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Nora Helmer

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Nora Helmer

Nora Helmer is a fictional character in Henrik Ibsen's 1879 play A Doll's House. She is introduced as a seemingly devoted wife and mother, living in a comfortable middle-class home with her husband Torvald, a recently promoted bank manager, and their three children. After committing forgery to pay for her husband's medical treatment without his knowledge, Nora attempts to deal with the consequences that threaten her marriage. Nora is based on Laura Kieler, a Norwegian journalist and close friend of Ibsen's, who also allegedly committed forgery in order to finance a trip to Italy. Nora's character sparked significant controversy upon the play's release, particularly due to her decision to abandon her domestic life, which challenged 19th-century gender norms. Over time, she has been reinterpreted as a feminist icon and a heroine symbolizing women's struggle for autonomy and self-determination. Her characterization inspired literary and political discussions worldwide, influencing debates on gender roles, marriage, and individual freedom, particularly in early feminist movements and 20th-century Chinese intellectual discourse.

Infobox

First appearance
A Doll's House (1879)
Created by
Henrik Ibsen
Based on
Laura Kieler
Gender
Female
Occupation
Housewife
Spouse
Torvald Helmer
Children
3
Nationality
Norwegian

Tables

· Notable portrayals › Film
1918
A Doll's House
Role(s)
Elsie Ferguson
Notes
Maurice Tourneur
1922
A Doll's House
Role(s)
Alla Nazimova
Notes
Charles Bryant
1959
A Doll's House
Role(s)
Julie Harris
Notes
George Schaefer
1973
A Doll's House
Role(s)
Claire Bloom
Notes
Patrick Garland
A Doll's House
Role(s)
Jane Fonda
Notes
Joseph Losey
1992
A Doll's House
Role(s)
Juliet Stevenson
Notes
David Thacker
Year
Title
Actress
Director
Ref.
1918
A Doll's House
Elsie Ferguson
Maurice Tourneur
1922
A Doll's House
Alla Nazimova
Charles Bryant
1959
A Doll's House
Julie Harris
George Schaefer
1973
A Doll's House
Claire Bloom
Patrick Garland
A Doll's House
Jane Fonda
Joseph Losey
1992
A Doll's House
Juliet Stevenson
David Thacker
mw- List of actors · Notable portrayals › Plays
1879
A Doll's House
Role(s)
Betty Hennings
Notes
Henrik Ibsen
1889
A Doll's House
Role(s)
Beatrice Cameron
Notes
Richard Mansfield
1899
A Doll's House
Role(s)
Janet Achurch
Notes
William Archer
1911
A Doll's House
Role(s)
Sumako Matsui
Notes
Tsubouchi Shōyō
1936
A Doll's House
Role(s)
Tore Segelcke
1937
A Doll's House
Role(s)
Ruth Gordon
Notes
Thornton Wilder
1975
A Doll's House
Role(s)
Liv Ullmann
Notes
Tormod Skagestad
1982
A Doll's House
Role(s)
Cheryl Campbell
Notes
Adrian Noble
A Doll's Life
Role(s)
Betsy Joslyn
Notes
Harold Prince
A Doll House
Role(s)
Mary McDonnell
Notes
Emily Mann
1988
Nora
Role(s)
Joyce Fideor
Notes
Ingmar Bergman
1997
A Doll's House
Role(s)
Janet McTeer
Notes
Anthony Page
2009
A Doll's House
Role(s)
Gillian Anderson
Notes
Zinnie Harris
Nora
Role(s)
Maja Izetbegović
Notes
Haris Pašović
2012
A Doll's House
Role(s)
Hattie Morahan
Notes
Carrie Cracknell
2017
A Doll's House, Part 2
Role(s)
Laurie Metcalf
Notes
Lucas Hnath
Cherdonna's Doll House
Role(s)
Leah Salcido Pfenning; Cherdonna Shinatra
Notes
Cherdonna Shinatra
2019
Wife
Role(s)
Sirine Saba
Notes
Samuel Adamson
Nora: A Doll's House
Role(s)
Amaka Okafor (1918); Natalie Klamar (1968); Anna Russell–Martin (2018)
Notes
Stef Smith
2023
A Doll's House
Role(s)
Jessica Chastain
Notes
Jamie Lloyd
A Doll's House
Role(s)
Vaishnavi CG
Notes
Tanika Gupta; Olivia Chakraborty
Year
Title
Actress
Adapter
Notes
Ref.
1879
A Doll's House
Betty Hennings
Henrik Ibsen
1889
A Doll's House
Beatrice Cameron
Richard Mansfield
1890
1899
A Doll's House
Janet Achurch
William Archer
1911
A Doll's House
Sumako Matsui
Tsubouchi Shōyō
1936
A Doll's House
Tore Segelcke
1937
A Doll's House
Ruth Gordon
Thornton Wilder
1975
A Doll's House
Liv Ullmann
Tormod Skagestad
1982
A Doll's House
Cheryl Campbell
Adrian Noble
A Doll's Life
Betsy Joslyn
Harold Prince
A Doll House
Mary McDonnell
Emily Mann
1988
Nora
Joyce Fideor
Ingmar Bergman
1997
A Doll's House
Janet McTeer
Anthony Page
2009
A Doll's House
Gillian Anderson
Zinnie Harris
Nora
Maja Izetbegović
Haris Pašović
2012
A Doll's House
Hattie Morahan
Carrie Cracknell
2017
A Doll's House, Part 2
Laurie Metcalf
Lucas Hnath
Cherdonna's Doll House
Leah Salcido Pfenning; Cherdonna Shinatra
Cherdonna Shinatra
2019
Wife
Sirine Saba
Samuel Adamson
Nora: A Doll's House
Amaka Okafor (1918); Natalie Klamar (1968); Anna Russell–Martin (2018)
Stef Smith
2023
A Doll's House
Jessica Chastain
Jamie Lloyd
A Doll's House
Vaishnavi CG
Tanika Gupta; Olivia Chakraborty

References

  1. Attributed to several sources, including (Hrybyk 1983, p. 42), (Bird 1980, p. 106), (Lowy 2004, p. 75), (Tufts 1986, p.
  2. Premiere of the play.
  3. Sequel to the original play.
  4. Sequel to the original play written by Lucas Hnath, and set 15 years after the conclusion.
  5. Nora is portrayed under the name Suzannah.
  6. The play portrays Nora in the years 1918, 1968, and 2018, each portrayal having a different actress.
  7. Nora is portrayed under the name Niru.
  8. Jakovljevic 2002, p. 438.
  9. Dukore 1990, p. 310.
  10. Brinkmann 2009, p. 12.
  11. Carbone 2020, p. 103.
  12. Rekdal & Myskja 2002, p. 154.
  13. Jakovljevic 2002, p. 437.
  14. Ledger 2008, p. 7.
  15. Brinkmann 2009, pp. 12–13.
  16. Pearce 1970, p. 336.
  17. Rekdal & Myskja 2002, p. 168.
  18. Rekdal & Myskja 2002, p. 171.
  19. Lowy 2004, p. 78.
  20. Templeton 1989, p. 35.
  21. Ledger 2008, p. 5.
  22. Jakovljevic 2002, p. 446.
  23. Ochshorn 2005, p. 100.
  24. Ledger 2008, p. 6.
  25. Popovich 1977, p. 5.
  26. Weinstein 1999, p. 106.
  27. Lingard 1996, p. 363.
  28. Räthel 2020, pp. 69–70.
  29. Lowy 2004, pp. 75–76.
  30. Lowy 2004, p. 81.
  31. Lowy 2004, p. 82.
  32. Lowy 2004, pp. 82–83.
  33. Lowy 2004, pp. 85.
  34. Lowy 2004, pp. 87.
  35. Lowy 2004, pp. 88.
  36. Carbone 2020, p. 102.
  37. Robinson 1998, p. 161.
  38. Templeton 1989, p. 30.
  39. Templeton 1989, p. 32.
  40. Bird 1980, p. 106.
  41. Leavy 1994, p. 277.
  42. Leavy 1994, pp. 299.
  43. Schwarcz 1975, p. 3.
  44. Rekdal & Myskja 2002, p. 150.
  45. Lowy 2004, pp. 89.
  46. Cheng 2004, p. 10.
  47. Gelber & Templeton 1989, pp. 360–361.
  48. Masters 2012.
  49. Bird 1980, pp. 105–107.
  50. Rekdal & Myskja 2002, pp. 167–168.
  51. Johnston 1991, p. 324.
  52. Lambert 1964, p. 593.
  53. Mahaffey 2010, pp. 62–63.
  54. Rekdal & Myskja 2002, pp. 150–151.
  55. Rekdal & Myskja 2002, p. 151.
  56. Tam 2006, p. 292.
  57. Lowy 2004, p. 75.
  58. Karl 2010, p. 17.
  59. Chan 1988, p. 21.
  60. Qi 2016, p. 349.
  61. Chien 1995, pp. 104–106.
  62. Wang 2025, p. 73.
  63. Wang 2025, pp. 73–74.
  64. Wang 2025, p. 74.
  65. Wang 2025, pp. 74–75.
  66. Xia 2021, p. 219.
  67. Lingard 1996, p. 364.
  68. Kelly 2008, p. 13.
  69. Exhibitors Herald 1918, p. 1052.
  70. Exhibitors Herald 1922, p. 1178.
  71. The New York Times 1959.
  72. Canby 1973.
  73. Sayre 1973, p. 24.
  74. O'Connor 1992.
  75. IbsenStage.
  76. Lowy 2004, pp. 75–78.
  77. Holledge et al. 2016, pp. 71–110.
  78. Archives at DU Catalog.
  79. Hewitt 1959, pp. 110–120.
  80. Kalem 1975.
  81. Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
  82. Galskap 1981, pp. 18–19.
  83. Suskin 2010, p. 344.
  84. Mason 1983, p. 36.
  85. Goodman 1988.
  86. Brantley 1997.
  87. Smalec 2003, p. 143.
  88. Benedict 2009.
  89. Desire festival 2009.
  90. Billington 2012.
  91. Marks 2017.
  92. Kiley 2017.
  93. Billington 2019.
  94. Williams 2020.
  95. Oladipo 2023.
  96. The Tower Theatre Company 2023.
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