Dr Rank in A Doll House
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Though obviously the overwhelming main character (appearing in nearly every scene), Nora is not the only focus of the play "A Doll House." Ibsen indirectly points out the neglect and dishonesty in one special secondary character, Dr. Rank. He acts as a single man representative of a number of wrongs of society, including sexual immorality and dishonesty.
Dr. Rank is perhaps the strongest symbol of a crumbling and dying society, as this is precisely the fate of his life. Tuberculosis of the spine, the disease from which he suffers, deteriorates a person's backbone. All the dishonesty, the money-driven lives, and the swelling pride of individuals of society are tearing away at the foundation of families and relationships. A well-functioning world needs a strong moral basis, and Ibsen reveals through Dr. Rank and his disease that it is well on its way to death...