The Tale of the Two and the Friendships in a Doll’s House

Friendships develop in odd ways. Friends are not always alike but are different in numerous ways. In Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House, two friends, Nora Helmer and Christine Linde, are very different, but they switch places during the course of the play. Several circumstances cause Nora, who is carefree in the beginning, to become serious. Christine, on the other hand, develops a happier life.

In A Doll's House, Nora is the focal point of a not-so-satisfied marriage that deals with the everyday struggles of dominance by one partner. Nora is the wife in the play and is dealing with her problems with her husband. Secrets and lies surround the marriage, but Nora tries to keep these away from him. Helmer, Nora's husband, treats her as a little child with no sense of direction to choose in her life. In the beginning of the play, she is overjoyed because of her husband's recent promotion. Over the course of the play, however, she realizes that she does not know the meaning of happiness in Helmer's house. Nora tries to avoid the outcomes of the Moore 2 marriage, but is doubtful that she can withstand the pain. For instance, in Act One, Helmer says, "Is that my little lark tweeting out there?" referring to Nora as a little lark. Those were the types of comments that Nora was bothered by and annoyed by. With those problems dealt with, the marriage was headed for failure if there was no change.

Throughout the story, Nora's childhood friend Christine Linde tries to talk to her and help her through her situations. In the first act, Mrs. Linde arrives in town by steamer on Christmas Eve. She says that her return to the city is for the purpose of finding office work. Unlike Nora, Mrs. Linde is a female who is dominant over her choices in life. Mrs. Linde is alone and has no one to call her partner; in Act III of the play, however, it comes to light that she may also be there to see Krogstad. Also in Act Three, Mrs. Linde admits that her original reason for talking with Krogstad was to help Nora, but she says that she realizes that "you may sell yourself once for somebody else's sake, but you don't do it twice.". (A Doll's House: Act III)

Comparing the two women, Nora and Christine's lives were changed a great deal throughout the course of the story. Nora gains a wide variety of knowledge and opinions from her incident and becomes even more serious about its effects on her life. By that meaning, she is finally in control of her life and thinks that it is time for a change. Meanwhile, Christine develops a happier life by finding work and starting a new relationship. Her mistakes with Krogstad in the past have resulted in a more positive outlook.Both of the ladies are leaving a part of themselves and gaining a whole new future to look forward to. Some might even say that the women have grown to be a little bit wiser and more cautious than before by choosing the path in their lives that will take them to a better and happier future.

In conclusion, several circumstances cause Nora, who is carefree in the beginning, to become serious. Christine, on the other hand, develops a happier life. A Doll's House was not just a story about an unhappy marriage, but the story described the lives of two females whose lives would rise and fall. In a sense, Nora and Christine's lives were switched. Christine, who came into town alone with no sense of direction for work, finishes the story with a prosperous future. Nora, on the other hand, starts the story off with a job, family, and success, but isn't happy. This, in turn, influences Nora to turn her life around.

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