'
Anne Marie is the nursemaid who was forced to abandon her own child born out of wedlock,
acting as both a fringe character and a minor character who cared for Nora as a child and
now cares for Nora’s own children.
It is part of the reason why Nora feels somewhat justified in leaving at the end of the play, as
she knows that Anne Marie will take good care of her children when she is gone.
She explains in Act 2 that “when a poor girl’s been in trouble she must make the best of
things”, suggesting the limited choices and sacrifices faced by women in poverty.
She arguably has had the hardest life of all the characters, contrasting starkly with their
worries over mere social reputation (symbolised by the 'piece of paper' – the IOU), which
makes their concerns seem trivial or even ridiculous by comparison.