The essential tension running throughout A Doll's House comes from Nora's fear of a secret being discovered. Her absolute terror of this revelation leads her to tell lie after lie. When her web of lies finally tightens around her, her marriage proves too weak to bear the strain.
Questions About Lies and Deceit
- How could Nora have saved Torvald without lying?
- In what ways have Nora's lies weakened her marriage?
- What deceitful behavior does Torvald demonstrate?
- Since Nora's forgery saved her husband's life, was it really a bad thing?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
It is ironic that Krogstad uses deceitful methods in an attempt to regain his good reputation.
Nora's lying is the only tool society has left her. She must manipulate the truth in order to have any power at all.