Having just finished Act 1, I see a many different aspects of the upper and upper-middle class families of the late 1800s. Nora is a character who's plight garners both pity and a roll of the eyes. To me, her actions are a testament to how arrogant and superior she can be, while also suggesting that she wants to be free of her caged life and able to choose her own path. Helmer, on the other hand, is an almost singularly one note character. It is excruciating to have to listen to and accept the way he talks down to Nora and always and expects complete compliance from her. A quote which sums his personality very well, I think, would be "A songbird must have a clear voice to sing with no false notes" Pg. 179. This kind of belittling dialogue makes Helmer an intolerable and instantly unlikable character. There are fixtures of Nora's personality that are unsavory and she can come of clueless, brash or degenerate in how she brags relentlessly and doesn't always when to be gentle with words. However, Helmer has very few bright spots and it is interesting how Ibsen uses dramatic irony to reveal Helmer's annoying flaws. "Many a man can redeem his character if he freely confesses his guilt and takes his punishment." Pg. 179, this quote displays Helmer's beliefs in forgiveness and guilt. This kind of logic and reasoning reminds me of some of the practices of the Catholic faith, such as confessing sins to a priest for forgiveness. It can be relieving to unburden yourself of a dark secret or unpleasant act by simply talking about it, but it also can depend on whether the one you are telling is directly involved and will be understanding and actually forgiving. The relationship between Nora and Helmer does not seem like one where Helmer would necessarily forgive her for what she's done.