Honesty In A Doll House Essay

Nora’s refusal to stay in the marriage, however, does not give us a sense of a liberated woman. By the end of the play we are concerned for Nora as she leaves the warmth of the family home for the cold outside as a single woman since we have seen Christine so desperate to get into the ‘warmth’. This ‘warmth’ can be defined as being a person being accepted for fulfilling the gender roles which society constructs for both men and women. Women appear to be reliant on the existence of a husband in their life in order to have a respected status within society and therefore feel fulfilled. Christine feels unfulfilled without anybody in her life: ‘I only feel my life unspeakably empty. No one to live for anymore’ (9). Christine is an independent woman but we can see that she is unhappy at the fact that she has not met the social stereotype for her gender. She functions to show how difficult it is for a woman to survive on her own. Christine realises she will be far more comfortable and regarded better by society with a husband and we believe that she feels that any husband will satisfy the expectations of her gender better than being single. This explains why she settles for a dubious moral character. Faced with only two possible decisions Christine settles for the lesser of two evils.

Although Nora is secretive about the crime she committed, which is forging her father’s name in order to borrow money; she does it to save her husband. During Act I when Nora is speaking to Mrs. Linde about someday revealing to Torvald about the secret loan Nora exclaims: “One day I might, yes. Many years from now, when I’ve lost my looks a little. Don’t laugh. I mean, of course, a time will come when Torvald is not as devoted to me, not quite so happy when I dance for him, and dress for him, and play with him.” (Act I, pg. 12). This quotation shows that even early on in the play Nora understands the reality of her marriage, and her existence to Torvald. Therefore, Act I is merely an introduction to the overall overarching theme of independence. Act I shows the obedient side of Nora, until later scenes when she reveals her independence. Torvald attempts to oppress his wife, but his actions do not stop Nora’s independent thoughts from forming.

In Henrik Ibesen's play A Doll House, Nora Helmer struggles with telling her husband, Torvald Helmer, the truth about a loan she receives for them to go to Italy when he was sick. Consequently, when Torvald learns of the news he instantly insults Nora and declares that she has "ruined [his] happiness" (Ibesen 93). However, when Torvald tries to dismiss his insults after receiving a note that her contract was revoked, she does not accept his apologizes and decides to leave Torvald and her children to "make sense of [her]self and everything around [her]" (Ibesen 100). Her selfish decision to leave makes her a bad wife and mother, but she there are a few more characteristics that makes her a bad wife. The characteristics that Nora shows in

Commonly, we see female characters in literature completely at the discipline of their male counterparts. However, some females challenge the notion that subservience to the patriarchy is absolutely ‘necessary’. A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen and Thomas Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd both create interesting female characters in Nora Helmer and Bathsheba Everdene respectively. Whether these women are truly either independent or dependent, is ambiguous in their pieces of literature.

Nora is outwardly submissive and always eager to please Torvald. By contrast, Torvald is a dominant figure that takes control over Nora’s life similar to the way a father would with his daughter. For most of the play, Torvald rarely calls Nora by her name, using pet names instead. For example, “my little lark,” “my squirrel,” and “little spendthrift” are used to describe Nora in the scene of the play (1251). The use of the word “my” emphasizes the control and ownership Torvald feels like he has over Nora’s life. Additionally, their relationship is characterized by a giving and receiving roles. However, the give and take is not shared equally enough. Nora remarks on this when she says, “But don't you think it is nice of me, too, to do as you wish?’ Torvald: ‘Nice?—because you do as your husband wishes? Well, well, you little rogue, I am sure you did not mean it in that way’” (1279). Nora is recognizing the inequality in her marriage when she tells Torvald that she is being “nice” when she follows his directions and cares for their family. This is crucial because Torvald disregards Nora by belittling her role in their marriage and making it seem as though she contributes nothing to their relationship. The interactions between Torvald and Nora emphasize the inequality in their

She was a doll on a shelf and was only “played with” whenever her husband felt she was worthy of his attention. Nora tried to put up a front and keep up the “picture perfect family” so that everyone, including herself, would not see the truth and the unhappiness that she felt inside. Torvald dehumanized her by referring to her as his “little Nora”, a squirrel, a skylark, a spendthrift, a child, etc. and does not acknowledge the fact that she is a grown woman who a born him three children and is very capable of living and thinking for herself as an individual. He expected her to look and act the way he wanted and also to be at his beckon call sexually, physically, and emotionally. He limited the number of macaroons she could eat and also made a comment about her duty to please him romantically.

A Doll’s House, by Henrik Ibsen, portrays a young married woman, Nora, who plays a dramatic role of deception and self-indulgence. The author creates a good understanding of a woman’s role by assuming Nora is an average housewife who does not work; her only job is to maintain the house and raise the children like a stereotypical woman that cannot work or help society. In reality, she is not an average housewife in that she has a hired maid who deals with the house and children. Although Ibsen focuses on these “housewife” attributes, Nora’s character is ambitious, naive, and somewhat cunning. She hides a dark secret from her husband that not only includes borrowing money, but also forgery. Nora’s choices were irrational; she handled the

In the story “Doll House” Nora had been previously scolded by her husband and finally informed Torvald, “I’m saying we’ve never sat down seriously and got to the bottom of things” (936 MLM). Nora was done being treated as a child by Torvald. He shielded her from the world, like her father, and would never let her form an opinion stray from his own. He wouldn’t let her talk of the serious matters in life, from morality to simple decisions with money, that had to do with being her own person with her own mind. This led Nora to leave and find herself as Torvald would not let her just be with his grown instinct that love from a husband must have a controlling nature over the wife in the marriage, not an equality between the

With a closer look at the conversations between Nora and Christine it can be seen that Nora is well aware of the problems present in her marriage, yet she is uncertain. Throughout the play we see Nora begging for more respect, until she boldly demands it at the end of the play. Had it not been for Christine’s sharp contrast, this development in Nora’s character would not have made sense. In the first act of A Doll’s House we see Nora easily spill her secrets to Christine. It can be said that in doing so she tries to convince Christine that she is able and should be taken seriously; she spills her secrets in order to make Christine see her in a more respectable light. This is seen when Nora retaliates to Christine’s comment regarding how little Nora knows about the “burdens and troubles of life”

Nora has always been contented with her being Torvald’s “little featherbrain.” As the play progresses, Nora eventually figures out that Torvald doesn’t genuinely love her. She expects Torvald to be her protector and stand up against people that criticise her criminal acts. Nora also assumes that Torvald would have offered to take the blame for the crime. He failed the test of love and devotion by mocking her instead of providing help. Therefore, she becomes more rebellious by using imperative speech with Torvald instead of her innocent and childlike language. As the play reaches its end, Nora becomes totally independent from Torvald and talks to him from an equal standpoint, rather than communicating as niece and grandpa or daughter and daddy. Additionally, she no longer views him as the leading person in her life because she now apprehends that she hasn’t been herself throughout their marriage. As she defends her position on her actions she states, “When I look back on it now… I lived by performing tricks for you, Torvald” (Ibsen, 1230). It is clear to her now that she has been nothing more than a means of entertainment to her husband as he would have her dance for him and perform other silly acts.

His promotion also chracterizes him as being increasingly pompous and seeing his wife as an object. By referring to her as his, “songbird,” and speaking to her as if she is child, Nora’s departure is well evidenced. Nora exemplifies this condescending idea further when speaking with Torvald before she leaves as the author writes, “ Doesn’t it strike you that this is the first time we two, you and I, man and wife, have talked together seriously?” By revealing this to Torvald, Nora explains why she is

The play also does suggest that women should leave their controlling husbands or lovers in order to gain the independence they are seeking. Nora’s husband Torvald plays the dominant role in their relationship. Torvald often would degrade Nora by calling her “silly girl” referring to her not being able to make decisions on her own, so he thought. Nora plays the role of a loving mother and respectful wife, whom is all about her family. “I have been performing tricks for you, Torvald. That’s how I’ve survived.

In the beginning of the play there are many significant events that reveal the kind of marriage Nora and Torvalds have. It is normal that a husband considers his spouse as a wife but in this case, Nora was nothing but a Puppet to Torvalds. Her duties were restricted to being a caregiver to her kids, house maid and most importantly pleasing her husband. Ibsen uses several analogies to show the readers the descriptive insight on how Torvalds view his wife .She was never accustomed to having her husband call her by her rightful name, she was always address as “doll” or “my little song-bird” and other childish names. At First Nora doesn’t seem to mind Torvalds’s demeaning behavior. She even encourages it by saying things like “Your squirrel would run about and do all her tricks if you would be nice ….” (Ibsen). Torvalds demanded total submission from his “squirrel” not only physically but also mentally and

The exact sentiments are echoed in A Doll’s House: ‘And this from you, the wife I supported and cherished throughout our marriage. Now d’you understand what you’ve done to me?’ , Torvald says, to which Nora replies icily with ‘entirely’. The tone of Nora’s voice, depending on the interpretation, can be seen as evidence that Nora had been downplaying her intelligence, and that the main deceit throughout their marriage was that she continued to act as if she was entirely dutiful to her husband by sacrificing her own autonomy when in his company, which is supported by Kenneth McLeish’s translation of the original play. However, it can also be interpreted as shock, disbelief and sadness that Nora has allowed herself

Later in the play things start getting complicated for Nora. Her husband Torvald had become Mr. Krogstad boss at work, and Torvald wanted to fire Mr. Krogstad. This is when Mr. Krogstad starts to blackmail Nora. He wants Nora to stop Torvald from firing him. If she does not, Mr. Krogstad was going to tell Torvald her secret. This should have been the perfect time for Nora to tell the truth to her husband, but she believed that telling Torvald the truth will ruin their relationship. Nora says to her friend Mrs. Linde “Torvald, with all his masculine pride – how painfully humiliating for him if he ever found out he was in debt to me. That would ruin our relationship. Our beautiful, happy home would never be the same” (Iben 802)