ENGLISH

Normally in a play the role of a supporting character is to either influence or as the name suggests support the main character. In the play, ‘A Doll House’, Mrs. Kristine Linde is one of these characters, who serves the most purposeful role in terms of plot development in the play as well as helps to transform the character growth. Mrs. Linde is introduced to the audience as an old friend of Nora’s, the protagonist. She is used to highlight Nora’s childish and egotistical characteristics contrasting that of Mrs. Linde’s practical and gallant nature. She shows Nora possibilities of self-reliability and highlighting the woman’s role in society during the early nineteenth century. Ibsen uses Mrs. Linde to influence the plot by impacting Nora’s decisions and highlighting aspects of Nora and Krogstad’s characteristics.

Although Mrs. Linde seems to be a minor character, she has a significant role in Nora’s transformation since she is used by Ibsen as a role model and to expose Nora’s Characteristics through interactions. Mrs. Linde’s first appearance in Act 1 is where she is shown as an old childhood friend of Nora’s, and a widower in search of a job. During this interaction they exchange what has been occurring in each ones lives. This exchange accentuates the fact that since Mrs. Linde’s husband’s death, life has not been generous to her. She has had to make up by owning a shop, then teaching and doing anything that she could find “Well, I had to turn my hand to anything I could find- -first a small shop, then a small school, and so on” (Ibsen; Act 1). This seemed to heavily impact Nora since to her, Mrs. Linde was a devoted and caring wife. What interests Nora the most is that here she was a woman who, in a society where male domin...

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...can survive out in the world, and even though Mrs. Linde was motivated by the commitment she has to her family, Nora found inspiration by her own longing to find her independence and regain her mortality. Nora tells Torvald “I believe that before all else I am a reasonable human being, just as you are--or, at all events, that I must try and become one.” (Ibsen, Act 3).

Finally, Ibsen has made it clear Mrs. Linde plays a vital role in Krogstad and Nora’s transformations. Nora, the ‘doll’ wife, who has come a long way from squirrels and skylarks with her husband to a woman resolute to discover her potential as a person. For if it had not been for Mrs. Linde’s interference and actions, Nora may have not been awakened to the harsh truth of her lie of a marriage. And unfortunately, may have continued on as Torvalds personal ‘doll’ marionette in the Helmer ‘dollhouse.’