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The Tarantella
There are a few mentions of doll’s houses early on in the play, for example when Nora shows Torvald the dolls she bought for her daughter, and says that the fact that they are cheap doesn’t matter because she will probably break them soon anyway. This is interesting as it suggests that Nora is raising her daughter for a life similar to Nora’s own, yet simultaneously foreshadows Nora breaking up her family life by leaving Torvald. When Nora plays with her children she also refers to them as her “little dollies.” However, it is not until the end of the play that the metaphor becomes explicitly clear. Nora tells Torvald that both he and her father treated her like a doll, and cites this as one of the reasons why she has become dissatisfied and disillusioned with her life with him.
The Doll’s House Quotes in A Doll's House
The A Doll's House quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Doll’s House. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act Three
Quotes
I have been your doll wife, just as at home I was Daddy’s doll child. And the children in turn have been my dolls. I thought it was fun when you came and played with me, just as they thought it was fun when I went to play with them. That’s been our marriage, Torvald.
Related Characters:
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Related Themes:
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Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire A Doll's House LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Doll’s House Symbol Timeline in A Doll's House
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Doll’s House appears in A Doll's House. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Act One
Nora shows off the presents she has bought for the children (a doll for her daughter; a sword and a horse for the boys) and the maids, which...
(full context)
Act Three
...as her father. She adds that he played with her as she played with her dolls, and that it is the same now she is married to Torvald. She says she...
(full context)
...explains that, although Torvald has been kind to her, she has only ever been his doll-wife, just as she was her father’s doll-child, saying she found it fun when Torvald came...
(full context)
...to change, but Nora says the only way that would be possible were if his “doll” were to be taken away. Torvald says he cannot imagine being separated from her, and...
(full context)
