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Doll's House: What is the dramatic function of Mrs. Linde?

In the play, "A Doll's House", the character of Mrs. Linde is a childhood friend of Nora's that comes back into Nora's life near the beginning of the play. She has several dramatic functions in the play, the most prominent of these being that she is a foil to Nora. The author juxtaposes Mrs. Lindes worldly outlook on life with Nora's childish manner in order to highlight just how naпve and sheltered Nora really is.

Throughout the play, Mrs. Linde is used as a foil for Nora. In the beginning of the play Nora is seen as irresponsible, rash and childish, with no sense of the value of money. We see this right at the beginning when Nora is begging Torvald for money. "Yes, Torvald, we may be a wee bit more reckless now, mayn't we? Just a tiny wee bit! You are going to have a big salary and earn lots and lots of money" (p.2). She knows that they do not have copious amounts of money to spare, yet still she begs for more, and even suggests that they could borrow some money and go into debt. "Pooh! We can borrow until then." (p.2). Even though she has other private debts and knows the worry that comes along with them, she still wants to plunge the family into debt.

Ms. Linde in comparison is very wise when it comes to money. After Nora hints at the fact that she borrowed money without her husbands consent, Mrs. Lindes' initial reaction is one of disapproval. "You are a mad creature...It seems imprudent without his knowledge..." (p.2). She can recognize that is it foolish to take out a loan, especially one that is such a large sum of money when one does not have any significant source of money with which to repay it.

Another difference between the two of them is that when compared with Nora, Mrs. Linde is much more mature and wise in the ways of the world than Nora. The reader can see this when Mrs. Linde speaks about her past. She has lost a mother, a father and a husband in a very short period of time, and has learned the harsh realities of life that adults face. She was responsible for the well-being of her two brothers, and was forced to marry a man she did not love to provide for them and still managed to survive.

In comparison, Nora appears very immature and self centered. When Torvald becomes sick, Nora does not examine the situation to the full extent. She takes a huge risk in the forgery of her father's name, and acts alone as though she is