DH1.Questions+1-5

1. **Why does the fact that Nora pays the porter twice what she owes him suggest about Nora? What might this incident foreshadow in the play?**

This opening scene characterizes Nora to be completely happy. She speaks with excitement about the extra money Torvald’s job will provide. It reveals her coddled, pampered, and patronized doll-like existence as a careless spender. The fact that she pays the porter twice what she owes him might also suggest that she doesn't like owing money to other people, as it is later emphasized by Torvald that “a home that depends on debts is not beautiful because it is not free.” The opening with her paying the porter possibly foreshadows that she will also have to pay back someone else (Krogstad). It is significant that paying someone is her first interaction with another character, indicating that it may not be the last time that she owes someone money.

**2. What is the significance of the fact that Nora eats macaroon, hides them in her pocket, and wipes the crumbs from her lips?**


 * A macaroon is a small sweet cake or cookie; it can be perceived as a sign of Nora’s discreet self other than the ‘songbird’ she is described to be. At the time, women had little rights and they were generally dependent on their husbands and sometimes, even children. The fact that she purchases macaroons without telling her husband this early in the play may foreshadow the inner independence that she seeks. The sign of her hiding and wiping the sweets may symbolize the first signs of a dilemma between her and Helmer. **

**3. Torvald Helmer has several pet names for Nora. What do they include, and what do they say about how he regards her?** Torvald's use of pet names such as “my little lark”, “my squirrel”, “my little songbird” and “my little creature” when calling Nora shows that he looks down on Nora and perceives Nora to be child-like. The constant uses of “my” before the pet names reveal that Torvald regards Nora as his possession, rather than a partner of an equal status in the marital relationship. Torvald sees himself as the more superior and dominant figure in their relationship and thus treats Nora like a child, giving directions and instructions on how she should behave or act.

**4. What points do Helmer and Nora each make in their first conversation about money?**

I see this flirting as the couple’s inability to discuss such matters seriously and their tendency to skirt around them with a casual, cavalier attitude. It seems that Nora flirts with Helmer whenever she tries to convince him or get on his good side. She flirts with him when she asks him for money and when he appeared to discover that she secretly indulged in macaroons against his consent.
 * 5. What does Nora's flirtatious behavior suggest about her relationship with Helmer?**

DH1.Questions 6-10