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Essay about Henrik Isben's A Doll's House

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In Henrik Ibsen’s play, “A Dollhouse”, we learn of a woman who has been repressed almost her entire life. Nora Helmer was treated like a little girl not only by her father, but by her husband, Torvald, as well. Her life is compared to that of a doll’s in the play. In order to get what she wants she dresses and acts as to please Torvald. The two other principle characters in this play, Dr. Rank and Mrs. Linde, help to portray the characters of both Torvald and Nora. More specifically, Dr. Rank can be contrasted with Mr. Helmer, and the same can be done with Mrs. Linde and Nora. This not only allows the reader to understand the characters, but to help bring out one of the central themes of the story: the repression of the woman. …show more content…

And it is here that Nora begins to resemble Mrs. Linde; she shows strength. Mrs. Linde took a hold of her life and so perhaps it is by this example that Nora does the same. Therefore, it is evident that Mrs. Linde was an important character in the story because she may have been part of the driving force that pushed Nora to take action towards her independence.

Mr. Rank, on the other hand, is helpful in understanding Mr. Helmer. Through out the play Torvald plays a very controlling husband, who treats his wife like his little “doll”. He likes her to dress up and makes her dance for him. And if she does this he will reward his “sweet little spendthrift” with treats like little allowances (1.47). Mr. Rank, on the contrary, is in love with Nora, and treats her as more of an equal. He can have conversations with her, and talks to her with more dignity and respect. We see this when Nora reminds Torvald that through out their entire marriage they had not “exchanged a word on any serious subject” (3.274). Mr. Rank, on the other hand, has many meaningful conversations with her and he enjoys them. He plays the man, who would be the better husband for Nora, because he could truly love her. When Nora is in trouble with the money that she owes Krogstad, she tells Christine that “a man can put a thing like that straight much easier than a woman” (2.70). However, she is by

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