Student Question
How many children do Torvald and Nora have in A Doll's House?
Quick answer:
Nora and Torvald have three children in "A Doll's House." Their names are Ivar, Anne-Marie, and Bob. The children are minor characters, and Nora's interactions with them mirror her relationship with Torvald, highlighting her role as a mother and wife. In contrast to her dynamic with Torvald, Nora assumes a parent-like role with her children, treating them affectionately as playthings.
It is interesting that the children are but minor characters in this play that is so much about the family and Nora as a mother and as a wife. It is also important to note that the way Nora interacts with them is a precise imitation of the way that she interacts with her husband, Torvald, except with the roles reversed. Thus, with her children, it is Nora who becomes the parent-like figure, playing with her children and treating them as if they were charming playthings or dolls, whereas very clearly in her relationship with Torvald it is Torvald who treats her like this. If we look at the beginning of the play, which introduces the major characters, we can see that Nora and Torvald are said to have three children. Their names are Ivar, Anne-Marie and Bob, as is made clear from the scene in Act I when Nora plays with her children.
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