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Henrik Ibsen: From Catalina to A Doll's House
This play is set in Norway, 19th century in a banker's home. We have a historical context of a society whose appreciation of women does not go beyond mother and housewife. The Doll being Nora Helmer, a house wife and a child in the eyes of society, and mine too. The biography of Henrik Ibsen.

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This amazing playwright came to life in 1820 in Skien, Norway. Born into a family of 5 children and a father who was a successful merchant and a mother who painted, played the piano and loved the theatre. This might have sparked his interest in theatre and arts.

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Ibsen was 8 when his family fell into bankrupcy and slowly their wealth disappeared with the wind. They had to move to a rundown farm where he spent most of his time reading, painting and performing magic tricks. He was 15 when he had to leave school due to financial issues. He worked as an apprentice in an apothecary in Grimstad for six years. He wrote poetry and painted during his free time. In a good number of his books, he revolves around financial issues and marriage life, glimpses to what he experienced through his life.

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He moved to Christiania in 1850 to prepare for university exams so as to join the University of Christiania. He failed. In the capital, he networked with other writers and artist. In 1849, he wrote his fist play Catilina which was very unsuccessful. The play was funded by Ole Schulerud who was among the people who Ibsen met in the capital.

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In 1851, Ibsen met Ole Bull, a violinist and theatre manager. Ole Bull liked Ibsen and made him a writer and manager for the Norwegian Theatre in Bergen. This gave Ibsen an opportunity to learn a lot in terms of theatre and play writing. However, not many were of the same opinion as Bull and he got a lot of critisism. He was accused of mismanaging the theatre and some poeople wanted him out. With all these going on, he wrote Love's Comedy, a satirical look at marriage.

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In 1862, Ibsen went into a self exile to Italy and Germany due to the frustrations of his life. He spent 27 years in exile. He had a child to take care of and his career was not breaking through, he needed his time away, or was selfish and left. This will later benefit him and his career because it is in exile that he writes his greatest works.

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Ibsen's first play to be staged was Burial Mound which pretty much went unnoticed. Brand and Peer Gynt were the first plays to bring him significant attention and money. This gave him the confidence he needed to put his beliefs into his book. Ibsen's plays are centred on controversy, he was on a constant quest to attack society and the unrealistic standards it set for life. He challenged the notion that society was a noble institution that could be trusted. His primary notion being that the individual standing alone is more often right than the mass of people around them. He attacks entrenched beliefs and assumptions targeting over eager reformers and their idealism. Ibsen sees himself as an objective observer of society. In later plays, he turns from society and goes into conflicts of individuals. In his works, he features complex, yet assertive female characters.

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A theme is a message or a main idea. Most literally works have more than one theme.  A thematic statement  is a complete sentence or two that expresses a theme. Thematic statements should be universal and not only apply to the story they are coming from.

Topic: Love

Theme: That love can make you extremely fond of a person you view them as your own or you dedicate yourself to their happiness.
My little skylark, my darling, my dear little Nora and many other sweet words Helmer uses to refer to his wife shows how fond he is of her. He goes ahead to refer to his last Christmas as the dullest three weeks he had ever spent because Nora was locked up in her room making ornaments for the Christmas tree. When Nora wishes she was more like her father, Torvald tells her "I would not wish you to be anything than just what you are." A declaration of unconditional love. We also see Nora's love for her children from all the gifts she buys them and how she fondly speaks of them through the conversation. Nora goes ahead to say I should not think of going against your wishes, her dedication to her husbands happiness.

Topic: Money

Theme: The presence or absence of this important factor determines how far comfort can spread.
It is ironic, how Torvald is very much worried about their financial status where as Nora, the spendthrift, is telling the potter to keep the change and is buying the maids clothing and gifts. Repeatedly, Torvald refers to Nora as a spendthrift because she is up and about spending money everywhere, his money. Torvald is also not stingy and gives her money for housekeeping and for herself. He even asks her for something she may want to buy for herself. However, he remains cautious of their expenses, referring back to the financial hard times they have had. We also see Torvald's hate for borrowing or being owed money by someone. He says, "There can be no freedom or beauty about a home life that depends on borrowing and debt." We also see how women stay out of financial issues when Nora claims that whoever Torvald would have borrowed money from before dying is none of her concerns.

Topic: Innocent Deceit

Theme: It is okay to lie as long as you do not hurt anyone. White lies.
Despite Torvald's deep probing of her eating of confectionaries, Nora denies it with all her might and he puts it off as a joke. Her admission to eating them will only lead to an unnecessary confrontation. And when they hear a knock on the door, Torvald reminds Nora that he is not home, yet he is standing right in the middle of the sitting room. He is avoiding any unwelcome guests. Again, white lies.

Topic: Festives
Theme: Holidays are a time to appreciate family and enjoy the small gift of life.
The book opens with with Nora coming in with Christmas shopping. Humming and in high spirits. Representing the happiness and joy of Christmas. All through the scene, before they are interrupted, there is a merry, flirty atmosphere in the room. Torvald, who comes out as busy most of the time, leaves his office to entertain his wife's misuse of money. Calling her a spendthrift while enjoying the surprises she has for him.

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Torvald Helmer
Torvald is the husband of Nora. He is a busy man, a man who likes working and does not like being distracted while at it. When Nora comes in, he greets her lovingly but tells her to not disturb him when she tells him to come see the things she had bought. However, he still pays attention to his wife and even notices that she looks uneasy. He is also very cautious and responsible with how he spends money. He will not borrow even a small amount even knowing he is soon to have a high steady income.He is affectionate and fond of his wife from the names he calls her. She loves money, and he gives her all he can, as long as she tells him for what. When she is frustrated because they cannot borrow, he goes to comfort her.  Despite being reluctant to come see what Nora had, the moment she said she had bought them, he finally came to make sure she had not been wasting money.

Nora Helmer
Nora is helmer's wife, a happy homely woman who is excited by the festive season, maybe a little too excited. Nora comes out as an immature and childish woman. No sooner does she get into the house than she goes to eavesdrop on her husband's door, checking if he is home. After which, she eats sweets she should not be eating and wipes her mouth when she hears her husband coming, like a kid caught eating sugar. It is expected that a grown up should not have a restriction eating sweets.
She also comes about as childish when Torvald says he might die and she over reacts. Her diction also indicates a little immaturity with statements like, 'We may be a wee bit more reckless now. Just a tiny wee bit.'
She is less mature, with an over enthusiasm for a holiday, hiding gifts for surprises etc. She also spends an alarming amount of money with the assumption that soon they will be well off, even if it is not guaranteed.
Nora is also very considerate because she buys Christmas gifts and clothing for the maids, besides them not being family. In addition, she also gives the potter some money, an act of kindness from someone less fortunate. She adores her husband or is submissive in her manner towards him, with statements like, 'I should not think of going against your wishes.' 'Let us do as you suggest.' 'As you please, Torvald.'

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We two have kept on the straight road so far and we will go on the same way - analogy. Torvald uses this analogy to bring home the idea that they have stayed out of debt for a long time and they could not indulge themselves in borrowing. That will be going away from the straight road or in more straight forward terms doing things that would rather not be done. That are contrary to the ideal way of life for them.
My little skylark must not droop her wings - idiom. In this case, to droop her wings means to be sad. Like the wings of a birds drop and go down, it shows Nora's mood dropping when Torvald does not heed to her wishes.
You save all you can, that's very true, -all you can. But you can't save anything! - humour. If it is a caller, remember I am not home. - humour. Ibsen uses humour over and over again in his book and that makes his work interesting to the reader. It
Money seems to melt in your hands-
If it is a caller, remember I am not home. - humour

Satire is a comical and critical genre that relies on humour, irony or exaggeration to mock and ridicule corporations, governments, individuals or society as a whole — usually in order to expose its foolishness and shortcomings.
Although satire may make readers feel amused, its greater purpose is to use wit to draw its readers' attention to issues in society in a subtle and indirect way.

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The world begins at a kitchen table. No matter what, we must eat to live.

The gifts of earth are brought and prepared, set on the table. So it has been since creation, and it will go on.

We chase chickens or dogs away from it. Babies teethe at the corners. They scrape their knees under it.

It is here that children are given instructions on what it means to be human. We make men at it, we make women.

At this table we gossip, recall enemies and the ghosts of lovers.

Our dreams drink coffee with us as they put their arms around our children. They laugh with us at our poor falling-down selves and as we put ourselves back together once again at the table.

This table has been a house in the rain, an umbrella in the sun.

Wars have begun and ended at this table. It is a place to hide in the shadow of terror. A place to celebrate the terrible victory.

We have given birth on this table, and have prepared our parents for burial here.

At this table we sing with joy, with sorrow. We pray of suffering and remorse. We give thanks.

Perhaps the world will end at the kitchen table, while we are laughing and crying, eating of the last sweet bite.