It becomes apparent that he is a man driven by circumstances, and not an evil heart. He also tells Nora, “I want no money from your husband… I want back on my feet” (804); illustrating that he is not driven by greed, but by a genuine desire to better himself for his children. The definite turning point for Krogstad is his conversation with Kristine, in which a totally different and gentle depiction of his character is presented. It is discovered that Krogstad and Kristine used to be in a relationship. Kristine left him for a wealthy man because her family was in need of the money.
Krogstad was left a self-proclaimed “broken man clinging to the wreck of his life” (809). Krogstad goes on to tell Kristine that he is convinced he would have been a different man if he had been with her. This confession may still leave some skepticism as to just how much of his proclamations are truthful. However, it is Kristine’s reaction to Krogstad that provides the greatest contest to Krogstad’s true nature. Despite what she knows about Krogstad’s past, Kristine still expresses her desire to be with him, stating “I have faith in what, deep down, you are” (810).
Kristine also supports the theory that Krogstad was forced into making poor decisions saying, “I know how far a man like you can be driven by despair” (810 ). This conversation with Kristine suggests that Krogstad really is a decent man. The conversation ends with Krogstad wishing, “if only I could undo what I have done” (810). He gets the chance to prove her right. Although Kristine does not allow Krogstad to demand for his letter back, he does take measures to mend the situation in which he has put Nora. He writes a second letter and leaves it in the mailbox along with the IOU.
In the letter he “sends his regrets and apologies for what he has done” (817). By sending back the IOU he gives up any power that he held over Nora and is unable, and obviously unwilling, to cause any harm to the Helmer family. A Doll’s House concludes with no further mention of Krogstad. It can be assumed that he can now become the ideal family man and strive to gain back the respect that he deserves. That is a far cry from his initial introduction as an illicit and immoral villain, but is a transformation that can be easily tracked throughout the play.
Although Torvald continued to look down on Krogstad, but Kristine’s high regards of Krogstad and the actions of Krogstad himself, far outweigh Torvald’s argument that Krogstad is a “morally depraved” criminal. Although Krogstad remained the same individual throughout the play, it took a change of luck for his true colours to be seen. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Henrik Ibsen section.
