Nora returns home after a Christmas shopping spree, attempting to coax more money from her husband Torvald by playing into his pet names and patronizing view of her. The scene establishes their unequal power dynamic and Nora's secretive behavior regarding money and small indulgences like macaroons. Torvald lectures her on the dangers of debt while reinforcing her role as a frivolous, dependent 'skylark.'
HELMER: Is that my little lark twittering out there?
NORA: Yes, it is!
HELMER: Is it my little squirrel bustling about?
NORA: Yes!
HELMER: When did my squirrel come home?
NORA: Just now.
HELMER: Bought, did you say? All these things? Has my little spendthrift been wasting money again?
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More from A Doll's House
Act III — The Final Confrontation
from A Doll's House
Nora explains to Torvald that for their marriage to continue, a 'miracle of miracles' would have to occur. She ultimately rejects his pleas for reconciliation and leaves him, famously slamming the door behind her.
Act III — Nora's Departure
from A Doll's House
Nora explains to her husband Torvald why she must leave him and her children to discover her own identity. She confronts the reality that she has been treated like a doll her entire life, first by her father and then by her husband.
Act III — Reasonable Human Being
from A Doll's House
Nora confronts her husband, Torvald, announcing her decision to leave him and their children to discover her own identity. She rejects the traditional roles of wife and mother in favor of her duty to herself as a human being.
Nora's Secret
from A Doll's House
Nora reveals to her friend Mrs. Linde that she secretly illegally borrowed a large sum of money to save her husband's life. The scene explores Nora's pride in her resourcefulness and the immense personal sacrifice she has made to maintain the facade of her traditional marriage.
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