In Henrik Ibsen's
A Doll House, Nora Helmer's evolution into a woman rising beyond the standards of society is the main driving point of the play's plot. This drive is facilitated by a myriad of symbols; including but not limited to the Helmer family mailbox and the many appearances of the calling cards of other characters. These symbols have meanings that are not obvious, yet fairly simple.
In the story, the mailbox becomes a cause of panic for Nora after Krogstad seals within it his letter explaining Nora's misdeeds. To the end of Act II, Nora does all she can to prolong her life by stalling Torvald from reading his mail; she pretends she has forgotten the tarantella and does all she can to convince Torvald to stay with her and teach her. She dances "as if her life was at stake," completely out of control until Torvald is unable to refuse staying with her, lest she put on an unsatisfactory performance at the party. This is a testament to Nora's coy and childish nature, and her fear of the truth; not to mention her strict devotion to the occurance of the "miracle" of Torvald magnanimously saving her from anguish, which she realizes subconciously is very unlikely.
At this part of the story, the symbolic meaning of the mailbox comes into the play: The mailbox is a symbol of the secrets Nora keeps from Torvald. The mailbox and Nora's hidden dealings have in common that if it weren't for Torvald playing into Nora's manipulative nature, the contents of both would be known almost immediately. After the party, Torvald empties his mailbox, but were it not for Nora's suggestion for him to check the mail he would once again have been oblivious. This symbol reveals much about Torvald's personality; that despite his abilities in business and law, he is a very simple and naive man. He is easily manipulated by people, especially Nora, and can be tricked outright without ever suspecting a thing.
There are two appearances of calling cards in the play: The first is during Act II, where Krogstad intrudes on a meeting between Nora and Rank by sending the maid up with his calling card. The conversation with Nora follows to reveal that he intends to give Torvald a letter explaining the situation in its entirety. Nils Krogstad puts this letter in the mailbox, which is arguably the most distressing event for Nora throughout the entire play. To understand the prevalence of Krogstad's calling card, the series of events that follow must be examined.
When the maid first brings Nora the calling card, she reads it, exclaims in shock, and hides it away in her pocket from Rank. When he inquires, she answers with a blatant lie and convinces him to stall Torvald. Later, Mrs.Linde uses the card to find Krogstad's address, attempting to make him reconsider his actions. We see the meaning of the symbol shift here; from a harbringer of the utmost dread to a ray of shining hope, with potential to bring about a miracle that is, ironically, more likely than the one Nora seeks. However, Mrs.Linde decides to convince Krogstad to allow Torvald to see the letter so that Nora can come to her final conclusion about life; that the relatonship she shares with Torvald Helmer can never be a "true marriage."
Thus, Krogstad's calling card is dynamic symbol that is linked to Nora's mental state throughout the second and third acts in the play: First a terrifying dread, which becomes a desperate hope and finally a mindset of calm liberation. However, Rank's calling cards have a very different meaning. The physical quantity of cards is what produces this symbol; one does not normally send a separate card to both members of a marital relationship, and yet Rank sends two calling cards to the Helmers. This symbolizes the separate relationship he has with both Nora and Torvald, that he is not a friend of the family for the family does not rightfully exist. He shares a very different friendship with both Nora and Torvald; as if they weren't married at all.
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So guys does my presentation pass or what
