Nora Helmer Mrs. Linde Krogstad Dr. Rank Torvald Helmer
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Nora
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Krogstad
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1. Even though she has children, she reminds one of a child—childish/irresponsible.
2. Trying to fit into the wife expectations/role.
3. Family oriented and loves her husband.
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1. Trying to regain his reputation—he forged a signature on a loan
2. Gave Nora the loan
3. Blackmailing Nora.
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Nora: Trying to fit into the wife expectations/role.
K: Trying to regain his reputation—he had forged a signature on a loan and people don’t trust him
Nora seems to be trying to fit into the expectations others and she has of herself regarding being “a good wife.” In hiding the macaroons she consumes from her husband, Nora shows she’s actually doing what he wants her to do—or what he she thinks he wants her to do—to please him, in a way. (get quote) She supposedly does what he asks, she looks good, doesn’t contend with him—all because she thinks challenging him will be perceived as disrespectful. Thus, she commits this small deception. However, this apparent white lie roots a cavity in their relationship, a cavity of slight distrust. She fears what others will think of her if she directly confronts him. While she may want to have a masculine boldness and strength, she sometimes falls short, and it is to her detriment.
Krogstad also is trying to please society’s standards of what it is to be an upright male citizen. Once desperate for money, he had forged a loan signature, and has subsequently lost some of his reputation. This he hopes to regain by keeping a job at Torvald Helmer’s bank. (get quote). For one thing , Krogstad has a family to support and his wife had died. Readers can sympathize with his desire to hold a good job to provide for his children. However, his methods are flawed; he’s trying to keep his position by holding something over Nora. There is something good in that he is not repeating his past mistakes of illegal activity, but his bullying Nora is not laudable. In effect, he’s still undermining his reputation.
While both characters want to do the right thing, they are going about it in somewhat the wrong way. Perhaps if they did not feel compelled so much by what they “ought” to do, based on society’s spoken and unspoken demands, they would not get themselves into trouble. Nora could confront her husband about a healthy desire for a cookie or two every now and again and he could loosen his grip on needing to control her so much. If Krogstad played fairly, as he eventually does, he would lean that honesty does often pay off. He “gets the girl” the love his life, Mrs. Lindae, and he doesn’t need to blackmail a friend. Their actions show that honesty does reap benefits, even if they are uncomfortably gained.
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Desdemona:
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Iago
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1. Loyal
2. Naïve
3.Trustworthy/of strong character/integrity
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1. Manipulative/brilliant/conniving/vengeful
2. Ambitious/selfish, feels entitled to advancement at any cost
3. Sociopath
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