How Nora was a victim and victimizer in A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen

We are introduced in Act I with Nora returning from Christmas shopping. Ibsen utilizes this time for dramatic purposes of the Christian holidays and to show the struggle between a middle class marriage. Nora plans on

Throughout Nora’s whole life she has been controlled by whomever she has been close to. She has never had to chance to have her own experiences, to think her own thoughts and to try to make something of her life. She knows nothing but what her and her father let her. Nora admits to

Torvald would never have thought she were capable of it, since during that era it was unrealistic of women to leave their houses but rather put up with the difficulties they faced. Ibsen highlights society's domineering outlooks of marriage and the interactions of two people naïvely pretending to be in love. Throughout the play Ibsen reveals the fragile attributes of his characters to help enhance the play-like nature of their relationship, the role of women, and Nora's course of self-discovery.

Nora expects when what she calls the terrible storm breaks over her, “Krogstads letter” that her husband would step forward and take all the guilt and responsibilities, but to her ammusement he never did. She needed validation that her husband loved her inspite of what she had done, He continued to argue that no man would sacrifice their honor not even for love. Showing his self-centredness and only concerned about himself. Nora argues that millions of women have.

Ibsen’s character Nora in A Doll’s House, shows gradual development throughout the play to support his theme that above all else, you are human; even in marriage both parties should be given the equal opportunities, rights and respect. While Nora may at first seem happy with her life inside her “doll house”, she begins to recognize that she must find herself, and stop being a toy in the lives of men.

Torvald also does not trust Nora with money, which exemplifies Torvald's treating Nora as a child. On the rare occasion when Torvald gives Nora some money, he is concerned that she will waste it on candy and pastry. In general, Nora’s duties are

Nora plays the part of a slave in her subservience to her husband, for she is supposed to

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

Ibsen details the parallels between Nora and Krogstad as they both committed their crimes for love. Thus, in the first conversation between Nora and Krogstad, Ibsen establishes Krogstad as the cunning antagonist and the extremity of Nora’s crime to build up the climax of the play whilst continuing to portray Nora as childish.

At the end of their first reconnection, Nora reveals that her transformation from obedient doll to liberated woman had already begun. She now admires Mrs. Linde for her long years of work and independence and uses it as inspiration for her own. In Mrs. Linde’s trust, Nora exposes her personal act of sovereignty: a few years ago, she had secretly borrowed money to save her husband’s life, incriminating herself. Even though she did the morally correct thing, Nora’s actions are condemnable and

Safak explains this deeper by saying, “Nora demonstrates her strength in the last act of the play and she distinguishes herself from the other members of her gender, who follow a mob mentality in the general frame of the traditional woman perception” (Safak 144). Nora did something for herself that would have been unspeakable in her time of living during 1879. Women were supposed to be dependent on a man for safety, security, and money, which Nora relied heavily on in the beginning of the play. Now, she ventures out of the normal comfort zone of ladies and states, “No, that’s exactly it. You don’t understand me. And I’ve never understood you either- until tonight. No, don’t interrupt. You can just listen to what I have to say. We’re closing out accounts, Torvald” (Isben 866). This bold decision to move on with her life, without the help of a man, is respectable and courageous of Nora.

Women because of gender stereotypes were often treated alike to children. Nora exemplified many of the most common child antics. One of these is lying as she lied to Torvald many times throughout the book one example was when she got caught purchasing macaroons. She tells him she didn’t purchase the macaroons even though she can infer that he knew she had purchase them as he said Hasn't Miss Sweet Tooth been breaking rules in town today? […] taken a bite at a macaroon or two?" (1. 55). Torvald is as much to blame for this though as he treated her like a child when he talked to her about it; during the conversation he calls her his “little squirrel” . This in Nora’s mind must have made her think it was okay to lie. If Torvald told her he knew what she had done, and then just asked her to be honest with him, everything would have been fine. Also Nora would have learned to be honest with Torvald next time she made purchase without consulting him. But this doesn't happen as one small incident about cookies paves the way for an array of lies from both Torvald and Nora to each other throughout the play. The audience shouldn’t be surprised though of how Nora acts like a child because Torvald orders her around like he is her father. Nora even says living with Torvald “ [I]s like being with papa … .” (I. l.217) This shows how Nora was exposed to this discriminaton at a young age, and this might be why she disrespects herself and calls herself “a squirrel” as she was brainwashed at a young age by a man plagued with the common women gender stereotypes since childhood. Nora's treatment by Torvald and her father show how most women had been exposed to gender stereotypes since birth, and it explains why some women are okay with subjecting themselves to such The reason that Torvald did this to to his to Nora is because

She cleverly manipulates the men around her while, to them, she seems to be staying in her subordinate role. In all three acts of the play Nora controls many situations and yields the most power.

Ibsen reveals that despite her interactions with her husband, Helmer is well indebted to the actions of his wife, who unbeknown to him, are responsible for saving his life. Nora is elated at the fact that she is able to finally disclose her secret to someone, she then proceeds to declare that she has no need to reveal this to her husband as Torvald is already so devoted and so smitten by her current beauty. It is Nora’s false belief in the power she has over her husband, that when it is shown to be misplaced, she reaches the extreme of deciding to leave for ever. The theme of power and control in the text is not merely demonstrated by one character over another, but also by society over the actions of Krogstad and Torvald in particular.

After Torvald reads Krogstad's first letter, he gets angry and shames Nora. He says that she’s a terrible person and that they have to do anything that Krogstad asks for. Also, he says that Nora can’t see the children anymore because she may corrupt them. After Nora hears this, Nora becomes disappointed in Torvald because he said he would sacrifice and do anything for Nora. She expected Torvald to try to sacrifice himself for her, taking all the blame on himself, which he didn’t to.