What does Tovald Helmer do in A Doll's House to be so unlikeable?

In Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House,
Torvald Helmer is reprehensible. Even if he is a result of the society in which he has
grown up, we see very different men in Krogstad, who is redeemed, and Dr. Rank who never
treats Nora poorly, but would do anything for her.

Torvald
treats Nora like a little child. His speech is similar to
baby-talk.

'My
little songbird must never do that again. A songbird needs a clean beak to warble
with.'

Torvald also behaves
abominably toward Krogstad, and this is without knowledge of the "business" relationship
that exists between Krogstad and
Nora.

HELMER:

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There's something that rules Krogstad right out
at the bank as long as I'm the
manager.

NORA:

What's
that?

HELMER:

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His moral failings I could maybe overlook if I
had
to—

NORA:

Yes
Torvald, why
not?

HELMER:

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...he was a crony of mine back in my teens—one of
those rash friendships that crop up again and again to embarrass you later in
life...we're on a first name basis...[he] makes no effort at all to hide it in front of
the others.

So Torvald has a
problem with Krogstad's "moral failings," but the petty thing that
bothers him most of all is that Krogstad calls him by his first
name. Torvald Helmer is a terrible snob.

Lastly, when Nora
is revealed as a "forger," and Helmer knows that she has saved his life, all he cares
about is his
reputation.

HELMER:

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In all these eight years—she who was my pride and
joy—a hypocrite, a liar—worse, worse—a criminal! How infinitely disgusting it all is!
The shame!...Now you've wrecked all my
happiness...

And
later...

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...Nora...Yes, yes it's truel I'm saved Nora. I'm
saved.

NORA:

And
I?

HELMER:

You
too, of course...

It is not
until this time that Nora realizes just how selfish Torvald is. She had worried that
when he found out, he would take the blame himself: it was the
miracle she was sure would happen, even though she would not allow
it. His love is shallow and unforgiving. He has no thought of how much she has had to
deal with through all of this, caring only for
himself.

Torvald Helmer is anything but the "Prince
Charming" Nora believed him to be. It's easy to say that neither one of them knew the
other very well; they played their parts and "played" at marriage. But Helmer's real
concern was himself and how others perceived him.

Without a
charitable, forgiving bone in his body, and without a sense of thankfulness at the
sacrifices another has made to save his very life, Torvald is an unlikeable, selfish man
without depth or caring, and certainly is not the moral character he believes himself to
be, which is ironic in face of how badly he behaves regarding
Krogstad.