A Doll's House Act I

     A Doll's House is a dramatic play written by Henrik Ibsen. The setting seems to take place in a European country between the years of 1551 (this is the year when the sixpence first started to be used as a monetary unit) and 1879 (the year when the play was published). In the first act, there are four main characters: Torvald Helmer, Nora, Krogstad and Mrs. Linde. The protagonist is Nora, the childish, untroubled yet manipulative wife of Torvald. This couple seems to have an easy going relationship. Everything seems to flow smoothly at their house, perhaps too smoothly. The conflict is presented when the antagonist (Krogstad) pays a visit at the Helmer's house. As the antagonist presents a dilemma toward the protagonist, the first act ends without showing much about Krogstad's personality.
     Mrs. Linde, I would consider, seems to be the foil character. Her character and the protagonist's character differ greatly, which helps accentuate all of Nora's characteristics. Mrs. Linde is a widow that did not love her husband and had many difficulties through her life that have made her a bitter woman.  Nora, in the other hand has a loving relationship with her husband and her four children. She seems to have everything her friend, Mrs. Linde lacks.

     I thought this play was interesting and I can't wait to see how it develops. I like how it shows us the ways things where, or were meant to be some time ago. It sometimes appears to be a far-fetched story, in which the behavior of the characters seems improbable. There is just too much love and comprehension. Even their troubles seem to be unreal. Their reality seems to be built upon lies and even the characters and scenarios that appear as loving seem to have a deceitful side to them. I think that once the true begins to leak trough their lives everything they have constructed that is artificial will collapse.