What is the relationship between Dr. Rank and Nora?
Nora tells Dr. Rank that shetrusts him more than anyone, implying that her trust lies more heavily with him thanher own husband, the marriage seems to be less solid than in the previous act. Dr. Rank says that he is more than willing to do anything for Nora.
The most significant function of Dr. Rank in the play is when he influences Nora to evolve and grow by breaking down the pressures of society that Nora is conflicted against-this is linked to one of the main themes of “A Doll's House”, which is growth.
At first, Nora's interaction with Dr. Rank is similarly manipulative. When she flirts with him by showing her stockings, it seems that she hopes to entice Dr. Rank and then persuade him to speak to Torvald about keeping Krogstad on at the bank.
Dr. Rank's function in the play also refers to a past occasion in Nora's life. Just as she used to seek the conversation of the maids as a refreshing change from the moralizing of her father, Nora finds amusem*nt in Rank's companionship as a change from the tiresome cant of Torvald.
One could view this as an honorable love-from-afar, but it is also an uncomfortable situation for Nora. Most actors portray Dr. Rank as soft-spoken and well-meaning—he does not mean to be vulgar but instead confesses his feelings for Nora mainly because he only has a few days left to live.
He has tuberculosis of the spine. This could possibly be meant to represent the diseased backbone of unenlightened society, a society where men and women don't live as equals. His death also could be seen as symbolic. It comes at the same time as the "death" of the Helmers' marriage.
His disease is clearly on his mind all the time. Mrs Linde mentions his depression during the Christmas celebrations. Rank rarely articulates his feelings. He is probably aware that Helmer is no more capable of dealing with this than with the physical aspects of Rank's deathbed.
In A Doll's House, Nora removes a pair of silk stockings from a box and playfully shows Dr. Rank these "unmentionables." She flirts with him by giving him permission to look at her legs (a very shocking offer, indeed!).
The Characters: Nora (Female age 25-35)— Housewife and mother. Playful, smart, witty, bright and alive. Flighty and skittish at the beginning, but grows in strength, self-awareness and honesty as the play progresses.
What secret has Nora been keeping from Torvald? She was in love with his brother before she married him. She borrowed the money they used to take a trip to Italy. She had an affair with Krogstad five years earlier.
What role does Dr. Rank play in a doll's house?
Rank's contribution to the play consists of stimulating the development of Nora's character and accentuating her conflict. He accomplishes this by characterizing Dr. Rank as a harbinger of Nora's fate and by providing him with a reality parallel to that of Nora.
In Henrik Ibsen “A Doll's House”, Nora Helmer, the beautiful wife of Torvald, is a representation of women's freedom. She loves to spend money, dress elegantly, and cares for her children.
Nora leaves the children with Torvald because as a woman she has no other option; she needs to find her true self before she can be a mother to them, she fears that she is a bad influence, and she knows her husband will never allow her to take them.
Log in here. At the beginning of the play, Torvald prohibits his wife, Nora, from eating sweets because he believes that they will ruin her teeth. Despite his directives, Nora sneaks macaroons behind his back and even lies to his face about indulging in the small cookies.
At the end of A Doll's House, Nora makes the ultimate assertion of her agency and independence by walking out on her husband and her children in order to truly understand herself and learn about the world.
Nora is willing to die by suicide rather than let Torvald take the blame for her anyway, which is the key to understanding the type of sacrifice and commitment the "wonderful thing" means to Nora: Torvald would choose her over "the whole world," thus choosing her over his place in society.
Such is the case in a Doll House by Henrik Ibsen. Here we see Nora presented as a victim of her father and male dominated society; however she also plays the role of victimizer against her husband, family, and friends. As Nora takes both sides of the conflict we see how she is forced into both roles.
Christine Linde, addressed simply as Mrs. Linde, is yet another secondary character in the play. She is an old friend of Nora's, and understands Nora better than anyone else. She is a practical, mature, loyal, helpful woman with an excellent sense of judgment.
Linde brought them and then explains to Mrs. Linde that Torvald has “outlawed” macaroons because he thinks they are bad for Nora's teeth. Torvald exits his study, and Nora introduces Mrs.
Dr. rank reveals to Nora that he loves her. I believe Nora is very disturbed by this new because she is already married to Torvald. Nora is so disturbed that she can't ask him for the loan that she was going to ask him for.
Why does Nora leave?
Nora rejects his offer, saying that Torvald is not equipped to teach her, nor she the children. Instead, she says, she must teach herself, and therefore she insists upon leaving Torvald. He forbids her to leave, but she tells him that she has decided to cut off all dependence upon him, so he cannot dictate her actions.
While he thinks that such a bad character is in direct contrast to his “sweet little Nora,” we are aware that Krogstad and Nora have committed exactly the same crime—forgery.
Nora's father is blamed for instilling the values in her personality that lead her to seek independence and abandon her family.
When he is appointed bank director, his first act is to relieve a man who was once disgraced for having forged his signature on a document. This man, Nils Krogstad, is the person from whom Nora has borrowed her money. It is then revealed that she forged her father's signature in order to get the money.
Nora's secret is that she forged her father's signature to take out a loan, of which her husband, Torvald, is unaware. Torvald was very ill, and she committed forgery to fund the trip to Italy that would ultimately save his life.
Torvald is a misogynistic and antagonist character who suffers from nineteenth century society norms in Ibsen's “”A Doll's House””. His misogyny shows as he constantly insults his wife for just being a woman and frequently makes comments implying women are lesser than men.
Torvald calls her pet names "little lark", "little squirrel", and "Little Miss Extravagant". Nora is being treated like a cute little girl and she happily accepts the epithets.
Rank's contribution to the play consists of stimulating the development of Nora's character and accentuating her conflict. He accomplishes this by characterizing Dr. Rank as a harbinger of Nora's fate and by providing him with a reality parallel to that of Nora.
Dr. Rank is a doctor who is best friends with Torvald and Nora, who he visits every day. Dr. Rank suffers from spinal tuberculosis, a condition he believes was caused by his father's vices, which included having extramarital affairs and consuming too much luxurious food and drink.
Nora initially seems like a playful, naïve child who lacks knowledge of the world outside her home. She does have some worldly experience, however, and the small acts of rebellion in which she engages indicate that she is not as innocent or happy as she appears.
What is Nora and Torvald's relationship like?
At the beginning of the play Nora seems completely happy with her doll-like relationship with Torvald. She responds affectionately to Torvald's teasing and plays along with him – “if you only knew what expenses we skylarks and squirrels have, Torvald”. She is quite happy to be Torvald's “l*ttle featherbrain”.
