The relationship of Nora and Torvald develops significantly throughout the play and eventually shows a completely different side of each of these characters. At the beginning, they seem to be a perfect couple, both content with their roles in the family. However, as the play develops, they are revealing their unhealthy relationship and dissatisfaction. Torvald treats his wife like a child incapable of making her own decisions. He cares mostly about his money and reputation, and through his pressure and arrogance, he makes Nora believe that her life has to only be devoted to her husband and children. Nora sees her purpose in the same way: all she does is try to make her husband happy. Nora and Torvald’s relationship shows that women’s role as an individual was not always recognized, and that for many men, women were and still are simply “dolls” (Gardner et al., 2020). Nevertheless, after Nora reveals her husband’s true self, she realizes that he is a self-centered person who does not really care about her. She becomes stronger and decides to leave her family to educate herself and find her own purpose.
The relationship between Kristine and Krogstad have also evolved through different stages. In contrast to Nora and Torvald, Kristine was the one who cared about money more and eventually left Krogstad, even though she actually loved him. This caused Krogstad to become a bitter, devastated, and unhappy man, which shows that he truly loved her as well. What saves him in the end is Kristine, who offers a second chance for them to be together. It appears that his motivation is not gaining money or respect form society; instead, all he needed was love, understanding, and honesty. The fundamental difference between these two couples is that Kristine and Krogstad love each other, which makes it possible for them to talk and solve their problems to reunite after many years of separation.