When Torvald re-enters Nora begs him to give Krogstad his old job back, claiming she feared his influence in the media. Torvald believing her excuse attempts to calm her down and reveals it is now impossible to give Krogstad his job back as he has given the position to Mrs Linde, Torvald then returns to his study.
Anne Marie enters with Nora’s Ball gown, but quickly leaves to return to Nora’s children. When Mrs Linde returns she begins to help Nora Stitch up her dress, they discuss Dr Rank’s marital position and speculate over his health. Once Torvald enters the front room Mrs Linde makes a hasty exit to the nursery. Nora once more pleads with her husband to allow Krogstad his job back, Torvald refuses and in an act of finalisation hands Krogstad’s pink slip to the maid in-order for it to be delivered. After Torvald has left the room, Rank enters and informs Nora of his worsening health, they pass compliments and appear to flirt with one another until Rank blurts out that he loves her, the shocked and slightly rattled Nora simply informs the doctor that she merely toyed with him and thought him fun but never loved him.
Once again when Nora is left alone by the other characters Krogstad arrives, annoyed by his dismissal and angry with Nora at not following his demands he leaves a letter in Torvalds post-box revealing Nora’s crime. When Mrs Linde arrives Nora tells her about the matter and is reassured that Mrs Linde will talk to Krogstad herself and sort the matter out once and for all.
Once Mrs Linde has left, both Rank and Torvald enter the front room they are pushed by Nora into helping her practice the tarantella (this was to distract Torvald from looking at his post)
After practice Mrs Linde returns with news of Krogstad leaving town. A somewhat calmer Nora replies that she’s waiting for a miracle to happen. Later that night during the dance Mrs Linde and Krogstad finally talk, she admits that she left him for money but that she always loved him. They decide to get back together and Krogstad decides to ask for his letter back from Torvald, Mrs Linde convinces him not to claiming that Torvald needs to know about it. They then exit together.
When Torvald and Nora re-enter they are merry and giddy however when checking his post Torvald finds that he has three letters, two from Dr Rank with black crosses on them (this signified the beginning of his death) and the third from Krogstad. Torvald is furious with Nora and declares his disgust in her, however the maid interrupts the argument with another letter directed to Torvald. It was from Krogstad and contained the letter, which Nora had signed, and an IOU. Torvald is ecstatic and declares that he loves her again and forgives her. To Torvalds surprise Nora explains to him that she no-longer loves him, packs her bags and becomes a free woman, who would rather be penniless and looked down-upon than live in the constant pretence of a ‘dolls house image.
Sub Plot
Within this play there are three main sub plots. The first being secrecy. Nora is an obviously secretive person, hiding even something as mundane and irrespective as macaroons from her husband and it is in- fact her secretiveness over the entire money loan saga that sparked the end of her marriage to Torvald. However it is not just Nora who kept secrets in the play. Mrs Linde never revealed her relationship with Krogstad to Nora until the very end. Dr Rank declared his love for Nora, which he had kept secret for many years. Even Krogstad himself is guilty of not telling Torvald about the money and in-fact using this secrecy as a weapon against Nora.
Another and indeed the most obvious subplot is the distinct role reversal between the two main female characters. Mrs Linde begins the play an independent yet penniless widow and ends as a to-be married, happily in love glowing figure. Nora however starts the play as a happily married bank manager’s wife, merrily growing fat in peace and ignorance, but in a huge twist leaves the play as an independent, poor individual.
Mrs Linde is difficult to interpret and is an incredibly ambiguous character she could be described as either being selfish, as she initially left Krogstad to better her financial situation or she could also be perceived as selfless because she chose not to marry Krogstad so that she could provide for her family.
The final sub plot is the effect of sins from the older generation.
Their families married off both Nora and Mrs Linde; this was due to both their fathers failing to receive enough income therefore the girls had to sacrifice themselves in order to salvage the situation.
Dr Rank’s father when discovering his illness should had sought for a cure however instead he ignored it and went on to infect his wife and child. Mrs Linde’s husband failed to provide for her after his death both financially and mentally; Torvald too would not allow Nora to open the post-box. Therefore Nora’s daughter would have been inflicted the same fate. Nora became aware of the ‘condition’ inflicted upon her by her father and husband late, but unlike Rank had time to cure it.
