A Doll's House Foils

Have you ever found yourself comparing who you are as a person or something you do to that of another person? Throughout Ibsen’s play A Doll’s House, Ibsen focuses on conflict arising through comparing and contrasting characters. The composed characters of the text provide societal structure of the specific time period of the 1870’s and many gender and household roles, therefore giving readers an insight to the conflict that arises throughout the desires in life as well as what is expected from society. Ibsen creates foils between key characters to highlight the true intentions of each to reveal that personal values and societal expectations are often in conflict. The contradicting characters of Mrs. Linden and Nora are introduced to readers

Torvald even describes to Nora the influence her father has had on her life in saying, “You're a strange little being! Just like your father- always on the look-out for all the money you can lay your hands on; but the moment you have it, it seems to slip through your fingers; you never know what becomes of it. Well, one must take you as you are. It's in the blood. Yes, Nora, that sort of thing is hereditary.” (3) Through Torvald expressing to Nora the influence her father has had on Nora’s outlook of society, the influence of Torvald is juxtaposed to readers of his description of Nora’s father to

Torvald also judges the acts of Krogstad, therefore comparing himself to another man in the perception of society. Torvald says to Nora, “It generally comes from the mother's side; but of course the father's influence may act in the same way. Every lawyer knows it too well. And here has this Krogstad been poisoning his own children for years past by a life of lies and hypocrisy- that is why I call him morally ruined. [Holds out both hands to her.] So my sweet little Nora must promise not to plead his cause. Shake hands upon it. Come, come, what's this? Give me your hand.” (18) The irony of Torvald comparing works of Krogstad and the similar social status of events and characters is uncanny. Torvald is judging the way Krogstad goes about life, however, Torvald is in turn following the stereotypes set through Nora’s father and the social demand and therefore providing conflict in Nora’s