The Christmas Tree
“The Christmas tree will bring them all to light” (Ibsen 3)
The entire play happens in a matter of just three days and two of those days are Christmas Eve and Christmas. It is strange that the Christmas tree is hidden for the majority of the time, especially because the time of the play is supposed to be cheerful. When the tree is finally brought out, it is placed in the center of the room at the end of Act 1. Nora has made and collected ornaments which she puts on the tree. However, in the beginning lines of Act 2, the tree is said to be in the corner and unlit. The lack of lights and adornments on the tree parallel the lack of excitement in the characters.
The Macaroons
“Taking from her pocket a bag of macaroons, she eats one or two” (Ibsen 1)
The macaroons are a symbol for Nora’s longing for power. Nora gets the macaroon even though her husband instructs her not to. The first time her husband asks about the macaroons, Nora lies and says she had not had any, even though it had only been minutes since she had eaten a few. The next time Nora eats macaroons is when she shares them with Ms. Linden and Dr. Rank. When Dr. Rank asks about the origin of the macaroons, Nora lies again and says that Christine Linden is responsible for them. Nora says this, because Torvald has deemed macaroons as “contraband” and Nora fears the Dr. Rank will talk about them with Torvald.
The Party Dress
“I’ve found the box with the fancy dress at last” (Ibsen 19)
Nora’s party dress foreshadows her freedom. The dress, which is altered by Ms. Linden is the symbol that best connects to the feministic qualities of the play. The two women are in charge of it and it is primarily worked on in Act 2. When Nora actually wears the dress in Act 3, she is not mentioned, so that further emphasizes the meaning of freedom.
