A DOLL'S HOUSE: WHY DOES NORA CONTEMPLATE SUICIDE?

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Does Nora kill herself in A Doll’s House?

No, she does not.

Why does Nora contemplate killing herself?

Nora contemplates suicide to absolve her husband Torvald from having to take blame for the crime she committed.

Textual evidence in A Doll's about Nora's suicidal thoughts.

In a Doll's Nora talks about a wonderful thing happening. (The phrase wonderful thing appears about nine times in A Doll's house. pg. 78, 84, 116, 117 and 120)

Nora suicide A Doll's House

What is this wonderful thing?

Let us begin from the start;

• When Nora and Torvald get married, Torvald quits his job as a Barrister. He then overworked himself and falls dreadfully ill. (pg 13)

• The doctors tell Nora that the only way he can recover is by taking a trip to Italy. The trip would be costly yet they barely have any money. (pg 19)

• Nora tries every trick in the book to get Torvald to procure some money for the trip but the tears and entreaties bear no fruits. (pg 19)

• She decides to borrow some money from Krogstad. Nora is anxious about her husband's illness and her father's poor health, Nora forges her father's signature. (pg 37-40)

• In the Victorian society, a woman cannot borrow money without permission from her husband. (pg 18)

• Mrs. Linde thinks Nora took a rash, imprudent decision by secretly borrowing the money. (pg 19)

• Nora keeps this a secret from Torvald to protect his manly independence. (pg 20)

• Krogstad threatens to blackmail Nora in order to keep his position at the bank. He tells Nora that she committed a crime and he's read to reveal the secret to Torvald. (pg 36)

The wonderful thing!

Nora feels that Torvald would not accept Krogstad's conditions about the extortion. She thinks Torvald would say he's the guilty one (pg. 116-117) 

This is the wonderful thing! 

In order to spare Torvald this shame (since he does not condone anything disagreeable) Nora wants to commit suicide.

When talking to Nora, Krogstad asks her if he has thought of a desperate resolution like running away from her home or "even something worse-" (pg. 76) 

He taunts her about the thought of drowning in ice cold water maybe in an attempt to coarse her to coax Torvald to not to dismiss him.

Krogstad: Under the ice, perhaps? Down into the cold, coal-black water!

When talking to Mrs. Linde, Nora hints that something may happen to her. Something that "might prevent [her] being here-" (pg. 78)

She insinuates that should Torvald take the blame, Mrs. Linde should be her witness that Nora had no accomplices in the crime.

Nora: I and I alone did t whole thing (pg 78)

Nora says a wonderful thing is going to happen. "But it is so terrible it musn't, not for all the world." (The wonderful thing implies Torvald making the sacrifice and taking the blame for Nora's cri!e, to protect her) It's terrible because Nora doesn't want to hurt Torvald's reputation which he guards so jealously (Read page 117)

On Christmas day at five o'clock, Nora says she has 31 hours to live. She has stalled Torvald from reading the letter from Krogstad but she knows that he will eventually read it after the tarantella.

Nora: Seven hours until midnight; and then twenty four hours until the next midnight (pg 84)

After the tarantella, Nora asks Torvald to go and read the letters and when he leaves her room, she has ominous thoughts of never seeing her family again.

Nora: Never to see him again ... Never to see my children again -Ah the icy, black water ... Goodbye Torvald and my children! (pg 102)

Nora later says: It was tonight when the wonderful thing did not happen; then I saw you were not the man I thought you were. (pg 116) (This is because she expected him to stand up for her but instead he insult s her. He would not make any sacrifice for Nora)

Nora implies that she would readily make such a sacrifice for Torvald. 

She says:

That wonderful thing which I hoped for and feared; and it was to prevent that that I wanted to kill myself. (pg 117)

She wanted to prevent Torvald from making the sacrifice.

Eventually Nora decides to leave Torvald instead of killing herself.

Suicide is not a solution. We can always walk away from situations that drive us up the wall.

Although the author uses the repressive Victorian marriages to drive his point home, we can draw many lessons from the play. The marriage may symbolise a business partnership, a job, friendship, an addiction or a hobby. We should learn to walk away from situations that cause depression. Life is priceless.



For more notes like this one click here to read a comprehensive analysis of A Doll's House.

Click here if you would like to read about A Doll's House essay questions and answers. 


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HOW TO ANSWER KCSE ESSAY QUESTIONS IN 4 EASY STEPS

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Do you want to know how to answer KCSE essay questions in English Paper 3?

This is a four-step guide that will help you develop paragraphs that will earn maximum points at KCSE.  We already looked at the episodic analysis of KCSE A Doll's House, The Pearl and Blossoms of the Savannah .

A Doll's House KCSE essays and answers

What do you have to do in order to earn full marks in a KCSE essay question?

 It is so easy if you follow the four proven steps. We already know about the setting of KSCE essay questions. We will use examples from Blossoms of the Savannah, The Pearl and A Doll’sHouse to illustrate.

How to answer A Doll's House KCSE Essay questions in four easy steps.

  Sample KCSE essay questions on A Doll's House.

Self sacrifice must be rewarded. Citing illustrations from A Doll’s House write an essay to validate this statement.

 Guide to understanding the question

·         Identify the key words in the question

1.   Self sacrifice

2.   Reward

·         Use the key words to come up with three guide questions that will help you hack the question and get a full score in your essay.

a)    Who makes the sacrifice?

b)    What shows that he/she sacrifices?

c)    What is the reward?

·         The answers to these questions should constitute a paragraph. If you answer the questions correctly, providing relevant illustrations from the text, you will earn a full point.

·         The fourth step is to connect or relate your argument with the question. This is the last sentence in your paragraph (sometimes referred to as the clincher). It is simply a link that sums up your argument. (Tip: It doesn’t earn any extra marks, but it helps to summarize the paragraph and give an impression that you understood/interpreted the question correctly). 


Pro Tip: Mere mastery of the text without attaching the argument to a moral would be considered narration. Try to understand the author's intention while interpreting the question.

    Let us use the four steps to answer the KCSE essay question on A Doll's House.

 STEP ONE

   1.    Who makes the sacrifice?

Identify a character in the play who gives up something valuable for the sake of others.

For example;

Nora borrows £250 in order to facilitate the trip to Italy for the sake of her ailing husband Torvald Helmer.

 STEP TWO

   
   2.    What shows that this is a sacrifice?

Write about the situation, action and background (events leading to the situation). You cannot write all these in one or two lines can you?

Gather sufficient illustrations from the text to support your claim in Q1 above.

ü  Torvald is ill and needs urgent medical care (pg 12, 18, 19).

ü  Nora is forced to borrow money to take Torvald to Italy so he could have enough rest and recovery. (pg 12, 13, 17, 19, 36, 40)

How is this sacrifice?

ü  Torvald overworks himself and falls dreadfully ill. Doctors say it's necessary for him to go south (pg 12 )

ü  They take the journey just after Ivar is born (pg 12)

ü  Her father is also ill

ü  They start a month later

Women are not allowed to borrow money without their husband's consent. Why does Nora do it?

ü  Torvald would never have recovered had he not made the trip (pg 17)

Does she try other options before settling on borrowing?

ü  She tries to convince Torvald through tears and entreaties, asking him to be kind and indulgent. She suggests that he may raise a loan. This makes him angry (pg 19)

“… it was his duty as my husband not to indulge in my whims and caprices.” (pg 19)

Why does she commit fraud? Why didn’t she send Papa the bond for him to sign?

ü  She goes to Krogstad since she has no other option (pg 37)

ü  Her mind is preoccupied with her husband’s illness. This makes her anxious to get the money (pg 87)

ü  She couldn’t tell Papa about the loan since he was so ill (pg 40)

ü  She wanted to spare her dying father care and anxiety (pg 41)

What was the purpose of the trip?

ü  To save her husband’s  life (pg 40)

What does Nora give up/sacrifice?

ü  She gives up her valuable time and comfort. Does embroidery needle work  and crotchet-work (pg 12)

ü  She suffers while trying to repay the loan (pg70) 

ü  She says it is not easy to repay the loan. She talks about quarterly interests and payment in instalments (pg 20-21)

ü  Saves her house keeping money to pay off the loan (sacrifice) (pg 21)

ü  All the money to pay off the loan comes out of her necessities of life and sacrifice because she tries to dress her kids well. She doesn’t want them to dress shabbily (pg 21)

ü  Does a lot of copying to pay off the loan (pg 21)

ü  She makes a sacrifice because of love (pg 103)

ü  suffers emotionally (she is at wits end)(pg 22)

Why does Nora go through all this trouble?

ü  For Torvald’s sake. She even keeps it a secret, not for her sake, but to protect Torvald's manly independence and her beautiful home/family (pg 20)

ü  It was her joy and pride to save her husband's life (p 36)

“The trip was to save my husband’s life” (pg 40)

She does it even when Krogstad puts “so many heartless difficulties” in her way (pg 40)

In brief the sacrifice is worth making. Health and human well-being supersede society’s expectations and repressive moral codes.

   

She does it for loves’ sake (pg 42)

The motive is good.

 STEP THREE

   3.    What is the reward?

ü  Saves Torvald's life (pg 13)

ü  Sound as a bell (pg 13)

ü  The secret of borrowing in order to save Torvald’s life gives Nora pride and joy (pg 36)

ü  She is tired because of straining to pay off the loan but she says “it was a tremendous pleasure… earning money. It was like being a man” (pg 21)

  STEP FOUR 

   4. Link/Connector 

   This is the last sentence in the paragraph. Here you simply sum up your argument. Capture the moral value. This is referred to as the clincher. Consolidating your thoughts into one last line may demonstrate that you understood the question, making it easier to convince the examiner to award you full marks.

    For example:

    Nora’s selflessness helps her husband recover from    his illness and this gives her pride and joy. 

    or simply ...

    Truly self sacrifice is rewarded. 

             Paragraph development

The paragraph should answer all the three questions illustrated above and include a sentence that sums up the main idea in the question.

4 easy steps of developing a paragraph

1.   Who makes the sacrifice? (1 sentence)

2.   Evidence/proof of sacrifice (Situation, Action, Background) ( 5-6 sentences)

3.   What is the reward? (Outcome) ( 2-3 sentences)

4.   Connector( 1 sentence)

Tip (An average point should have about 10 sentences)

Example:

Self sacrifice must be rewarded. Citing illustrations from A Doll’s House write an essay to validate this statement.

Nora borrows £250 pounds to save Torvald’s life. Torvald quits his job for there is no prospect of promotion. He has to work early and late in order to make enough money and he falls dreadfully ill. The doctors tell Nora that in order for Torvald to recover, they have to live in the south. Nora is forced to secretly borrow £250 from Krogstad since they have no money and Torvald would not borrow nor accept help from a woman. She forges her father's name since she wants to spare her sick father's anxiety. The trip to Italy comes just after Ivar is born. Nora sacrifices her time and comfort doing embroidery, crotchet-work, needle work and copying in order to repay the loan in installments. She buys cheaper clothes and saves her housekeeping money to supplement her income. Because of her sacrifice, Torvald comes back when he is quite well-as sound as a bell. She says she did it for the sake of love and this gives her pride and joy. Truly, self sacrifice is rewarded.

Other characters that make sacrifices include Mrs. Linde and Anne-Nora’s nanny.

Mrs. Linde

Mrs. Linde leaves Krogstad, a man she loves, and marries a rich man. Nils Krogstad’s prospects seemed hopeless then. (pg 86)

Why is this sacrifice?

She does this for the sake of her mother who was bedridden and helpless. She also has to provide for her two young brothers. (pg 14, 86)

Is she rewarded?  

She is proud for making the end of her mother’s life free from care. She dies a dignified death. This makes Mrs. Linde happy. She is also proud of what she did for her brothers. (pg 17)

When she tells Krogstad the real reason why she left him, he takes her back. She feels happy to have someone to work and live for and does not feel empty anymore. (pg 91)

Anne

Read about Anne’s sacrifice and reward on page 50-51

Why does Nora contemplate suicide in A Doll's house?

I hope this helps. If you want some sample KCSE essay questions and answers on A Doll's House click here. 

THE PEARL

ANSWERING THE PEARL ESSAY QUESTIONS IN 4 EASY STEPS

Poverty is dehumanizing. Write an essay in support of this assertion, basing your illustrations on John Steinbeck’s The Pearl.

Identify the keywords

·         Poverty

·         Its dehumanizing effects

These questions will guide you in developing a paragraph:

a)    Who is poor?

b)    What shows that they are poor?

c)    How does this dehumanize them?

    

Kino and other natives of the La Paz suffer intense hatred and alienation from the rich settlers. The doctor, the priest, the dealers, and the faceless attackers treat Kino and his people with lack of dignity. Because he is poor, he is made to feel less human. No wonder he struggles to “break out of the pot that holds us in” (pg 60)

STEP ONE

1. Who is poor?

Kino is poor.

STEP TWO

2. What shows that he is poor?

• Kino and Juana sleep on a mat while Coyotito sleeps in a box. (pg 17)

• They eat simple meals every day (pg 18)

• Other people in La Paz also live the same lifestyle. (pg 19)

•  Their clothes are old. (pg 25)

• He only has 8 misshapen seed pearls, as ugly and grey as little ulcers, they are almost valueless (pg 28)

STEP THREE

3. How does this dehumanize him?

• The doctor never comes to the cluster of brush houses. Only treats rich people. (pg 23)

• The doctor considers the Indians animals. He calls them “little Indians” (pg 28)

•  He says he is a doctor not a vet. (pg 28)

•  He says the Indians never have money. (pg 28)

• The servant claims he was called to a serious case (pg 28)

• He refuses to treat Coyotito.

• Kino toils in search of a pearl with which he could pay the doctor (pg 33)

STEP FOUR 

4. Link/Connector 

• Surely, poverty has dehumanizing effects 

Sample answer on The Pearl 

The doctor refuses to treat Coyotito simply because Kino is poor and cannot afford to pay for the treatment. A scorpion stings Coyotito when he is lying in his hanging box. Juana tries to suck the poison out. She cries out that the doctor be called. The people at the doorway, as well as Kino, say the doctor would not come. He prefers treating rich people. Juana says that they go to him. The doctor wonders if he has nothing better to do than cure insect bites for little Indians. “I am a doctor, not a vet, ” he says. The servant asks if Kino has any money. He only has 8 misshapen seed Pearls, ugly and grey as little ulcers. The doctor refuses to treat Coyotito. His servant lies that he is out attending a serious case. He refuses to attend to a poor baby simply because they are poor. Surely, poverty is dehumanizing.

Other cases:

1.   The doctor poisons Coyotito. He causes him great pain.

2.   Faceless people (the dark ones) attack Kino because he is poor and worthless.

3.    The trackers would kill his family for the Pearl. Coyotito dies.

4.   Kino strikes Juana out of desperation to escape poverty.

5.   Kino's hut is burnt

6.   Kino's boat is broken.

7.   Kino and his people live a less privileged life; they can’t afford necessities like good food and new clothes.

8.   The priest only considers marrying Kino and Juana or baptizing Coyotito when they get rich.

9.    Poverty causes ignorance and oppression; Kino could not afford to take Coyotito to school.

10.  The dealers take advantage of poor people.

    Click here for more essays on The Pearl 

 
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