's mood
and attitude in act 1 of do little to indicate what her eventual
transformation over the course of the play will be. In the beginning, Nora is bubbly and happy
and seems to be the model housewife. She buys gifts to dote on her children and respects her
husband's word, which becomes more surprising by the minute as the act goes on.
Indeed, we findto be a man that, while not entirely unkind, makes a habit of
infantilizing his wife and treating her in an overly possessive manner. He lectures her with
platitudinous ideas about the spending of money and even calls her wasteful when she wants to
find the perfect gift for herself, ending with a patronizing sting by telling her that she's
"perfect" the way she is.
It is obvious that Torvald does not want
his wife to change or to think too freely. We do see a spark of rebellion in Nora, however. At
the beginning of the act, she takes a macaroon for herself and enjoys it. This seems to be
blatantly against Torvald's wishes, as he asks her suspiciously if she indulged her
"sweet-tooth." He even goes on to ask specifically about macaroons when she denies it,
and eventually, he relents. This moment of defiance sets the stage for Nora's eventual rebellion
and transformation into an independent woman.
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