his teaching of the tarantella. In this scene, Nora pretends that she needs Torvald to teach .
her every move in order to relearn the dance. "Direct me", she says, "Teach me the way .
you always have."(Ibsen, Act 3, page 91). Although this is an act, it still shows how .
much control Torvald has over her and how completely submissive she is to him. After .
he watches her dance the tarantella, Torvald proclaims, "When I saw you turn and sway .
in the tarantella my blood was pounding till I couldn't stand it-that's why I brought you .
down here so early."(Ibsen, Act 3, page 101). Nora's negative response to his approach .
causes him to become somewhat bewildered and he reacts by saying "What do you .
mean? Nora, you"re teasing me. You will, won't you? Aren't I your husband?"(Ibsen, .
Act 3, page 101). This reaction, along with many others, shows how Torvald is more .
interested in Nora physically than emotionally. The way she feels internally does not .
matter to him, it is her external appearance that matters. It is obvious that he feels that it .
is one of Nora's main duties as his wife to physically please him at his command.
The belief that a man's role in marriage is to guide his wife and the idea that Nora .
desperately needs his guidance, are two of the things that Torvald clearly embraces. This .
is evident in the way he is constantly instructing her with trite, moralistic sayings such as, .
"Something of freedom's lost-and something of beauty too-from a home that's founded .
on borrowing and debt."(Ibsen, Act 1, page 44). This not only shows how smug, self-.
righteous, and demanding Torvald is, but it also shows how he enjoys treating Nora as if .
she was his child instead of his wife. He does not trust her with money and feels that she .
is incapable and too immature to handle a matter of such importance. On the rare .
occasion that he does give her some money, he worries that she will waste it on candy, .
pastry or something else of childish and useless value.