Abudhabi essays

Abudhabi essays Largest of the seven component parts of the United Arab, Abu Dhabi has a history that stretches back many thousands of years. The first trace of Abu Dhabi dates back to the 16th century AD, when a book published by a traveling court jeweler from Venice mentioned a list of islands in the southern Arabian Gulf. To one of them he gave the name Sirbeniast or Bani Yas, evidence that the Bani Yas confederation of tribes, led for the last 250 years by the family of President his highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and must already have achieved a degree of prominence in the region. The Bani Yas themselves first appeared in history first appeared in history in the early 17th century, when they are reported to have been involved in around 1633 in a major battle between the coast and Liwa with an advancing army from Oman. Historical records trace the origins of what was to become the emirate back at least as far as the late 17th or early 18th century to the reign of somewhat misty figure named Nahyan. He was succeeded by a son, Isa, and by the middle of the century, his son, Dhiyab bin Isa, and become the Sheikh of the Bani Yas, with his main base in the liwa oasis, deep in the desert. To Sheikh Dhiyab goes the credit of establishing the present-day Abu Dhabi, said to have been founded in 1761. A tribal legend tells the tale of a party once hunters from Liwa who visisted the coast, and saw the tracks of a gazelle leading out across the sabkha, salt flats. Following the trail, they found it had come to a narrow inlet of the sea, which it had then crossed, to an island just offshore. Their pursuit continued, and, following the tracks through a thick sea mist, they came upon a gazelle, the discovery of water on an offshore island was of more importance. Returning to Liwa, the hunters reported their find to sheikh Dhiyab. Recognizing its significance, he ordered that a settlement be established on the island, which nam...

Compliance cars are only produced to meet California mandate.

Compliance cars are only produced to meet California mandate. Let’s say you’re a Honda fan. Your father bought Hondas and you naturally followed. Now let’s say that you are interested in an electric vehicle (EV), and you know Honda has an electric version of the Fit hatchback. But, unless you live in California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York or Oregon you can’t just waltz into your local Honda dealer for a test drive. Here’s why. A California Mandate Yes, the Left Coast is the reason that some electric vehicles are only available in a few states, and in some cases just one or two states. In 2012, the California Air Resource Board (CARB) mandated that automakers that sell at least 60,000 vehicles a year in the state - Chrysler (now Fiat Chrysler), Ford, General Motors, Honda, Nissan, and Toyota - must sell zero emissions vehicles (ZEVs) using the formula of 0.79 percent of their total California sales. Next year the number is bumped to three percent. Under the regulation, failure to meet the numbers would result in losing the ability to sell any vehicle in California. Thus, the Chevrolet Spark EV, Ford Focus EV, Fiat 500e, Honda Fit EV and Toyota RAV4 EV were born. They are called compliance cars because they are designed and engineered specifically to comply with the CARB requirements and allow the automakers to continue selling cars in the state.   Of the six biggest car companies, Nissan avoided the â€Å"compliance car† moniker with its Leaf electric vehicle that debuted in late 2011. It not only meets the CARB sales number requirements, but it also exceeds it. Plus, the Leaf is the top selling battery-electric powered vehicle across the U.S. Tesla is relieved from the CARB mandate, even though it sells roughly 1,000 Model S electric cars per month in the U.S., because of its small overall California sales numbers. Other States Sign On Under federal law, other states are allowed to adopt California’s emissions rules even if they are more strict than federal regulations. At this point, the District of Columbia and ten states have signed on to follow the Golden State’s lead with ZEV requirements of their own. They are Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Now you know why Honda Fit EV availability is limited to seven states. And the other compliance cars? Chevrolet’s Spark EV and the Fiat 500e are both available in California and Oregon. The Toyota RAV4 EV, the lone electric sport-utility vehicle, is a California-only availability. RAV4 production will cease sometime this year as Toyota is betting on fuel cell vehicles. Lastly, sales of Ford’s Focus EV started in California but can be purchased at select dealers in 48 states. Oh, by the way, if you do live in a state where the Fit EV is available, you can’t buy one. Honda, for some reason, will only lease the car. And, like Toyota, Honda believes future ZEVs will be hydrogen fuel cell powered and will discontinue the compliance Fit EV next year. But Wait, There’s More As you might suspect, there’s more to this ZEV mandate thing than just engineering and hopefully selling enough compliance vehicles to satisfy CARB regulators. Since it’s not likely that Fiat Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, and Toyota can sell enough vehicles to meet the quotas, there is a way for these automakers to stay in the good graces of the state. Under the regulations, a certain number of credits are earned by every automaker for each zero emission vehicle they make. A ZEV is not limited to vehicles that use an electric-drive powertrain and rechargeable batteries. Included are electric-drive vehicles that employ a fuel cell to produce electricity onboard from compressed hydrogen gas fuel in an electrochemical process. A lesser credit amount is also given to plug-in gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles based on the amount of electric power provided. To date, the biggest winner in this credit derby is Tesla. How so? Well, credits awarded can be sold to carmakers that didn’t earn enough credits selling their compliance cars. Tesla has collected a very large number of ZEV credits, and in turn, has sold them for a very handsome sum of money. Buying these credits has allowed GM, Fiat Chrysler, and the others to continue to sell conventionally-fueled vehicles in the state. More Compliance Cars to Come In 2017, new requirements will be implemented. In addition to the six car companies affected by the current plan, BMW, Hyundai and its Kia subsidiary, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen along with its Audi unit also will be included under the new rules. But rather than waiting until 2017, these companies are getting a jump start. First out of the gate is BMW with its i3, the lightest and perhaps the quirkiest-looking electric vehicle. You can order one now in every state but expect at least a six-month wait for delivery. Electric vehicles coming later this year with limited distribution are the Kia Soul EV, the B-Class Electric Drive from Mercedes-Benz and the Volkswagen E-Golf. Hyundai is going a different route to meet the CARB mandate with its Tucson Fuel Cell.  It is arriving now at a select few California dealerships and is available with a lease only. There are also two EVs on the market that are not affected by California’s regulations. The Mitsubishi I-MiEV and the Smart Electric Drive have been on sale for a couple of years, although Smart has a small number of U.S. dealerships. And of course, Nissan’s Leaf and Tesla’s Model S are available nationwide. By the end of 2014, even with the addition of the cars from BMW, Mercedes, Kia and Volkswagen, the selection of electric vehicles will be very limited. Unless that is, you reside in California or one of the other states that have joined the CARB movement.

CHOOSE ONE QUESTIONS FROM THE 5 QUESTIONS ON THE INSTRUCTION LIST Essay

CHOOSE ONE QUESTIONS FROM THE 5 QUESTIONS ON THE INSTRUCTION LIST - Essay Example The opinion of economists have varied on this issue regarding the considerable of the GDP is the appropriate measure to understand the well-being of the nation. While most of the economists have relied on this economic indicator as the main determinant of the standard of living, the others have differed stating that the other intangible and tangible factors like education, health as well as ecological environment to be important factors as well. Simon Kuznets who framed the term GDP even warned that the measure is not an appropriate indicator of the well-being of the nation (Kuznets, 1934). Thus is clear that the GDP was never devised to measure the well-being of nations. With the occurrence of the Bretton Woods conference this measure started being used widely in most of the nations of the world since 1944. GDP as an economic indicator The Gross Domestic Product of a country is the sum of the goods and services of the country taken at the market value. In order to understand the con cept of GDP it is important to know how the GDP of a nation is arrived at (Landefeld, 2008). There are a variety of ways in which the GDP of a country can be measured. The product approach measures GDP by summing the total production of all the enterprises during a definite span of time. Thus the value added of all the final products in a year minus the sum of the value added of the intermediate products gives the GDP of the economy. On the other hand, the expenditure approach considers the sum of the aggregate consumption expenditure, investment expenditure, government expenditure as well as the net exports of the economy. The circular flow diagram provides an idea about the income and expenditure flow in the economy that takes place involving the individuals, firms as well as the government. Therefore GDP measures the flow of the goods and the services that takes place in an economy. The income approach however calculates the sum of the total income of the individuals the firms as well as the government in the economy. From the various approaches it is clear that during the calculation of the GDP the monetary values are taken and hence no other intangible aspect could be captured by the GDP. In all these cases only the computation of the However in most cases it is considered that if the economic condition of the people improves the people of the economy would be better off. Thus it is not an ideal measure of the standard of living of the economy. Defects in GDP as a measure of the well-being of the economy The economic system is a subsystem of a larger system that drives the world. There are ecological, political as well as social systems which are intertwined. The effects of each of these systems influence each other and one cannot be thought of independently without thinking about the other. The economic system in a society can run only in connection with the other systems and depends on the other systems to a large extent. For example, in order to carry out the production in a factory system it is important to take the help of the natural resources as well as the human capital. Along with that the incorporation of the knowhow is also important. Hence the entire economic activity of production needs the intangible resources along with the tangible resources.

Differentiates Developmental Theory and Rudimentary Theory Essay

Differentiates Developmental Theory and Rudimentary Theory - Essay Example When action research findings are shared; they increase the interrelation between theoretic research and practice. The rapport between the two differentiates developmental theory and rudimentary theory thus publishing action research transforms information into application knowledge. More so, publishing an action research encourages other people to undertake similar researchers in the same or other areas, thus widening the knowledge application base. Publishing also widens the understanding of local readers of facts that they may consider palpable yet they affect their lives in a colossal way. Findings from an action research can be shared through data enclaves. This involves putting related findings in small groups called enclaves and allowing access for the people who consume such data. Data enclaves help in sharing findings and keeping them confidential before publishing. In case the findings of a research are confidential, they may be shared through remote execution systems. The findings are put in highly protected areas so that any request for secondary research in the area are submitted on the system. Findings of an action research may also be shared conventionally while limiting the level of access to such data. Top-coding is a technique of limiting the maximum number of people allowed access to certain findings, for example, 1-35000. Conversely, while sharing this information, discretion should be prioritized. Confidentiality can be maintained through de-identification and ensuring the people providing information remain anonymous. In the field of medicine, findings from field and laboratory researchers are shared through peer-reviewed journals. A peer-reviewed journal is basically a report with details of the features that the scientists observe in the experiments and their conclusions basing on such observations and medical/ scientific theory.

The Role and Influence of U.S. Foreign Policy in Modern Greece Essay

The Role and Influence of U.S. Foreign Policy in Modern Greece United States and Greece are tied by a common heritage and shared democratic values (Greece Relations with U.S.). In fact, approximately 1.1 million Americans are of Greek heritage, and Greek-Americans comprise the seventh largest recipient of U.S. social security benefits. It is not surprising that this community has played an important role in strengthening Greek and U.S. foreign relations. The United States and Greece have participated as allies in World War II, the Korean conflict, and the Cold War. Most recently, Greece has given the United States use of its airspace and military assets in the counter-terrorism conflict in Iraq (Greece Relations with U.S.). Despite these positive relations, anti-American attitudes still prevail among most of the country's inhabitants. In this paper, I will discuss the influence and role of U.S. foreign policy in Greece with the hope that a clearer understanding of Greek attitudes is gained. Over the years, Greece's most pressing foreign policy issues have included the dispute over the name of the Former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia; the Cyprus conflict involving Turkey; relations with Albania; and disputes with Turkey over the Aegean (Greece Foreign Relations). In the resolutions of these conflicts, the United States has assumed a direct or indirect role. Some of the most recent events that have involved the United States and Greece more directly include human trafficking issues; the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks; U.S. support of the military junta that ruled Greece from 1967 to 1974; the 1997 war in Kosovo under the Clinton administration; the trial of the 17 November terrorist group; and security... .../web.lexis-nexis.com/universe>.? ?Human Trafficking Discussed in U.S. by Foreign Ministry Official Dollis.? Embassy of Greece. Washington, DC. 11 Nov. 2003. . ?Majority of EU Citizens Want Independent Foreign Policy From That Of U.S.? Athens News Agency 17 June 2003. Lexis Nexis. James B. Duke Lib. 19 Nov. 2003 . Second Annual Business Conference on Greece‑U.S. Relations.? Embassy of Greece Washington, DC.? 19 Nov. 2003 .? ?Wexler Set to Visit Cyprys and Greece.? Financial Times Information. Global News Wire. 25 June 2003. Lexis Nexis. James B. Duke Lib. 19 Nov. 2003 .

The Relationship Between Punk and Dada

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DADA AND PUNK It is difficult to estimate when people began to create different theories, movements and ideologies with regards to what is positive and negative in the world that we live in. A part and parcel of human nature has always been an individual desire to be a part of the perfect world which unfortunately is mainly stimulated by individuals in power. Therefore this bore a disagreement and critique among minorities and has been exploding over the centuries in different forms of cultural movements. One of the greatest cultural trends began in Zurich and it is known as Dadaism.During World War I a group of individuals created Dada in reaction to what they perceived to be negative and opposite of the values that they believed in. They showed their protest against nationalist, colonialist interest and bourgeois in various forms of controversial art. The new style definitely found its followers in suffocated by war society and even etched in history. Never theless, 1970s showed us that Dadaism was not forgotten as it inspired a new generation of people to express their feelings with regards to what is against their vision of perfection.This created a new cultural movement known as ‘Punk’ which is characterised by a critique to a political system and society that was framed in a specific pattern. This essay is an effort to present relations between ‘Dada’ and ‘Punk’ by analysing and comparing various art forms of ideology they believed in. Therefore the part of this work is focused on the backgrounds and origins of both movements it order to explain motives and ideas of their existence.Moreover, it will show very important relationship which strongly connects both trends in a form of spiritual protest by using and comparing artworks from both epochs; Hannah Hoch’s ‘’Cut with the Kitchen Knife through the Last Weimar Beer-Belly Cultural Epoch in Germany’’1919 compa red to ‘’The Beatles-Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’’1968, by Peter Blake and Jann Haworth. Also, the controversial CD cover created by Jamie Reid’s ‘’God Save the Queen’’ 1977 compared to ‘’The Art Critic’’ 1919 by Raoul Hausemann. The analysis of both comparisons will be a detailed explanation of those matters.First of all, Dada was not just a series of art-historical related events which took place between 1916 and 1923. Dada definitely was an emotional, social and political reaction created against the horror of World War I. With the collapse of pre 1914 social values the Dadaists acted in response with a strong ‘weapon’ as it involved a disagreement, defiance with ironic, anarchistic and frequently nihilistic gestures. However, they also evolved attitudes and techniques that have become a priority to our artistic sensibility.The discovery of automatism in the arts, the use of random elements, and the new definition of art which is not limited by any specific content or material is a great concept introduced by the Dadaists. Moreover, the art is situational as there is a result of confrontation between spectator and object which is frequently associated with controversy and chaos. Therefore it can be said that Dada as a novelty bore a historical responsibility for correcting the world problems for all time and a movement to an honourable place in the history of unrealised humanistic visions.From the aesthetic point of view Punk has its origins in Dadaism. However, this was a cultural mutiny which was mainly associated with a verbal protest through the music. This involved strong offensive expression of disagreement with the whole system and alienation. Nevertheless apart from a very controversial song lyrics Punk rock created different trends than others and innovated a new style in art known as ‘Punk visual art’. This new movemen t did not involve ordinary and predictable paintings.It is known as intentional infringement, such as the application of letters cut out from magazines and newspapers and the use of black and white in early Punk rock art work. The reason for that was the cost of productions punk zins in colour, however, in more expensive production there was a use of yellow and fluorescent pink contrasted with black. The message that Dada and Punk tried to achieve through their work in the context of desired reality is very similar as both of them bore from a social outburst.Punk was a form of artistic anarchy against system control and specific pattern of society, whereas Dada was an ‘Anti-War movement’. However, very interesting is the fact that they were relatively unrelated and occurred around 50 years apart. Although the vocalist of a very controversial punk rock band â€Å"Sex Pistols†, Johnny Rotten said he had never heard about ‘Dada’ there can be found the s ame themes of inspirations as in Dadaism. Therefore assuming that the group ‘Sex Pistols’ did not model on Dadaism and any other movements or trends, this might be associated with a human nature. The nature, that does not like o be manipulated, controlled or skipped as a microscopic minority. Fig. 1: ‘The Fountain’ 1917, Marcel Duchamp According to Griel Marcus, the author of ‘Lipstick Traces’ book, both movements are completely nihilistic and propagating belief in nothing and the wish to become nothing. Punk was against everything and at the same time finding its equilibrium in nihilism. This was clearly exposed by ‘Sex Pistols’ in song ‘Pretty Vacant’ which involves the Dada cry of â€Å"nothing is true; everything is permitted†. Moreover, freedom and fighting against the stereotypical art were the keys in Dada and Punk.Dadaists often asked ‘What is art’ and in response to their rules breaking use d anything they could think of for inspiration. Marcel Duchamp is a great example in this point, because his ironic piece ‘The Fountain’ 1917(Fig. 1) which he signed ‘R. Mutt’, was a controversial and provocative way of using a urinal in response to that question. Duchamp’s work not only showed groundbreaking, but it opened people’s eyes that art is not only classic and traditional. It is an awareness of what art is and could be. Dadaism influenced Punk in reflection to their absurdity.Punk artists designed cd covers that reflected the idea of breaking the traditional rules by being experimental with images and text to express political and social views. Photomontage was highly used by both, Dada and Punk. However, it was first used by a German group called ‘Dada’, and later became an inspiration for Punk artists. This involved the practice of cutting and pasting technique for their designs, using materials taken from cardboard, n ewspapers, magazines, rubbish and anything else that could be inspirational to create a collage. Fig. 3: ’The Beatles-Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’’1968, Peter Blake and Jann Haworth Fig. : ‘’Cut with the Kitchen Knife through the Last Weimar Beer-Belly Cultural Epoch in Germany’’1919, Hannah Hoch The most famous work done by Hannah Hoch is ‘’Cut with the Kitchen Knife through the Last Weimar Beer-Belly Cultural Epoch in Germany’’1919 (Fig. 2). It shows a mixture of modernism by including a lot of machinery and high-tech items of the Weimar period which engage with a modern world. These items were the pasted photographic images called from the press and taken from printed and product catalogues, magazines, newspapers and journals which she clipped together preading across the page to form this artwork. In this chaotic artwork, Hoch also shows the figures of women, as she was strongly towards f ighting for their rights. A new role of women was a message in this design thus metaphorical kitchen knife in her title referred to stereotypical pattern of both; women in the society and to her own artistic process. Because of uniqueness of this artwork the later artists continued controversial reforms in design and we witnessed a creation of ‘’The Beatles-Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’’ by Peter Blake and Jann Haworth made in 1968 (Fig3. . Originally it was for the cd cover purposes however it was frequently associated with Dada design as it involved a group of people that the members of the band would like to see as their imaginary audience. This shows that there is a reference to the amount of components that Hoch’s used in her design and controversy which also characterised the Beatle’s cover, as Jesus and Hitler were intended to appear in John Lennon’s vision. Another great example of Dadaism in Punk was created by Jamie Reid’s ‘’God Save the Queen’’ 1977 (Fig. 4), the cd cover for Sex Pistols shocked the nation.In the result, this controversial, shocking design together with the lyrics led the BBC and the Independent Broadcasting Authority to not play the song. Reid has offended the image of the Queen Elizabeth II by playing with her portrait and national anthem during Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee in 1977. This censorship did not stop Great Britain from listening to it and made the song to be number one of playlist. In addition, ‘’God Save the Queen’’ played a massive role in a punk rock movement. Reid’s work can be compared to ‘’The Art Critic’’ 1919 by Raoul Hausemann (Fig. ) because of the similarities that can be seen in their designs. They both depict defaced images in the highness of the Queen and the oversized figure with oversized head which is often said to be Housemannâ€⠄¢s friend George Grosz. There is a use of reachable resources which are sliding strong, wild and free personal messages. The irony behind this collage shows the character holding outsized Venus pencil, a shoe glued to his forehead and a German banknote situated near his neck. On the right hand site Fig. 4: ‘’God Save the Queen’’ 1977, Jamie Reid we can see his business card –showing his silhouette filled with a newspaper print.In addition, the background contains Raul’s poem which was randomly chosen informing public performances. Those components show self references as many Dada artists included in their photomontages and the use of materials surrounding them. ‘’The Art Critic’’ is also a provocative and controversial design as the eyes and mouth are full of irony because we don’t know whose are the eyes he sees or whose words he speaks. Knowing that Dada worked before Punk, it can be seen that type and im age juxtapositions influenced Reid to follow this direction.Rick Poynor in his ‘‘No More Rules Graphic Design and Postmodernism’’ book describes Reid’s design by Fig. 5: ‘’The Art Critic’’1919, Raol Hausemann saying that rough, torn stripes across Queen’s face and mouth form voids by a cut-up lettering to show the title and the band name on a cover which he called ‘’archetype of a punk rock band’’. In addition, those are also examples of a Dada photomontage and a Punk photomontage which both used words and images to express verbal and visual meanings. In conclusion, the aim of this essay was to prove the relationship between Dada and Punk through various forms of artwork.They both were fighting against either the War or the rules of the system. In addition, Dada and Punk were characterised by similar ideology which was very controversial in terms of stereotypical vision of art. The violatio n of traditional rules and twisting the popular image of art had an impact on future subcultures, in this case Punk. Also, the creation of photomontage technique is shown through the comparisons of work from Dada period and then in Punk, which was born further in the 20th century. They were the evidence of controversy and provocation addressed by personal messages behind them.Although, there is 50 years of difference in between the movements, it is fair to say that both of them greatly affected our culture and inspired the future generations. References: Raoul Hausmann,The Art Critic. 2010. [online]. Last accessed 20 May 2012 at: http://iheartartblog. blogspot. co. uk/2010/05/raoul-hausmann-art-critic. html Audio Raoul Hausmann The Art Critic 1919-1920. 2011. [online]. Last accessed 20 May 2012 at: http://www. moma. org/explore/multimedia/audios/29/707 Chapter 12 Words and Images. 2009. [online]. Last accessed 20 May 2012 at: http://wiki. igital-foundations. net/index. php? title=Ch apter_12. _Words_and_Images Liam. 2009. [online]. Last accessed 19 May 2012 at: http://poptonesmusings. blogspot. co. uk/2009/02/dadaism-and-punk-meaning-less. html BERRYMAN,Ashleigh. 2010. [online]. Last accessed 19 May 2012 at: http://ashleighberryman. wordpress. com/2010/11/04/punk-is-dadaism/ KALOGERAKIS,Stelios,2011. [online]. Last accessed 19 May 2012 at: http://www. kalogerakis. org/? p=1171 Punk visual art. 2012. [online]. Last accessed 20 May 2012 at: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Punk_visual_art Dada. 2012. [online].Last accessed 20 May 2012 at: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Dada POYNTON,Rick (2003). No More Rules Graphic Design and Postomodernism. London: Laurencce King Publishing. p39-40. GALE,Matthew (1997). Dada& Surrealism. London: Phaidon Press Limited. p103. ADES,Dawn (1986). Photomontage . 2nd ed. London: Thames and Hudson. p19-21. BIGSBY,C. W. E. (1972). Dada& Surrealism. London: Methuen & Co Ltd. p10-11. HERBERT,David (ed. ) (1970). Dada. London: Studio Vista L imited. p9-11 p28-35. GREIL,Micheal(1989). Lipstick Traces: a secret of the twentieth century. London: Secker & Warburg.

Plot Summary of Henrik Ibsens A Dolls House

Written in 1879 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, A Dolls House is a three-act play about a seemingly typical housewife who becomes disillusioned and dissatisfied with her condescending husband. Act One: Meet the Helmers Set around Christmas time, Nora Helmer enters her home, truly enjoying life. An old widow friend from her past, Mrs. Linde, stops by hoping to find a job. Noras husband Torvald recently earned a promotion, so she happily finds employment for Mrs. Linde. When her friend complains how hard the years have been, Nora replies that her life has been filled with challenges too. Nora discreetly explains that several years ago, when Torvald Helmer was very ill, she forged her dead fathers signature in order to illegally obtain a loan. Since then, she has been paying back the loan in secret. She has never told her husband because she knows it would upset him. Unfortunately, a bitter bank employee named Nils Krogstad is the man who collects the debt payments. Knowing that Torvald is soon to be promoted, he tries using his knowledge of her forgery to blackmail Nora. He wants to ensure his position at the bank; otherwise, he will reveal the truth to Torvald and perhaps even the police. This turn of events greatly upsets Nora. However, she keeps the truth concealed from her husband, as well as Dr. Rank, a kind yet sickly old friend of the Helmers. She tries to distract herself by playing with her three children. However, by the ending of Act One, she begins to feel trapped and desperate. Act Two: Nora Tries to Keep Her Secret Throughout the second act, Nora tries to concoct ways to prevent Krogstad from revealing the truth. She has tried to coerce her husband, asking him to let Krogstad keep his job. However, Helmer believes the man possesses criminal tendencies. Therefore, he is bent on removing Krogstad from his post. Nora tries asking Dr. Rank for help, but she is put off when Dr. Rank becomes too flirtatious with her and claims that he cares for her just as much, if not more, than her husband. Later, the Helmers prepare for a holiday ball. Torvald watches Nora perform a traditional folk dance. He is disappointed that she has forgotten much of what he has taught her. Here, the audience witnesses one of the many scenes in which Torvald patronizes his wife as though she were a child or his play-thing. (Hence, Ibsen titled the play: A Dolls House). Torvald constantly calls her pet names such as my songbird and my little squirrel. Yet, he never speaks to her with any degree of mutual respect. Eventually, Mrs. Linde tells Nora that she had a romantic attachment to Krogstad in the past and that she can perhaps persuade him to relent. However, Krogstad does not sway in his position. By the end of Act Two, it seems that Torvald is bound to discover the truth. Nora is ashamed of this possibility. She contemplates jumping into an icy river. She believes that if she does not commit suicide, Torvald will bravely assume responsibility for her crimes. She believes that he would go to jail instead of her. Therefore, she wants to sacrifice herself for his benefit. Act Three: Nora and Torvald'sBig Transformation Mrs. Linde and Krogstad meet for the first time in years. At first, Krogstad is bitter towards her, but she soon rekindles their romantic interest toward one another. Krogstad even has a change of heart and considers tearing up Noras IOU. However, Mrs. Linde believes it would be best if Torvald and Nora finally confront the truth. After returning from the party, Nora and Torvald unwind at home. Torvald discusses how he enjoys watching her at parties, pretending that he is encountering her for the first time. Dr. Rank knocks on the door, interrupting the conversation. He says goodbye to them, hinting that he will be shutting himself up in his room until his sickness finally wins. After Dr. Ranks departure, Torvald discovers Krogstads incriminating note. When he realizes the criminal act that Nora has committed, Torvald becomes enraged. He fumes about how Krogstad can now make any demand he wishes. He declares that Nora is immoral, unfit as a wife and mother. Even worse, Torvald says that he will continue to be married to her in name alone. He wants to have no romantic connection to her whatsoever. The irony of this scene is that moments before, Torvald was discussing how he wished that Nora faced some sort of peril, so that he could prove his love for her. Yet, once that peril is actually presented, he has no intention of saving her, only condemning her actions. Moments after Torvald raves like a madman, Krogstad drops another note saying that he has rediscovered love and that he no longer wants to blackmail the Helmer family. Torvald rejoices, declaring that they are saved. He then, in a moment of sheer hypocrisy, states that he forgives Nora and that he still loves her as his little caged songbird. This is a startling wake-up call for Nora Helmer. In a flash, she realizes that Torvald is not the loving, selfless husband she had once envisioned. With that epiphany, she also comes to understand that their marriage has been a lie and that she herself has been an active part in the deception. She then decides to leave her husband and her children in order to find out who she truly is. Torvald desperately begs her to stay. He claims that he will change. She says that perhaps if a miracle of miracles happens they might one day become suitable companions. However, when she leaves, slamming the door behind her, Torvald is left with very little hope.