Questions
1. Does Torvald think that Nora is responsible with money?

2. What has made Mrs. Linde’s life difficult since she last saw Nora?

3. Why did the Helmers travel to Italy for a year?

4. Why does Krogstad have the ability to blackmail Nora?

5. Is Torvald likely to listen to his wife and keep Krogstad employed at the bank?

Answers:
1. Torvald thinks that Nora is a spendthrift who does not know the value of money. According to him, she is always frittering money away on nonessentials.

2. Mrs. Linde married an older man out of necessity in order to support her mother and her two brothers. The marriage was not based on love, and there were no children. Mrs. Linde’s now deceased husband did not leave any arrangements to ensure that Mrs. Linde would be financially secure after his death. The widow struggles to make ends meet.

3. Torvald’s health suffered greatly due to overwork during the first year of their marriage. Doctors advised an extended trip to the south in order to help Torvald recuperate.

4. Nora borrowed the money for the trip to Italy from Krogstad. In order to do this, she forged her father’s name as guarantor. Krogstad has power over Nora for two reasons. First, she borrowed money without her husband’s permission. Second, she forged her father’s name, which is illegal.

5. Torvald considers Krogstad reprehensible, a forger—and worse, a moral failure who never directly admits his misdeeds. He plans on dismissing Krogstad and is not likely to listen to Nora’s pleas on his behalf.