At first, Nora's motivations do not appear beyond those of simply being a virtuous middle-class wife. She shows no resentment of Torvald's bearing towards her, which amounts to a condescending or even openly demeaning attitude. Torvald, like most men of his time, is clueless about this. He is the proverbial "good provider," interested in the advancement of his career at the bank, not simply for himself but for Nora and his children. There is initially nothing remarkable about his and Nora's motivations in the context of their time and their social stratum.
It is only when Krogstad intrudes onto the scene that this domestic fabric begins to be torn and the dysfunctional dynamic of the family is exposed. Nora's behavior with regard to the loan from Krogstad was, though well-meaning, based on deception. Since she fears exposure by Krogstad, she now must intercede for him with Torvald about...
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the job Krogstad needs. When Nora suggests lightly that Torvald is being "petty" in his attitude about Krogstad's not being eligible for the job, Torvald blows up, thinking that Nora has dared suggest thathe is petty.
Torvald, as the action progresses, is increasingly motivated by his desire to keep his dominant status intact and to continue lording it over Nora. Even in the insignificant matter of her performance for the Christmas party, he practically throws up his hands and declares, "She's forgotten everything I've taught her!" as if he is an expert on dance (as well as everything else).
Nora, for the most part, does not really change until the play's climax. Torvald's explosion of abuse at her, upon learning of the blackmail plot, finally makes her see the complete weakness of her own position in their relationship and therefore the unsustainability of the marriage.
Realistically, a woman would probably have sensed all along that the marriage was dysfunctional. Yet it was typical of that time and later, that open dissatisfaction with the status quo by women was frowned upon, to put it mildly. Until the end, Nora has been a "good actress." The catalyst for change has ironically been the seedy, amoral Krogstad. In the iconic moment of Nora's finally slamming the door on Torvald, we see a reversal of the standard motivation and interplay within the marriage, with Nora now wanting to set out on her own, regardless of the cost to her and Torvald helplessly wishing that she stay with him even if they live together only as "brother and sister."