Doll’s House (Henrik Ibsen) SUMMARY by Ayu

This is a story about husband and wife’s problem. They are Torvald Helmer and Nora Helmer. Trovald has a new job as a manager bank. It makes their finances can be improve.
The story starts when Nora gets back from Christmas shopping. Then, Nora’s old friend comes. Her name is Mrs. Linde. She is a lonely widow and seeking a job from Nora’s husband. Nora asks Torvald to give her a position as a secretary in the bank, and he agrees, as she has experience in bookkeeping. Nora tells to Mrs. Linde about all her secret activities. Nora has a big secret to her husband and she doesn’t want Torvald know it. She has obtained a loan and paying off her debt herself. She forged her dead father's signature in order to illegally obtain a loan. She has never told her husband because she knows it would upset him. At that time, Nora just wanted to save her husband’s life when he was very ill.
Nora and Torvald have a family best friend. He is Dr Rank, a sickly man. And Mrs. Linde has feeling to him. But, Dr. Rank has always been secretly in love with Nora. Actually, Nora is not in love with him, but loves him as a friend.
The problem begins when a bad bank employee named Nils Krogstad who collects the debt payments tries to threat Nora. He knew that Nora is Torvalds’s wife and Nora’s mistake. Krogstad just doesn’t want Torvald become a bank manager. Torvald make him get the sack. Krogstad asked Nora to persuade her husband to giving him a promotion. If Nora doesn’t want, Krogstad will send blackmail to Torvald that Nora has forged her father’s signature to lend a loan and puts it in Trovald’s mailbox.
Shortly, Krogstad send that blackmail to Torvald because Nora cannot help him. When Torvald realizes the criminal act that Nora has committed, he becomes enraged. He berates Nora, calling her a dishonest and immoral woman and telling her she is unfit to raise their children. He says that he will continue to be married to her in name alone.
Mrs. Linde and Krogstad have romantic interest towards one another. And make Krogstad to change his heart and giving apologize to Nora. He regrets his action and he has returned the incriminating papers. Mrs. Linde believes it would be best if Torvald and Nora finally confront the truth.
Torvald takes back his harsh words to his wife and tells her that he forgives her. But, Nora realizes that her husband is not the loving, Torvald only really loves himself. She also comes to understand that their marriage has been a lie. She then decides to leave her husband and her children in order to find out who she truly is.