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Read the following excerpt and answer the questions that follow.

Read the following excerpt and answer the questions that follow.

A DOLL’S HOUSE

Nora: But it was absolutely necessary that he should not know! My goodness cant you
Understand that? It was necessary he should have no idea what a dangerous condition he
Was in. It was to me that the doctors came and said that his life was in danger, and that the
only thing to save him was to live in the south. Do you suppose I didn’t try, first of all, to get
what I wanted as if it were for myself? I told him how much I should love to travel abroad
like other young wives; I tried tears and entreaties with him; I told him that he ought to
remember the condition I was in, and that he ought to be kind and indulgent to me ; I even
hinted that he might raise a loan. That nearly made him angry , Christine. He said I was
thoughtless, and that it was his duty as my husband not to indulge me in my whims and
caprices- as I believe he called them. Verywell, I thought you must be saved-and that was
how I came to devise a way out of difficulty-
Mrs. Linde: And did your husband never get to know from your father that the money had come
from him?

Nora:No, never. Papa died just at that time. I had meant to let him into the secret and beg him
never to reveal it. But he was so ill then –alas, there was never was any need to tell him.

Mrs. Linde : Good heavens, no! How could you think so? A man who has such strong opinion about
these things! And besides how painful and humiliating it would be for Torvald, with his
manly independence, to know that he owed me anything! It would upset our mutual
relations altogether; our beautiful happy home would no longer be what it is now

Mrs. LInde: Do you mean never to tell about it?

Nora:(meditatively and with a half-smile) Yes –someday perhaps, after many years, when I am no
longer as nice-looking as I am now. Don’t laugh at me! I mean, of course, when Torvald is no
longer as devoted to me as he is now; when my dancing and dressing –up and reciting have
paled on him; then it may be a good thing to have something in reserve-(breaking off)What
nonsense! That time will never come. Now what do you think of my greatest secret, Christine?
Do you still think I am of no use? I can tell you , too, that this affair has caused me a lot of
worry. It has been by no means easy for me to meet my engagements punctually. I may tell you
that there is something that is called in business, quarterly interest and another thing called
payment in installments and it is always so dreadfully difficult to manage them. I have not been
able to put a side much from housekeeping money for Torvald must have a good table. I could not
let my children be shabbily dressed; I have felt obliged to use up all he gave me for them, the sweet little darlings.

Questions

1. Briefly describe what happens before the events in this extract.

2. State and explain any two aspects of style used in this extract

3. How is Mrs. Linde depicted in this extract?

4. What is the attitude of Mrs. Linde towards Nora? Explain

5. Explain how the 'imprudence' of Nora later complicates the events of the play.

6. Who is a shadow character in a play? In this extract identify one shadow character. What is his\her significance in the play

7. Add a question tag:

A wife cannot borrow money without her husband’s consent

8. Explain the meaning of the following words.

i) Indulgent

ii) Thoughtless

iii) Caprices

iv) Devoted

Answers

Martin
1. Mrs. Linde comments that a wife is not allowed to borrow a loan. Nora thinks if the woman is business minded it is in order to borrow. Christine does not agree. Nora conceals part of the loan transaction. Nora lies that she got money from an admirer. Christine thinks of her as mad and imprudent.

2. Flashback. It is through flashback that Nora reveals to Mrs. Linde how she borrowed a loan from Krogstad.
Flash-forward. Nora tells the readers about a time in the future. She says she will disclose the secret to Helmer when she gets old. This reveals Nora as secretive

Irony. it is ironical that Nora borrows money to cater for expenses aimed at taking care of the health care of Helmer yet she keeps it a secret to Helmer himself.

3. Social. She engages Nora in a conversation that reveals Nora’s secretive nature.
Critical. She thinks of Nora as imprudent for not informing her husband about the loan issue. She is all questions to Nora.

4. Sympathetic . she sympathizes with Nora who had chosen to clear the loan debt all alone…..”poor Nora”…..So it had all to come out of your own necessaries of life . poor Nora.

5. She signs the bond three days after her father’s death. She forges her father’s signature. Krogstad is to use it in the court as it is an illegality. He uses the issue to mount pressure so as to keep his job. He intends to use the press to blackmail Helmer.

6. A character who is not present in the lifespan of the play. Papa. His significance is in the plot development. Nora uses him to build her argument on injustices meted on women.

7. ...can she?

8.
I) Lenient/tolerant
II) Careless
III) Desires
IV) Committed\dedicated.

marto answered the question on September 11, 2019 at 07:58

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