Read the excerpt below and then answer the questions that follow.

      

Read the excerpt below and then answer the questions that follow.

Helmer: Miserable creature – what have you done?
Nora: Let me go. You shall not suffer for my sake. You shall not take it upon yourself.
Helmer: No tragic airs, please.(Locks the hall door.) Here you shall stay and give me an explanation. Do you understand what you have done? Answer me! Do you understand what you have done?
Nora: (Looks steadily at him and says with a growing look of coldness in her face) Yes, now I am beginning to understand thoroughly.
Helmer: (walking about the room) What a horrible awakening! All these eight years- she who was my joy and pride- a hypocrite, a liar – worse, worse – a criminal! The unutterable ugliness of it all! – For shame! For shame! (NORA is silent and looks steadily at him. He stops in front of her.) I ought to have suspected that something of the sort would happen. I ought to have foreseen it. All your father’s want of principle – be silent! - all your father’s want of principle has come out in you. No religion, no morality, no sense of duty -. How I am punished for having winked at what he did! I did it for your sake, and this is how you repay me.
Nora: Yes, that’s just it.
Helmer: Now you have destroyed all my happiness. You have ruined all my future. It is horrible to think of! I am in the power of an unscrupulous man; he can do what he likes with me, ask anything he likes of me, give me any orders he please - I dare not refuse. And I must sink to such miserable depths because of a thoughtless woman!
Nora: When I am out of the way, you will be free.

a) Explain what has happened immediately before this excerpt

b) What does Nora mean by saying, "You shall not suffer for my sake."? Explain.

c) How is Helmer’s attitude towards Nora in this extract different from earlier in the book? Explain.

d) What thematic concern is addressed in this excerpt?

e) "I am in the power of an unscrupulous man; he can do what he likes with me, ask anything he likes of me, give me any orders he pleases - I dare not refuse." Who is Helmer talking about and why does he make such comments about the person?

f) Discuss any style evident in the excerpt.

g) Identify and illustrate the prevalent mood in the excerpt

h) "Here you shall stay and give me an explanation."Rewrite beginning: You....

i) "When I am out of the way, you will be free." Give two meanings of Nora’s words from the rest of the play

j) Explain the meaning of the following expressions as used in the extract.

i. Take it upon yourself....................

ii. No tragic airs.................

iii. Your father’s want of principle ...................

iv. Unscrupulous man .....................

  

Answers


Martin
a)
- Nora and Torvald bid each other goodnight as Helmer kisses Nora on the forehead
-Torvald takes his letters and goes into his room and shuts the door.
-Nora gropes around as she touches Helmer’s domino/mask and then her shawl and says that she will never see her husband and children again.
-Helmer opens his door just when Nora is about to rush out and questions her about the content in the letter he is holding


b)
- Nora’s forgery would affect Helmer’s career and his position if it is thought that they worked together.
-Nora wants to run away to save Helmer the scandal and any form of suffering.

c)Earlier on, Helmer had a loving attitude as he used to call her sweet/pet names but now hostile/contemptuous/despising/ hateful attitude since he has known the secret of Nora’s loan and forgery.

d)Deception/ hypocrisy- Nora had kept a secret from her husband for eight years.
Family/ marriage conflict-Helmer and Nora are at logger heads because of Nora’s forgery.

e)Helmer is talking about Nils Krogstad. Being in possession of the forged bond, Krogstad can make it public thereby tarnishing Helmer’s name or he can use it to blackmail Helmer in order for him to get his way.

f)Hyperbole- Now you have destroyed all my happiness. You have ruined all my future.
Flashback- Helmer talks about Nora’s father who before his death had no morals.

g) Tense mood- The secret that Nora kept from Helmer is out and Helmer is angered by it. Their marriage is at the verge of breaking.

h)You shall stay here and give me an explanation.

i)
- Nora thought of taking her own life/killing herself to get out of the sticky situation.
-Later she decides to run away so as to save Helmer from the scandal.

j)
- make it your responsibility
-No sadness/ suffering
-The father was not a man of his words
-Immoral man


marto answered the question on September 11, 2019 at 10:19


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