Is Kristine Linde right in encouraging Mr. Krogstad to hand in his letter to Mr. Torvald exposing the facts about his loan to Nora and the forgery, an action that would cause havoc in the Helmer’s household? The author of the play, A Doll’s House, makes use of the characterization of Mrs. Linde and Krogstad to show Ibsen’s negative views of the Victorian Era. He, however, contrasts Mrs. Linde with the traditional female aspect of the society in this era by drawing substantial diligence within her character as she goes against all possible norms associated with the position of females. Both the characters of Krogstad and Mrs. Linde seem alike as they have faced several negative experiences in life. It is arguable that both characters should not have made the decisions they made throughout the play, but without a reasonable doubt, Mrs. Linde was right to encourage Krogstad to go ahead with his plans to expose the truth, most especially because they both intended to seek redemption and honesty by their actions.
Mrs. Linde advises Krogstad to retrieve the letter after Nora informs her of a staged blackmail plan. This fact indicates that Mrs. Linde is mindful of both Torvald and Nora’s welfare. Mrs. Linde's aims to help Nora rectify her family situation contemplating that, somehow, this would make Torvald appreciate the sacrifice that Nora had to make for his sake. Mrs. Linde intends to promote honesty rather than secrecy, in addition to protecting Torvald’s stature. She feels that if Nora fails to inform Torvald of her previous actions, Nora’s family situation would deteriorate. Even though these actions prove Mrs. Linde’s integrity, she invokes the notion of dishonor. The only reason Mrs. Linde talks to Nora is so that she could get a job at the bank and not as a result of concern for Nora and their friendship.
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Mrs. Linde is right in changing her mind on Mr. Krogstad retrieving his letter to Torvald incriminating Nora. In as much as Krogstad is using the wrong approach, he intends to redeem and bring justice to himself. Krogstad is overlooked by society and a victim rather than the oppressor. He suffers from his past mistakes and feels that he is unfairly judged since he committed the same crime as Nora. He thinks that if the world were to know of the crime that Nora committed also, justice would be served on his side, even if he does this by damaging the honor of Torvald and Nora. Krogstad becomes the protagonist in the play as he only wants to regain his reputation and defend his honor so as to grant his children a better life than he lived, and by delivering his letter to Torvald, he would achieve it. Again, Mrs. Linde is right in changing her mind, as the events that follow bring Nora to the realization that she needs to pursue independence, otherwise she risked being perceived only as Torvald’s doll all her life. Although it is for a good cause for Nora, this realization brings with it a weighty expense, as she lacks prospects of any sort.
Whether or not the decision of Mrs. Linde is motivated by personal gain, she is right in changing her mind. It is clear that she is driven by honesty despite her selfish reason to approach Nora. Thus, she liaises with Krogstad to help rectify the situation at Helmer’s household as they feel that the secrecy has gone on for too long. Consequently, her decision favors both Nora and Krogstad’s situations. "Both of us would have to change so that…that communion between us shall be a marriage" (123). Nora eventually leaves Torvald and he finally comes to a realization that respect for each other as individuals. This is an indication that Mrs. Linde was right to change her mind as her decision to do so led to Nora’s self-realization and, therefore, ending her relationship with Torvald.
Works cited
Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll's House . Dover Thrift Edition. New York: Dover Publicatins, 1992.
