husband, but even still I wouldn't take my own life because of harsh disapproval from a spouse over something I did behind their back in order to save their life.
ReplyDeleteI agree that in this act we learn a lot about the hidden relationships between characters. I think Dr. Rank's love for Nora had been hidden and suppressed for a while because of how he had treated her with more respect then her own husband. Nora must reciprocate some of these feelings because her flirting with him was very evident. She also did show him her silk stockings which was a big "no no" in this time period. Also as you said, Nora probably had enough of Torvald's attitude and belittling actions toward her.
ReplyDeleteWe can clearly see that more and more information about the bonds between characters throughout this Act. Dr. Rank is a very interesting character because he comes along as the sweet, kind doctor who wants to mend ailments, which is ironic since he has a terminal illness himself, but it also reflects that he is the only person not corrupted by Nora's secrets and in some ways represents an outsider who knows only what he's told.
ReplyDeleteI definitely would not have reacted the same way as Nora (although I also wouldn't find myself caught in that type of situation either). If I was in her situation however, I probably would "disappear" from that town and start a new somewhere else. I would have the children in good hands (like the maid) and would probably go back to my hometown for a little bit, just to see if I could find work there to support myself.
ReplyDeleteI left a comment on Elliot, Eli, Beltide and Nadia's blogs.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that in Act 2 we learned alot about the relationships between different characters. The more that we learned about prior and current connects the characters had to each other the more the plot expanded. Dr. Rank's love for Nora was one that we learned. I thought of it as sweet however, I didn't understand why he told her. He just as well as us knew she wasn't going to leave Torvald to be with him.
ReplyDelete