Nora’s Confession

Josh Kinney

[Nora enters the study. Torvald is sitting at his desk looking over bank papers. He sees Nora enter. He turns in his chair to face her. Nora is holding a tray with a book and two cups of tea.]

Nora: Here I bought you a new book to get you away from those bank matters for a while. [Hands Torvald the book]It’s about Evolution and that Charles Darwin fellow. He supposedly has many new ideas. [Nora sits down on a chair while Torvald looks through the first few pages of the book]How was work today?

Torvald: What do you want, I’m busy.

Nora: Ok. Ill go on with it. [takes a sip of tea and pulls out the bag of Macaroons]You look hungry, would you like a Macaroon? [Torvald becoming impatient] Ok… I didn’t want to tell you this, but I must. See, my father didn’t exactly pay for our trip…

Torvald: Where did you get the money then?

Nora: I… I… I took out a loan! [Nora is coming to tears] I couldn’t just let you lay in bed and die, but I didn’t want to ask you because I know how tight you are with money! I know it was against the law, but it was the right thing to do. I couldn’t do nothing, not with you sick in bed! I tried to find odd jobs, but I couldn’t make enough money at it! I went to the bank and asked Krogstad to give me a loan, and he said yes, but he said to keep it quiet. He gave me a form to sign, and I signed and dated it in mine and my father’s name. I returned it to him and he gave me the money. I have tried everything to try to pay it off by myself, but the amount of work required to make up that 5,800 Rubles is not very easy to find, especially being a woman like me. I have tried to pay it off on my own but I couldn’t. Do you remember that Christmas when I locked myself in my room making ornaments and decorations? I wasn’t making decorations, I was copying books for money. I simply couldn’t make it up on my own. [eyes watering, she continues but starts to sound desperate]That’s why I keep asking for more money! Every time I go out I buy the cheapest clothes and food and use the rest to pay off the loan! I have been getting closer to paying it off, but now that you are going to hire Mrs. Linde, Krogstad is going to blackmail me into persuading you to keep him employed. That was the real reason I came to tell you of how great Krogstad was and why I tried so hard to change your opinion of him.