Loan in A Doll s House Nora secretly borrows money from Krogstad to save Torvald s life She says proudly to Mrs Linde It was I who saved Torvald s life But society does not allow women to borrow without a man Nora must hide her act She forges her father s name This shows she is clever and brave but forced to act like a hidden doll The home looks perfect but inside there is fear A doll s house looks pretty outside but it is empty inside The Letter-Box and the Doll s Prison The Helmer's living room has a letter-box It becomes the symbol of control Krogstad drops a letter inside Ibsen says A letter drops into the box Nora cries Torvald Torvald there is no hope for us now The truth of her secret shakes the house Nora dances the tarantella wildly to stop Torvald from reading the letter She is like a doll dancing for her master The letter-box proves that Nora lives in a prison-like toy house Torvald s Hypocrisy and False Marriage When Torvald reads Krogstad s letter he cries You have destroyed all my happiness He calls Nora unfit for children He does not see her sacrifice He sees only his honour Later when Krogstad sends another letter Krogstad returns the bond Torvald is relieved Torvald forgives Nora quickly But Nora sees the truth She says You have never loved me You have only thought it pleasant to be in love with me Their marriage is false Their home is only a doll s house built on play not love Nora s Awakening and the Door Slam Nora s awakening comes in the last act She sees that her life has been false She has lived as a doll in Torvald s house Torvald never loved her truly He only enjoyed control Nora understands the marriage is empty She says she must educate herself She cannot stay in a doll s house anymore She decides to leave She leaves her children She leaves Torvald She leaves her home Then she slams the door The sound is loud It is freedom But it is also a loss The slam breaks the doll s house The title becomes clear and powerful here The title A Doll s House is fully appropriate Nora lives like a doll-wife Torvald plays with her like a toy The secret loan the letter-box Torvald s hypocrisy and Nora s final choice all prove that the Helmer home is not real life It is only a doll s house Nora s door slam ends the game and shows the truth of her liberation