Nora's Loss Of Innocence

Nora is introduced as a housewife who believes the true meaning of marriage revolving around obedience. She demonstrates the true definition of a respectful daughter, a faithful and obedient wife, and a dependable mother. It wasn’t unusual for Torvald to throw his weight around towards Nora. He attempts to limit her macaroon intake “Hasn’t nibbled some pastry,” (Ibsen 788) she replies, “You know I could never think of going against you” (Ibsen 788). In the eyes of Nora, he is considered a confident, powerful, and successful businessman since he is receiving a promotion as a bank manager after the New Year. Torvald’s sense of marriage can be summed up that he is the king of the castle “This is the way it should be my darling Nora. What-ever comes, you’ll see: when it really counts, I have strength and courage enough as a man to take the whole weight myself” (Ibsen 814). Torvald’s view is she is just a “doll” in his doll house. To him, it was important to stress there was no such thing as equality in their partnership, he

In the end, they both understood where their marriage really stood. They both had their faults, but their intentions were good in order to keep their marriage and family together. Others would argue that Nora is the hero in this play, only because she is the protagonist. However, Nora was in the wrong for borrowing money and lying to Torvald about it in the course of their marriage. But she did it for her husband, who was on the verge of the death and saving them from a big debt. As for Torvald, he should have treated Nora more as a wife than a child or a doll. But he was a provider and was there for his family. When Nora left, he had their children in the end, and that takes true strength and

When Torvald finds her hairpin stuck in the keyhole of the letter box, Nora tells him it must have been their children trying to get into it, not willing to admit that she had tried to break into his things. Although the truth about her is about to be discovered, Nora wants to preserve the last bits of dignity that she has left, finally worrying about herself before anyone else. This last lie however, leads up to her finally speaking the truth and expressing that she no longer feels that she loves Torvald. Her husband is furious at her, insulting her, and fails to see that every lie that she told was for his sake. Realizing that Torvald can’t see her side of things and will only find fault in what she did, she comes to her decision to leave her family. Nora states that she is not happy and never really was, her marriage to Torvald was as fakes as a doll house according to her. Rather than lie, she is completely honest now and states that she wants to become her own person and learn that which she doesn’t know despite what society might think.

Nora finds strength in realizing her failure, resolving to find herself as a human being and not in what society expects of her. Nora’s recognition comes when Torvald so

Torvald throughout the course of the play is selfish and only cares about his reputation. He tells Nora he would do anything for her, but when it came time he was only worried about losing his reputation and good name. Torvald exemplifies the dominant husband that puts societal views of himself over his wife and children.

Nora is trapped in her own house, in her own society as being a woman and the role they have. "I shall not allow you to bring up the children; I dare not trust them to you" (line 242). Torvald says to be own wife, taking away her most prized possession and the ones she loves the most and since she's a woman and Torvald is the man of the house, he is allowed to do it. One of Nora's friends, Mrs. Linden just married a man who recently passed away just for the money because women in that time aren't allowed to own the money that the family brings in, thinking Mrs. Linden would get all the money she got nothing. Then she meets Mr. Krogstad again and she's willing to sell her body once again for money and a way of living. "What a difference! Someone to work for and live for--a home to bring comfort into" (line 84). The book is complete brilliance, it shows that women are imprisoned inside their homes how Mrs. Linden has willing played a large part in this role towards the end of the

She proceeds to convey how unhappy she is being his wife blaming him and her father for their controlling nature. During her childhood Nora was unable to make her own decisions her father controlled her as Torvald controls her now. She was never able to discover for herself, her likes and dislikes and with lack of education and little known about society she remains a lost child trying to find her way. Her feelings of being less than human are portrayed when she tells him, “I’ve been your doll-wife here, just as at home I was Papa’s doll-child,” a sad fact of her life (Ibsen 838). At first he accuses her of exaggerating things and tries to dismiss this behavior, but as Nora continues to open up to him, he starts to see that the way he treated her was not appropriate and she deserved much more. Torvald makes a plea for her to allow him to change his ways and he may have if given the opportunity, but only one person changing would not help Nora in the least. She needs to journey on this road to self-discovery alone, no labels of wife or mother to cloud and confuse her she must discover who she

Nora’s first rebellion was when she took out a loan so that she could pay for her husband, Torvalds medical treatment. It was against the law for women to take out a loan without their husbands consent. When she did this she proved that she wasn’t as submissive and helpless as Torvald

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 never been taken seriously by her husband, and Torvald only loves her for her appearance. Torvalds image is of great importance to him considering now he is a bank manager, and he will not allow anything standing in his way to ruin this image this includes his wife. All of Nora’s life has been controlled by a male figure, first her father which just transitioned to her husband. Towards the end of the play suggests he never actually loved Nora, it was in fact just an act to have more control over her, and to prevent her from leaving.

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

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

Nora and Torvald have been married for eight years. He has never excelled at being an exceptional husband to her, and talks extremely negative to her. Torvald also screeched at his wife, Nora, for making inadequate decisions that have destroyed his reputation. Torvald says, “You talk like a child, think like a child! You don’t understand the … the whole society in which you live” (Ibsen 105). Torvald has made Nora feel as if she has wrecked

Torvald’s wife Nora is the center of several of the traits that classify him as a morally ambiguous character. Nora is more like a possession to Torvald than a soul mate or wife. She is like a doll to him, something that he can control and shape into what he wants. Nora is treated like a child and as if she can not function a second without him to be there to tell her what to do. Her dependency on him is extremely important to him because that is

It could be argued that throughout the play Torvald is subconsciously deluding himself by understanding Nora's actions in this inaccurate way. He is certainly disgusted by the idea of her secret involvement with Krogstad's business matters, warning her that 'little song-birds must keep their pretty little beaks out of mischief' (Ibsen 31). This allegorical language is probably for his benefit as much as hers: he is reluctant to address directly the possibility that his wife is intrigued by matters which, under society's rules, should exclude her completely. When he discovers the extent of her deception, he is moved by his anger and fear by describing the situation as 'utterly squalid' (p.75), but upon realising that he is 'saved' his first inclination is to comfort 'poor little Nora' (Ibsen 77). Torvald is clearly anxious to return to the previous state of decorum in which his wife was simply his little pet, flattering himself that 'I wouldn't be a proper man if I didn't find a woman doubly attractive for being so obviously helpless' (Ibsen 78). Here Ibsen reminds the audience of Torvald's main aspiration: to live the life of 'a proper man'.

Nora ask Torvald to come and looks at what she has bought, his reply simply is: “Don’t disturb me” (Act I: 2) and after a while (apparently after finishing his work) he comes out. This shows that his main job as the man is to make money. When Nora explains that she had expected Torvald to take the blame for her crime, had also makes clear that his reputation is more important than his love for her when he says that “no man would sacrifice his honour for the one he loves” Torvald is portrayed as rational, imperious and to some degree even emotionally cold. He tells Nora to save money and forbids her from eating sweets in order not to ruin her teeth.