The first act is an exposition. The first act shows more or less the way of life of families in the 19th century and the domestic problems of that time. In my opinion, Nora experienced a sort of personal awakening. She has come to the conclusion that she is not a fully realized person. She needs to spend time discovering who she is as an individual, otherwise she will never be anything more than someone's cute little doll. This would be impossible under Torvald's stifling presence. She must force herself to face the world