A Doll's House, Act 1 Summary

The four plays in this collection (A Doll's House, Ghosts, Hedda Gabler and The Master Builder) are the most well known and frequently produced, of the many plays written by the late 19th Century Scandinavian dramatist Henrik Ibsen. While entirely individualized in terms of characters and situation, all explore common themes - the role and place of women, their varied struggles for freedom, the inability to escape the past, and the importance of public perception.

Nora comes in with an armload of Christmas presents. Torvald chastises her playfully about how much money she's spent. Nora, also playful, reminds Torvald that he's about to be promoted, and that as a result they'll have more money coming in, adding that if they're short they can always borrow. Torvald tells her he doesn't believe in borrowing money under any circumstances...