How Is Nora Selfish

Firstly, Nora goes through a conflict with Krogstad. He blackmails Nora by threatening to tell her husband about the money she borrowed from him. “Have you forgotten that it is I who have the keeping of your reputation?” (45) Krogstad knows all he has to do is tell her husband, Helmer about the debt and Nora’s life will be over. Nora also has a conflict with Helmer. Nora and her husband have a broken marriage because they don’t seem to be on the same page. Nora genuinely cares and loves her husband; hence her reasoning for borrowing the money. Torvald loves Nora but it seems the outside appearance of their relationship is what matters to him. Their broken marriage causes another conflict, keeping secrets. Helmer has no idea that Nora borrowed money from Krogstad to help him. Nora kept this a secret because they don’t communicate with each other.

Since Nora’s father was dying, she was forced to forge his signature in order to secure a loan that would eventually save her husband’s life, which only led to more problems in the future because in order for her to be able to repay the money she must lie about how she spends her household accounts and also lie about taking odd jobs to earn extra money. Also, the way Torvald treats Nora in the play depicts the way women were treated in the nineteenth century. For example, In Act I, Nora is little more than a child playing a role. She is a “doll” occupying a doll’s house, a child who has exchanged a father for a husband without changing or maturing in any way. Torvald treats his wife literally like a doll, calling her pet names and occasionally scolding her as if she were a child. His primary interests are his new job as a bank manager and his social standing. When he learns that his wife is involved in a legal problem that would embarrass him if it became known to the public, he reveals who he really is. He comes off as a hypocrite preoccupied with his own welfare. Also, Torvald says that Nora is now his property which is when Nora realizes she is much too good for him. Nora then decides to leave because they have been married for eight years and has suffered enough injustice from both her father and Torvald. Nora explains to Torvald that she has been merry, not happy, being with him. She explained to him how

We also see his demeaning behavior when he underestimates her ability to handle money. Herman Weigand points out that "Torvald tells her in money matters she has inherited her father 's disposition" (Weigand 27). So Torvald 's condescending language and names keep Nora in her place as a doll where he likes her to be. James Huneker put it best when he said

Nora’s second rebellion was when she left Torvald and her children. The society she lived in demanded that she should submit to her husband and that she should take a place under him. Society considered women to be property of their husbands and that they should fulfil their every command. When Krogstad tries to blackmail Nora, and Torvald didn’t even support her she realized that there was a problem. Then finally when Torvald realizes that his social stature will not be harmed he displays his real feeling for Nora, both physically and emotionally. It is at this time when Nora decides that she doesn’t want to be controlled by Torvald anymore and she told him that she was going to leave him. By leaving Torvald she is not only shutting him out but also forgetting everything in her past. When Torvald tries to reconcile with her she explains that all her life she was treated like a child. And how she was "always merry, never happy", she never got to make any decisions on her own. Then she explains to him how she

Nora's second, and strongest, break from society's rules was shown by her decision to leave Torvald and her children.  Society demanded that she take a place under her husband.  This is shown in the way Torvald spoke down to her saying things like "worries that you couldn't possibly help me with" (Ibsen Page #), and "Nora, Nora, just like a woman" (Ibsen page #).  She is almost considered to be property of his: "Mayn't I look at my dearest treasure?  At all the beauty that belongs to no one but me - that's all my very own" (Ibsen page #)?  By walking out she takes a position equal to her husband and destroys the very foundation of society's expectations of a wife and mother.  Nora also breaks society's expectations of staying in a marriage since divorce was frowned upon during that era.  Her decision represented a break from all expectations placed upon a woman by society. Throughout the play Nora is looked down upon and treated as a possession by her husband. She is

A main character, Torvald, in the play A Doll House, by Henrik Ibsen could be viewed as a morally ambiguous character. He displays the character traits of a morally ambiguous person. Torvald’s personal consumption of appearances shows how he treats his wife and home and personal pride. Torvald’s wife

Though Siddhartha and “A Doll’s House’ share a completely different storyline, they are very much similar because of the development of the main characters throughout the two stories. Nora, from the play “A Doll’s House,” changes her image after recognizing what kind of life she was living. Siddhartha, from

Ibsen illustrates her rebellion through the use of archetypes. The play revolves around Nora’s rebellion, which is evident from the beginning. Taking out a loan is, as mentioned, scandalous to the era. Not only is she breaking gender roles but she is breaking the law. She defies the Angel in the House archetype of a complacent mother and instead embodies the Lilith archetype of power and independence. She is her own woman, who can make her own decisions based on her best interests, which was unspeakable in her era. Moreover, Nora shows the Lilith archetype in her decision to leave Torvald. She “leave[s] the security and comfort of her restrictive domestic life to try to become a human being” (Atner 1795). Her search for her inner being, however, was not acceptable for the era. Nora’s abandonment of her children resulted in riots after the play (Gagliardi). Thus, Nora’s actions were not only scandalous for the time, they were revolutionary. Although leaving her husband was rebellion against the status quo, abandoning her children was considered blasphemous. Ibsen’s use of historical context and archetypes emphasizes Nora’s sociopolitical rebellion and ambition for

As long as Nora stays with Torvald, she would never find the freedom that her heart desires. In the novel, the reader can understand that Nora's main conflict is her finding her own individuality and her husband blocks the ability of her to see the path to her goals. A huge amount of bravery, courage and strength would have been aqcuired to make such a decision and she had all three characteristics. Nora decides to leave her family with many justified reasons, which makes her choice understandable.

Nora and Krogstad’s first encounter in Act One of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, is significant to the plot as the main source of conflict is revealed whilst the central theme of deceit is enhanced through the use of dramatic irony. Throughout their conversation, Ibsen uses language devices to explore

Doll house Nora’s marriage has been a sham ever since the start. By the standard of modern day, she has legitimate ground to leave her husband Torvald. Because Torvald only cares about his image, he treats Nora as an object rather than a wife, Nora has

Torvald had a view of how he thought his life should be lived, and it was not exactly in Nora’s favor. He believed that his reputation was a very important part of his life and Nora knew that and that is why she contemplated committing suicide before he found out about the loan. Nora did not want to hurt his social reputation. Nora lived for him; she never wanted to disappoint him or cause him any harm. Unfortunately, Torvald did not care near as greatly about Nora as she did for him. He treated her poorly, by constantly telling her that her actions were careless and that a disease was the cause. Also, Torvald was selfish and controlling. He never really said “we” when having a conversation with her it was all about him and how her actions

In Act 1, it’s made clear that Torvald has redeeming qualities. In the story it is Christmas, the glorious holiday season. Torvald is all about keeping his wife happy as it seems, Nora wants an extravagant Christmas this year. He isn’t too fond of the idea, he

This position is one he would like Nora to continue to occupy. In line 257, Torvald refers to Nora as "my richest treasure" denoting his attitude toward her as his possession. This stereotypical male oppression serves the purpose of keeping women in their "place" and keeping men on the top of the social structures of family and the world at large. One can easily read the character Nora as immature and childlike, this stereotype being propagated not only by Torvald, but by herself as well. One of the first examples of this immaturity and childishness can be found in the first few pages. Nora has come in from a day of shopping and in these excerpts we can see her child-like manner while interacting with Torvald:

     Ibsen’s purpose for writing this piece is to entertain while pointing out an injustice. Through the events of the play, Nora becomes increasingly aware of the confines in which Torvald has placed her. He has made her a doll in her own house, one that is expected to keep happy and