--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Helmer: I would gladly work night and day…" description: "\"“Helmer: I would gladly work night and day for you. Nora- bear sorrow and want for your sake. But no man would sacrifice his honor for the one he loves..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/103/henrik-ibsen-1419_bears_helmer-i-would-gladly-work-night-and-day_2049207.jpg" --- # Helmer: I would gladly work night and day for you. Nora… ![“Helmer: I would gladly work night and day for you. Nora- bear sorrow and want for your sake. But no man would sacrifice his honor for the one he loves. Nora: It is a thing hundreds of thousands of women have done.” quote by Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/103/henrik-ibsen-1419_bears_helmer-i-would-gladly-work-night-and-day_2049207.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/103/henrik-ibsen-1419_bears_helmer-i-would-gladly-work-night-and-day_2049207.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/103/henrik-ibsen-1419_bears_helmer-i-would-gladly-work-night-and-day_2049207.jpg) > ““Helmer: I would gladly work night and day for you. Nora- bear sorrow and want for your sake. But no man would sacrifice his honor for the one he loves. Nora: It is a thing hundreds of thousands of women have done.”” [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A dialogue on sacrifice, honor, and the lengths women will go for love, highlighting gendered expectations. **In simple terms:** Women sacrifice honor for love. Key Takeaway Recognize unequal expectations. Themes gender honor sacrifice love societal roles Mood dramatic serious Type theatrical philosophical When to use this quote - marriage - family conflict - social pressure Key Concepts feminist critique moral dilemma Questions to Reflect On - What costs are acceptable for love? - How do gender norms shape sacrifice? A Different Perspective Sacrifice may erode personal integrity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bears/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Gladly Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gladly-work-1358838/) [Helmer Gladly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helmer-gladly-3852296/) [Honor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honor/) [Man Sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-sacrifice-1973110/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice/) [Sacrifice Honor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice-honor-1459310/) [Sake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sake/) [Sorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorrow/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [“But no man would sacrifice his honor for the one he loves." "It is a thing hundreds of thousands of women have done.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/but-no-man-would-sacrifice-his-honor-for-the-one-he-loves-it-is-a/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [“Torvald: I would gladly work night and day for you, Nora--bear sorrow and want for your sake. But no man would sacrifice his honour…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/torvald-i-would-gladly-work-night-and-day-for-you-nora-bear-sorrow/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [“Helmer: But no man would sacrifice his honour for the one he loves. Nora: It is a thing hundreds of thousands of women have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/helmer-but-no-man-would-sacrifice-his-honour-for-the-one-he-loves/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [I have always had that inner drive, since my birth. And I have always devoted myself gladly to work - to work and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/i-have-always-had-that-inner-drive-since-my-birth-and-i-have-always/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [As long as I have health and strength, I will gladly work all my days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/as-long-as-i-have-health-and-strength-i-will-gladly-work-all-my-days/) [Frederic Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) > [Whatsoever your hand finds to do, do it gladly. Because there is no work, love, knowledge, or wisdom in the grave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-hauer/whatsoever-your-hand-finds-to-do-do-it-gladly-because-there-is-no/) [Rutger Hauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-hauer/) > [You should remember that though another may have more money, beauty, and education than you, when it comes to the rarer spiritual values such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kreger/you-should-remember-that-though-another-may-have-more-money-beauty/) [David Kreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kreger/) > [“There will be times in your life that you will be challenged to choose between honor and something else. I am asking that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idowu-koyenikan/there-will-be-times-in-your-life-that-you-will-be-challenged-to/) [Idowu Koyenikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idowu-koyenikan/) > [To those of you mourn the loss of a loved one today, my heart goes out to you. We remember that the blessings that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/to-those-of-you-mourn-the-loss-of-a-loved-one-today-my-heart-goes-out/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Am I a man? To want you so badly that nothing else matters? To see you, and know I would sacrifice honor or family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/am-i-a-man-to-want-you-so-badly-that-nothing-else-matters-to-see-you/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [You should remember that though another may have more money, beauty, and brains than you, when it comes to the rarer spiritual values such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archibald-rutledge/you-should-remember-that-though-another-may-have-more-money-beauty-2/) [Archibald Rutledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archibald-rutledge/) > [“Men speak of blind destiny, a thing without scheme or purpose. But what sort of destiny is that? Each act in this world from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/men-speak-of-blind-destiny-a-thing-without-scheme-or-purpose-but-what-2/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [The Hebrew Talmod says: be very careful if you make a woman cry because God counts her tears. Every a woman shed is equivalent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-hebrew-talmod-says-be-very-careful-if-you-make-a-woman-cry/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It takes a courageous man to sacrifice his greatest delight to ensure that other people gain happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bokamoso-bruce-tlhwale/it-takes-a-courageous-man-to-sacrifice-his-greatest-delight-to-ensure/) [Bokamoso Bruce Tlhwale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bokamoso-bruce-tlhwale/) > [ “I know that \[civilized men\] do nothing but boast incessantly of the peace and repose they enjoy in their chains… But when I see… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/i-know-that-civilized-men-do-nothing-but-boast-incessantly-of-the/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) ## More by Henrik Ibsen > [The majority is never right. Never, I tell you! That's one of these lies in society that no free and intelligent man can help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/the-majority-is-never-right-never-i-tell-you-that-s-one-of-these-lies/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [What's to become of the morally sound? Left out in the cold, I suppose. We must heal the sick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/what-s-to-become-of-the-morally-sound-left-out-in-the-cold-i-suppose/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [When we dead awaken ... we see that we have never lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/when-we-dead-awaken-we-see-that-we-have-never-lived/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [“To be oneself on a basis of gold is no better than founding one’s house on the sand. For your watch, and your ring,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/to-be-oneself-on-a-basis-of-gold-is-no-better-than-founding-one-s/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [Look into any man's heart you please, and you will always find, in every one, at least one black spot which he has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/look-into-any-man-s-heart-you-please-and-you-will-always-find-in/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [Different people have different duties assigned them by Nature; Nature has given one the power or the desire to do this, the other that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/different-people-have-different-duties-assigned-them-by-nature-nature/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [There is always a risk in being alive, and if you are more alive, there is more risk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/there-is-always-a-risk-in-being-alive-and-if-you-are-more-alive-there/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [It is not for a care-free existence I am fighting, but for the possibility of devoting myself to the task which I believe and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/it-is-not-for-a-care-free-existence-i-am-fighting-but-for-the/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [“Nora: It's true Torvald. When I lived at home with Papa, he used to tell me his opinion about everything, and so I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/nora-it-s-true-torvald-when-i-lived-at-home-with-papa-he-used-to-tell/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [Each bird must sing with his own throat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/each-bird-must-sing-with-his-own-throat/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [I propose to raise a revolution against the lie that the majority has the monopoly of the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/i-propose-to-raise-a-revolution-against-the-lie-that-the-majority-has/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [But I almost think we are all of us ghosts. It is not only what we have inherited from our father and mother that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/but-i-almost-think-we-are-all-of-us-ghosts-it-is-not-only-what-we/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [“A thousand words leave not the same deep impression as does a single deed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/a-thousand-words-leave-not-the-same-deep-impression-as-does-a-single/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [Home life ceases to be free and beautiful as soon as it is founded on borrowing and debt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/home-life-ceases-to-be-free-and-beautiful-as-soon-as-it-is-founded-on/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [“You see, the fact is that the strongest man upon earth is he who stands most alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/you-see-the-fact-is-that-the-strongest-man-upon-earth-is-he-who/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) [Explore all 229 Henrik Ibsen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) ## More Bears quotes > [For not only every democracy, but certainly every republic, bears within itself the seeds of its own destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-not-only-every-democracy-but-certainly-every-republic-bears/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [She'd read once that if you ran into a bear in the woods you should avoid eye contact and you shouldn't run away, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-ursu/she-d-read-once-that-if-you-ran-into-a-bear-in-the-woods-you-should/) [Anne Ursu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-ursu/) > [In the movie, the stars above the ship bear no correspondence to any constellations in a real sky. Worse yet, while the heroine bobs...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/in-the-movie-the-stars-above-the-ship-bear-no-correspondence-to-any/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Television series are like the stock market. There's room for bears and bulls but no room for pigs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-newhart/television-series-are-like-the-stock-market-there-s-room-for-bears/) [Bob Newhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-newhart/) > [The Germans are the most philosophic people in the world, and the greatest smokers: now I trace their philosophy to their smoking. Smoking has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-henry-borrow/the-germans-are-the-most-philosophic-people-in-the-world-and-the/) [George Henry Borrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-henry-borrow/) > [...Gratitude transforms the torment of memory of good things now gone into silent joy. One bears what was lovely in the past not as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/gratitude-transforms-the-torment-of-memory-of-good-things-now-gone/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [You've had a whole lot of experience, but everything is also radically new at each moment, and you have to bring a kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-houston/you-ve-had-a-whole-lot-of-experience-but-everything-is-also-radically/) [Jean Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-houston/) > [The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-millett/the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imposition-of-male-authority/) [Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-millett/) > [Pay no heed to the passing religious vogue. Go back to the grass roots. Open your hearts and search the Scriptures. Bear your cross,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/pay-no-heed-to-the-passing-religious-vogue-go-back-to-the-grass-roots/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [I want you to take a red-hot bath as hot as you can bear it, and just relax your nerves. You can read in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-want-you-to-take-a-red-hot-bath-as-hot-as-you-can-bear-it-and-just/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [He sank into the rocking chair, the same one in which Rebecca had sat during the early days of the house to give embroidery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/he-sank-into-the-rocking-chair-the-same-one-in-which-rebecca-had-sat/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [Some things in this world just ain't meant to be, not in the times we want 'em to, and the heart has to hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/some-things-in-this-world-just-ain-t-meant-to-be-not-in-the-times-we/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [And if anyone knows anything about anything," said Bear to himself, "it's Owl who knows something about something," he said, "or my name's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-if-anyone-knows-anything-about-anything-said-bear-to-himself-it-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm totally independent. I don't bear any responsibility to any system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-m-totally-independent-i-don-t-bear-any-responsibility-to-any-system/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [I'm supportive of women, absolutely, and it's so gratifying to have girls come up and say, 'I'm really inspired by your guitar playing.' I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-vincent/i-m-supportive-of-women-absolutely-and-it-s-so-gratifying-to-have/) [St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) [Browse all 4,111 Bears quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bears/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Helmer: I would gladly work night and day for you. Nora- bear sorrow and want for your sake. But no man would sacrifice his honor for the one he loves. Nora: It is a thing hundreds of thousands of women have done.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henrik Ibsen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/helmer-i-would-gladly-work-night-and-day-for-you-nora-bear-sorrow-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bears" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/helmer-i-would-gladly-work-night-and-day-for-you-nora-bear-sorrow-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/103/henrik-ibsen-1419_bears_helmer-i-would-gladly-work-night-and-day_2049207.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/103/henrik-ibsen-1419_bears_helmer-i-would-gladly-work-night-and-day_2049207.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/103/henrik-ibsen-1419_bears_helmer-i-would-gladly-work-night-and-day_2049207.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Helmer: I would gladly work night and day for you. Nora- bear sorrow and want for your sake. But no man…” — Henrik Ibsen", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Henrik Ibsen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Helmer: I would gladly work night...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/helmer-i-would-gladly-work-night-and-day-for-you-nora-bear-sorrow-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/helmer-i-would-gladly-work-night-and-day-for-you-nora-bear-sorrow-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```