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A Doll's House, Act 2 summary

Act 2 of 3 · 31 min to read the act

In Act 2, Nora fails to stop Torvald from dismissing Krogstad, who then deposits a letter exposing her secret in the locked letterbox. After Rank declares his love and Christine offers help, Nora uses dance practice to postpone Torvald’s reading, ending alone with a count of her remaining hours.

What happens

  1. Nora asks Anne about leaving children behind, while Mrs Linde repairs her costume and questions her secret borrowing.
  2. Torvald rejects Nora’s pleas for Krogstad and sends his dismissal, angered by challenges to his authority.
  3. Rank describes his approaching death and declares his love, stopping Nora from asking him for help.
  4. Krogstad demands a higher bank position and deposits his revealing letter despite Nora’s desperate protests.
  5. Nora admits forgery to Mrs Linde, who goes to seek Krogstad but finds him away.
  6. Nora dances wildly and secures a delay in opening letters until after the ball, then counts thirty-one hours to live.

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In this act

NoraHelmerMrs LindeKrogstadDoctor RankAnneTheme: Secrecy and truthTheme: Power and independenceTheme: Parenting and sacrifice

What to notice

Nora treats the delay until the dance ends as a limit on her own life. Her calculation exposes the desperation behind her energetic performance.

Quick check

Why does Krogstad refuse to return Nora’s bond even if she pays?

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