In Nora's confrontation to Krogstad, it refers to the fact that she begins to discover her own identity as a female. She has the same quantity of courage Krogstad has now in defending his job and family. "I have courage enough for it now" refers in fact to her potential as a new woman who has regained her identity once and for all. Before Torvald confronts her with the letter, Nora is on her way to commit suicide, determined that Torvald should not have to sacrifice his life for her. In this way, they have an equal relationship. However, she disappointed to discover that he clearly does not intend to sacrifice himself for her. When Torvald reads the letter he knows the secret of the loan, he gets angry accusing Nora of ruining his life, telling her she will never see her children or maintain their marriage beyond the social and public aspects. “You will still remain in my house that is a matter of course. But I shall not allow you to bring up the children; I dare not truth them to you” (Act III, 60). Torvald realizes that neither his pride nor his social reputation will be touched. Nora feels that she has spent her life with an alien. Her recognition of the self illuminates her way to discover her authentic female identity which in turn will shape and decide her real relationship with her husband and with the outer world. She is now able to become an independent human being and not just an elegant doll. She gets a lesson that Linde has learned fully. Therefore, Nora must educate and support herself in facing the outer world as well. Torvald has everything he could possibly want, and everything society could possibly expect him to have, in life. A family, a beautiful wife, a home, a good respectable job, which has given him a higher status in society, a office of his own, to do his man to man business, and plenty of money so that he can spoil his pet, Nora. This is the major reason why Torvald does not

RUNNING HEAD: Realism In “A Doll’s House” Villone want to do anything such as “touch any case that isn’t - well - nice” in case it affects his image and gives his name a bad reputation. Torvald would do anything to stop having to “cut costs to an absolute minimum” and “save every cent”, ever again. This is evident in the last scene when he tries to cover up Nora’s actions, so it doesn’t leave a bad mark against his name. One of the first themes in the play is the contrast between surface appearances and reality. From the beginning, Nora possesses every characteristic of an obedient gentlewoman and a submissive wife, but the audience/readers know that this picture is simply mistaken. For instance, Nora, Torvald's cute "little squirrel," disobeys Torvald by eating macaroons behind his back (Kashden, 2015). It is interesting to note that to squirrel something means to hide or store something away in a way quite similar to how Nora slips her macaroon bag in her pocket; Ibsen uses the word "squirrel" to signify the Nora who is cute and childish but at the same time points out her tendency to hide things from Torvald (DiYanni, 2008). In moving Nora in a stealthy