Ibsen starts the play on Christmas Eve with a lit tree and Nora enjoying her macaroons, excitingly waiting to show her husband the presents she has bought for her family. Michelle Wiseman says this scene shows Nora and her typical “childlike and whimsical behavior”. Her husband first calls her by pet names such as ADD HERE.(). He does this through out the story and allows readers to see how he sees her as childlike and as though she is his possession. Once he discovers she has spent money he is quick to scold her, giving readers the first glimpse of the world Nora lives. They can also see how she is used to going along with her husbands rules and request when she replies, “As you wish, Torvald”(Ibsen 2). Ibsen uses this scene and line to help portray the common middle class family with typical roles, a mother that lives her life to please her husband and children. After portraying the perfect family Ibsen is quick to let readers in on the secret that makes the Helmar family different from others in this time …show more content…
Linde, an old friend from school. Ibsen uses Mrs. Linde’s character as not only a friend to Nora but someone for readers to compare Nora to. Mrs. Linde took care of her sick family members along with her younger brothers while living in poverty. Readers are given a chance to see the flaws in Nora’s personality after Mrs. Linde comments about how Nora has never seen hardship or worked for anything. Although Mrs. Linde doesn’t manipulate or control Nora the way other characters do her comment still allows Nora and readers to see that even someone who is her friend doesn’t see her as a serious adult due to her lack of responsibility. Nora realizes this lack of respect and tells her about her secret in order to prove that she is capable of doing something herself. This is one of the first times Nora is faced with the way other people see her and the person that she is inside. She explains that she has been saving money by secretly working at night or only spending half of the money she is given to spend on clothing. At this point readers are able to realize she is hiding not only the secret of the loan but also a whole identity to make her husband happy. Know Nora’s real traits such as determination and independence are seen through the tasks she has performed. Mrs. Linde now realizes ask Nora why she has not told her husband, Nora jokingly replies that she will tell him “when she is no longer as nice looking as I am