Who Is Mrs. Linde in A Doll’s House?

Mrs. Linde is Nora’s old friend who unexpectedly shows up at Helmer’s house at the beginning of the play. Her husband died, leaving her without any money, so she comes to ask for a job. She seems to be a sensible and understanding woman yet following the generally accepted social rules.

Kristine Linde arrives in the town looking for a job. When she comes to the Helmers’ house, Nora welcomes her, and they have a friendly chat. From their conversation, we find out that Mrs. Linde’s marriage was loveless, and her husband died, leaving her no money. Therefore, she was forced to come here seeking help with the job. It appears that she has a pretty modern perspective since, later in the play, the audience gets to know how much joy and purpose in life a job brings to Mrs. Linde. Financial stability is one of the reasons as well, but not as important. 

At the same time, this character shows some traditional views. Even though she had to get married for benefits, Mrs. Linde still thinks that the family needs to follow social norms. Nora’s secret loan seems unacceptable to her. Mrs. Linde believes that no woman should deal with such financial operations behind her husband’s back. By the end of the play, she insists that Nora confesses to Torvald. However, we can’t consider it a betrayal of their friendship since Mrs. Linde only wishes well for the Helmer family. Honesty is the foundation of any relationship. 

Moreover, this character uses opportunities when they appear. Mrs. Linde offers Krogstad to renew their relationship for mutual benefit. This woman needs someone to care about to feel fulfilled in her life. 

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