Foil Characters in “A Doll’s House” Essay

Henrik Ibsen creates characters in A Dolls House who change throughout the play. Ibsens use of foil characters patronizeers the reader understand from each one man-to-man character better. Some of the characters in the play are perceived as opposites but in fact share several similarities. Krogstad and Torvald, Christine and Nora, and Krogstad/Christines relationship and Torvald/Noras relationship are every foils to each other. Foil characters are mirror images of each other they have similarities as well as differences.Nils Krogstad and Torvald Helmer are foils to each other. They both have children and are lawyers, even though Krogstad lost his license because he did a forgery. Krogstad did something immoral but so did Torvald Torvald helped Noras father when he had done a bad thing. Torvald and Krogstad were childhood friends and now they work together at the bank. pull down though they have the same professions as each other, Torvalds position at the bank is oft higher tha n Krogstads.Everyone hates Krogstad because he did an illegal act on the other hand, everyone loves Torvald. The nous that Krogstad is the villain of the play is reinforced by the reactions that Nora displays whenever Krogstad is around.The reader eventually understands that Krogstad is a victim to circumstances he committed forgery to help his children, not to help himself. Krogstad is hated by others for the crime he committed to help his children, yet Torvald is loved even though he committed a dishonest act to serve himself. Torvald helped Noras father in order to win favor with Nora and attain her as his wife. Krogstad no longer has a wife because she, Christine, left him for money.Christine Linde and Nora Helmer are greatly dissimilar but in like manner share some comparisons. Very much like Krogstad and Torvald, Nora and Christine were childhood friends. Before their meeting in Act 1, these two women had not seen each other in nearly ten years. Christine and Nora are nearl y opposites of each other Nora has children, money, and a husband, Christine is a poor widow with no offspring.Christine is an independent woman who has been out in the world and has held multiple jobs. Nora is seen as a child who does not have knowledge of how the world works because she is trapped in adollhouse. Christine supports this idea when she calls Nora a child and says, For you (Nora) know so little of the burdens and troubles of life.(Act 1) When the reader learns what Nora did for Torvald, it shows that Nora is more intelligent than she seems which is a characteristic that Christine also possesses.In order for Nora to pay gage the loan she took, Nora did repair work for extra money. Nora and Christine both had a sick parent who needed their help, which caused them to make a tough decision and they each chose the close to important person to them. The two couples in A Dolls House, coincidentally, are foils to each other. Society sees Nora and Torvald Helmer as a perfect ly happy couple. On the other hand, Krogstad and Christines relationship is looked down upon because Christine seemingly left him for money.Christine elected to leave her husband, Krogstad, so she could make more money to help her brothers and her sick mother. Nora chose to help her sick husband instead of her ill father during his dying days. The Helmers relationship looks stronger because Nora chose her husband over her father but in fact, her decision shows how much Nora is under Torvalds control. Christine and Krogstad truly have the better relationship because they have adult conversations and work their problems out. These two couples are fundamentally opposites of each other notwithstanding for the fact that they both become separated at some point.Christine and Krogstad truly love each other because they have both been out in the existent world and want to be together. The Helmers do not have true love because Nora has never been out of her dollhouse to experience the worl d for herself. Nora and Torvalds relationship is more similar to father/daughter kind of than husband/wife. Torvald loves Nora as more of a daughter and cares more about what others think of him rather than what she thinks. Torvald From now on, forget happiness.Now its just about saving the remains, the wreckage, the appearance. (Act 3). Torvald is extremely selfish in his relationship with Nora Krogstad is not selfish at all in his relationship with Christine. Christine and Krogstad are able to solve their issues together as adults. The main characters in this play have foil characters who are there to support them and help the reader understand the story. Certain characters seem to be opposites of each other while also having similarities.Krogstad and Torvald have similar jobs and families, but are also quite dissimilar. Christine and Nora were childhood friends but grew up in different worlds.The relationship between Christine and Krogstad and the Helmers relationship differs be cause Krogstad and Christine truly love each other and the Helmers do not. Even though these characters do have similarities to each other, they are almost exact opposites they are mirror images of each other.