In A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen the play follows Torvald and Nora, a fairly wealthy couple that has been married for eight years. Nora is hiding a secret from her husband which she conceals from him up until the end of the play. The two get into an action filled argument, but the climax of the play occurs within its last pages when Nora, after changing her clothing, decides to leave Torvald so she can learn how to be a better person, wife, and mother (Ibsen 63). This conversation between husband and wife appears to come out of nowhere when we observe Nora’s character at the beginning of the play: a submissive wife who will go out of her way to please her husband. So what changed in Nora’s attitude? What is the symbolism of Nora changing her …show more content…
This shows that at this point, everything in her relationship with Torvald is normal. Torvald then enters and calls her his “little skylark” and his “little squirrel” (5); Torvald uses these phrases to describe Nora throughout the book, showing how he treats her almost as if she were one of his children instead of his wife. This “babying” of Nora is Torvald creating an idealized version of his wife: a sweet, innocent, slightly naive woman who is dependent on him for her happiness, wealth, and comfort. In this act we learn more about Nora’s character, specifically how she has a tendency to lie (she lies and says that Mrs. Linde gave her macaroons when we know that she bought them herself (17) and she lies to Torvald and says that Krogstad wasn’t at their house when he was (25)). In alignment with the gender ideals at the time, Nora dedicates herself to her …show more content…
I felt like this choice in clothing was symbolic because black is a color typically associated with death, and I felt like Nora was wearing this color because she of her plans to commit suicide that evening. As Nora is planning on leaving the house, Torvald confronts her and tells her that he has read the letter. He begins to berate Nora, calling her a “miserable creature,” a “thoughtless woman,” and “a criminal” (59). Torvald then says, “The unutterable ugliness of it all!” (59). This phrase shows how Nora’s actions have made her “ugly” in his eyes because he lives in an idealized world where everything is perfect and Torvald cannot understand why Nora made the decision that she did. Additionally, on page 59, Nora says, “[looks steadily at him [Torvald] and says with a growing sense of coldness] Yes, now I am beginning to understand thoroughly.” The stage directions are important here as they give an indication to Nora’s sudden change in attitude at the end of the play. Torvald continues to chastise Nora until he receives another letter with the bond from Krogstad; once he receives the letter from Krogstad his whole demeanor changes and he says that Nora is forgiven for her wrongdoings and that “I should not be a man if this womanly helplessness did not just give you a double attractiveness in my eyes...I have forgiven you, Nora. I swear to you I have forgiven you” (61). Torvald, now realizing that
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
Nora serves only to entertain Torvald and does not realize Torvald sees her as nothing but a little doll to play with. Nora ironically points out: “We shall have a lovely tree—I’ll do all the things you like, Torvald, I’ll sing and dance.” Right after Nora mentions the tree, she willingly goes along with her role as a submissive female and this represents her initial characterization which will then develop to her rejection of her submissive role.
In A Doll House, Ibsen presents us with Torvald and Nora Helmer, a husband and wife who have lived together for eight years and still don't know each other. This rift in their relationship, caused in part by Torvald's and Nora's societally-induced gender roles and also by the naivete of both parties to the fact that they don't truly love one another, expands to a chasm by the end of the play, ultimately causing Nora to leave Helmer. Throughout most of the play, Ibsen continually has his characters prepare for a masquerade ball that takes place at their friends' house.
In act two, Nora is slowly beginning to understand Trovald's true persona. Nora, maybe for the first time in her life, asks Torvald for a favor, to not fire an employee. He replies to her by asking "Do you suppose I am going to make myself ridiculous before my whole staff, to let people think that I am a man to be swayed by all sorts of outside influence"(Act II). This rhetorical question reveals Torvald's main concern of appearance. His greater concern for the image rather than Nora displays the lack of love in the relationship. It contradicts Nora's courageous act of borrowing money for Torvald, despite the government, for the sake of her love. This argument leads Nora to
Marriage is a forever commitment between two individuals to love one another but marriages don't always have the fairytale happy ending. In Henrik Ibsen's play A Doll House, Nora and Torvald Helmer learn some things about their marriage that they had not realized before. Nora Helmer discovers Torvald, herself, her marriage, as well as her own identity as a woman.
Over the years that Torvald and Nora have been together, Nora has acquired to the style of her husband. Nevertheless, when it came down to the costume that Nora should wear, she wanted Torvald to rescue her and choose her outfit for her, she states, “Yes, Torvald, I can’t do anything without you to help me.” (Ibsen 178). It appears that Torvald has programmed Nora to not be capable of coming up with something on her own, but rather to rely on him for what she is to wear. When one relies on a single person for a long period of time, they tend to not be able to think on their own without wanting that person to make all their decisions for them. Therefore, it shows that Torvald is in control of Nora’s appearance.
Nora is the character in A Doll House who plays the 19th woman and is portrayed as a victim. All of the aspects of this quote can be applied to the play A Doll House, in Nora’s character, who throughout much of the play is oppressed, presents an inauthentic identity to the audience and throughout the play attempts to discovery her authentic identity.
Torvald is only concerned with, in regard to his relationship with Nora, how well she makes him look and what other people think about it. If he has a beautiful, obedient wife and joyful relationship, people will respect him. They’re relationship, on the outside appears to be happy. But, when you analyze their relationship, you see Nora is treated like a child in this relationship, but as the play progresses she begins to realize how phony her marriage is. Torvald sees Nora 's only role as being the subservient and loving wife. He refers to Nora as "my little squirrel" (185), “my little lark” (185), or “little spendthrift” (185). He only sees her as a possession. Torvald calls Nora by pet-names and speaks down to her because he thinks that she is not intelligent and that she can not think on her own. Whenever she begins
Nora is a character who undergoes radical change over the course of the play. Initalay introduced to us in Act One as a playful housewife who is faithful and submissive Nora State “I would never dream of doing anything you didn’t want me to.” (Act 1) This shows some of the gender dynamics of marriages in the 19th century and also assists in portraying Nora’s husband Torvalds hold over her independent thought. Torvald calls Nora by pet names his "little squirrel," his "little lark," and, worst of all, a "featherhead," Nora shows no reaction to this behavior (1.5-1.16). Nora seems quite innocent and childlike in her behavior treating this as terms of endearment rather than insulting due his refusal to treat her as an equal. Her husband Torvald chides her for her reckless indulgences with their finances but little does he know she is carrying a secret. There is tension building between Nora and her husband as it comes to head.There is a clear acknowledgment here that both Nora and Helmer have been blinded by their self-theatricalizing fantasies. Without letting Helmer off the hook, Nora acknowledges that she
Nora begins to take offence to the words of Torvald. He refers to her as his most “prized possession”, and continues to say that he often imagines her as though she is his mistress, and she is a temptress. Nora continues to get offended, telling Torvald she doesn’t want any of this. Nora begins
When the door slams at the end of “A Doll’s House” by Henry Ibsen, No one would not believe the woman walking out of her house is the same one who appeared at the beginning of the play. The main character in this play is Nora. Nora goes through a complete transformation, changing from a child like and dependant woman to a self strong woman pushing to become independent. Ibsen portrays the roles of society in the Victorian times in this play. Throughout her whole life, Nora’s husband and father have always controlled her; she has never been able to be independent, and the treatment she receives is not equal to the males around her, and the people around her belittle and patronize her to no end. Finally it goes too far and Nora realizes
Henrik Ibsen wrote the play A Doll’s House in 1879. In the play Ibsen describes how the society trapped women in marriages and how they carry no value to the family. Just like Stasz Clarice writes “Society, particularly through social class, structures men and women alike to be insensitive and inhumane.” Nora Helmer is apparently happily married to Torvald, he is a lawyer who is about to be promoted to a management position. They have three small children. Early in their marriage Torvald became seriously ill, and the doctors advised a stay in a more southerly climate. Nora had to get hold of the money for the journey in secrecy and so borrowed it from Krogstad, a lawyer who had been a coworker of Torvald. As security for the loan she forged her dying father’s signature. Ever since then she has saved some of the housekeeping money in order to pay back the loan with interest, and she has taken on small jobs to earn some money herself. When the play opens, an old friend of Nora’s, Mrs. Linde, has arrived in town to look for work, and Nora sees to it that Torvald gives her a post at the bank. But this means that Krogstad is dismissed from his post at the bank, and in desperation he goes to Nora and threatens to tell Torvald about the loan and the forgery unless he is allowed to keep his post. Nora considers asking Dr. Rank, an old friend of the family, for the money, but when he declares his love for her, she finds it impossible
Just as Nora was her father’s ‘doll child,’ and her husband’s ‘doll wife’, it is seen that Torvald is a doll of society. He is just as trapped in the same facade of a happy marriage as Nora. He feigns security and support for his wife, but this quickly disintegrates when the discovery of Krogstad’s first letter threatens his social standing. Torvald’s change in demeanor in this scene is apparent immediately, as he replaces Nora’s usual pet names and says “You miserable creature— do you realize what you have done?” (80) He is obviously not acting on his previously voiced desire to protect Nora from a “great danger” that prompted her to encourage Torvald to read his letters. Upon realizing this Nora “[looks steadily at him and says with a growing look of coldness in her face] “Yes I am beginning to understand thoroughly.” (80) In this instance the seams on Nora’s role as a doll begin to unravel and the state of their marriage becomes apparent— it’s a sham. Krogstad’s blackmail and the following conflict with Torvald doesn’t change Nora’s nature; but they allow her to see her unfulfilled potential as a human being “I have been performing tricks for you, Torvald” (81), she says during their final confrontation. Nora comes to realize that in addition to her literal dancing and tricks, she had been performing throughout their marriage; filling the role that her father,
Once read a Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, myself was really impressed how Ibsen embraces women equality and power in society, conveying in a general theme of freedom in social life. This play was written in 1879 furthermore it aroused great controversy at that time. Many analysis about this book, locates the spotlight on to Mrs. Nora, which her main role concludes on her leaving his husband and kids completely defying the rules of society in that time. However people and critics reduce the importance of other characters in the play, in this case Mrs. Kristine Linde. While Mrs. Linde appears like a minor character and with a slight role in Nora’s transformation, she may have a fundamental part in Nora’s conversion in the play. Nora and Mrs. Linde move in opposite paths throughout the play. Mrs. Linde or Christine, starts as being a independent women not having any family obligations; On the other hand Nora has a devoted husband and several children. Whereas Mrs. Linde had a very problematic past, Nora has had it relatively easy. So, how did Mrs. Linde affected Nora’s transformation.
Nora is belittled by Torvald in the play and often placed on a high pedestal. In Act I Nora returns from her day of shopping for the Christmas season and Torvald calls for Nora asking her about her shopping trip. “My squirrel bustling about?” and “little wastrel has been throwing money around again?” (Ibsen 1089). Torvald has ownership over Nora in their marriage, a common principle during this time period. Moving forward into Act III, in the final scenes of the play the secrecy of the loan is revealed to Torvald. Nora is finally convinced that it is time to tell Torvald to go and read his letters. She decides that she wants to leave her home, her children and her life behind to avoid punishment Torvald would most likely inflict upon her. After reading the letter Torvald stops her before she can escape.“What a dreadful awakening. All these years-all these eight years-she, my pride and my joy- a hypocrite, a liar-oh worse! worse!-a criminal!” (Ibsen 1142). Torvald is right about Nora lying but, he seems to have forgotten what Nora has done to try and protect his reputation and his pride. That indeed her behavior is quite twisted, but she still acted in her version of a selfless way to protect her husband. “You’ll go on living here; that goes without saying. But I won’t let you bring up the children; I dare not trust you with