Suggestions
Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select.Please wait while we process your payment
If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Sometimes it can end up there.
If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Sometimes it can end up there.
Please wait while we process your payment
By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy.
Don’t have an account? Subscribe now
Create Your Account
Sign up for your FREE 7-day trial
Already have an account? Log in
Your Email
Choose Your Plan
Individual
Group Discount
Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan!
Purchasing SparkNotes PLUS for a group?
Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more!
Price
$24.99 $18.74 /subscription + tax
Subtotal $37.48 + tax
Save 25% on 2-49 accounts
Save 30% on 50-99 accounts
Want 100 or more? Contact us for a customized plan.
Your Plan
Payment Details
Payment Summary
SparkNotes Plus
You'll be billed after your free trial ends.
7-Day Free Trial
Not Applicable
Renews December 12, 2023 December 5, 2023
Discounts (applied to next billing)
DUE NOW
US $0.00
SNPLUSROCKS20 | 20% Discount
This is not a valid promo code.
Discount Code (one code per order)
SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan - Group Discount
Qty: 00
SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Free trial is available to new customers only.
Choose Your Plan
For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more!
You’ve successfully purchased a group discount. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. You'll also receive an email with the link.
Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership.
Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! Continue to start your free trial.
Please wait while we process your payment
Your PLUS subscription has expired
Please wait while we process your payment
Please wait while we process your payment
When we meet Nora, her girlish, silly behavior and position of proud housewife create the sense that she happily upholds societal expectations and gladly fulfills the role of a stereotypical middle-class woman in order to lead a comfortable life free from worry. In the opening scene, we see Nora unfazed by Torvald’s diminutive nicknames for her, responding to them and speaking as a child might: “You are going to have a big salary and earn lots and lots of money.” She is obsessed with money, looks, and clothing (“It is delightful to be really well dressed, isn’t it?”), and instead of listening to the troubles of her old friend Mrs. Linde, she selfishly talks about her own good fortune. Furthermore, Nora prioritizes Torvald’s manly pride and keeps secrets from him that might threaten his sense of importance.
As the play progresses, it becomes clear that Nora actually uses her childish behavior to her advantage, understanding that Torvald likes seeing her as a helpless woman and leveraging this to get money and information from him. We see that Nora is actually very aware of the expectations laid on her, and she finds pleasure in rebelling against these expectations. When Torvald mentions how many expenses Nora seems to have, Nora smiles “quietly and happily” about “how many expenses […] skylarks and squirrels have.” In truth, Nora has so many expenses because she is paying off the illegal loan she got in order to save Torvald’s life, and her happy smile shows the pride she takes in her rebellious action. She also admits that she did not find the copy work she did the previous year dull, and that working and earning money (something she equates with being a man) was a “tremendous pleasure.” In securing the loan without her husband’s consent, Nora calls herself a wife with “a head for business” and “the wit to be a little bit clever,” two descriptions that distinctly separate her from the dainty housewife she initially portrays.
Nora generally conforms to societal expectations because she has been raised and shaped to do so. But in her moments of rebellion, she catches glimpses of another world, and in order to explore it, she ultimately leaves conventional society. As she tells Torvald in their final confrontation, Nora’s father groomed her as a “doll child” and once she was properly trained, he transferred ownership of her over to Torvald. Nora recognizes the advantages her beautiful, dainty appearance give her, often admiring her own looks, which conform to society’s standards of beauty. Yet, when she could take advantage of Dr. Rank’s devotion to her, she refuses anything from him, demonstrating an understanding of her limits in conforming to conventional society. Ultimately, Nora must shed any association with traditional society in order to know whether she ever wants to be a part of this society again.
Please wait while we process your payment