Torvald Homer And Nora Relationship

Nora is married to Torvald for over 6 years and they have a comfortable routine that they follow. One day Torvald takes ill and Nora takes action. In the 1870’s the man was the provider for the household. Though, with Torvald sick, Nora needs to find a way to help her husband no matter the cost. They take off to Italy and “Torvald couldn't have lived if he hadn't managed to get down there.” (180) Nora feels a sense of pride knowing that she is the one that saves her husband. Nora wishes she could tell her husband what she had done but she understands the repercussions it would have on their relationship. Torvald would feel the humiliating effect of having his wife being his protector. To Torvald, Nora is just an object that is to serve his every need. She is his entertainer, his squanderbird. Torvald believes that Nora is just his “....poor, helpless, bewildered little creature.” (226) Their marriage is only real on paper, there is no equality in their household. This is something that Nora comes to terms with. She understands that “I must stand on my own feet if I am to find out the truth about myself and about life.” (228) Nora is a person of strong will. She knows how to put on a mask when the time comes, and she plays her cards just right. Because Torvald treats her as more of a trophy wife, she does not tell him about how she was able to take him to Italy.

Nora also receives the command from her husband that she should “...make your mind at ease again, my frightened little singing bird. Be at/ rest and feel secure; I have broad wings to shelter you under”(3. 1. 543-544). After showing his whimpering self at realizing that society might find out that he owes his wife, he then receives a note promising not to reveal the truth. Torvald reacts with happiness and pretends that he did not just hurt his wife. His wife does not let this go as he rants with sexist remarks bluffing about his strengths. The pride Torvald has as a man makes him discriminate against women and what they stand for showing making the break up within this family. Also in The House on Mango Street, one of the protagonist's friends must take care of their family because she is the eldest daughter but this has only made her hope for a man to get out of here since all she has learned is that men are superior to her. This shows how dominance of a family member can make other family members want to leave, therefore breaking the family

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

restricted to playing with the children, doing little housework, and working on her needlepoint. A problem with her responsibilities is that her most important obligation is to please Torvald, making her role similar to that of a slave. Torvald easily talks down to Nora saying things like: “…worries that you couldn’t possible help me with”, “Nora, Nora, just like a woman”, and “Mayn’t I look at my dearest treasure? At all the beauty that belongs to no one but me—that’s my very own?” as if she is considered his property.

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

Nora slowly built up resentment for her way of life, and how much is expected of her. Her husband Torvald is very traditional, and demanded her to act a certain way. Nora played along with the role of the perfect housewife even though she had no desire to so. Her own dreams and desires very rarely, if ever, considered and she was always expected to place her family’s needs above her own. Nora’s resentment of Torvald, and the way society viewed women in general, is very clearly stated after she decides to leave him.

She orchestrates a deal with Krogstad and rather than leaning on her husband for support, she slowly pays down the loan by copying documents while telling her husband that she is decorating the house and preparing for the holidays. When Nora finally tells Helmer about what has been going on she says, “You arranged everything according to your own taste, and so I got the same tastes as your else, I pretended to,”(75), demonstrating that she does not even know who she is without Torvald. Her taste is his taste, and everything that she has learned about her- self and the world has come from him. Without Helmer’s presence, she has no sense of self and she realizes that she needs to become independent from Helmer in order to figure out who she is. During this revelation, Nora also realizes that her goal throughout life is to please Torvald and serve him and that she revolves around his wishes.

Torvald embodies the typical Victorian man, given his actions towards his wife and his home as a whole. He symbolizes the dominance that many men hold over their wife and children. He strictly believes that the wife of the man is his property, and he had the right to treat her however he feels she should be treated. He treated Nora like a doll, not his wife, or an actual human being. He confesses to her that she is like his wife... and his child, which defeats the purpose of marriage all together. In a sense, Torvald, just like Nora, is trapped in the Victorian era mindset. He acts just as he is “supposed” to act, and he sees absolutely nothing wrong with it. That was the way the men of the Victorian Era were brought up. Torvald envisions himself

Several critics also saw Torvald as controlling and obsessive. Each critic noticed the change in Torvald?s personality when something was not perfect in his home. Clement Scott said, ?Helmer is very angry indeed. He forgets all his affection and endearment; he can only think of his personality injury? (222). Scott also said, ?Helmer?s attitude towards his child-wife is natural but unreasonable? (222). Besides being angry towards Nora, Torvald is also controlling. Forbidding Nora from eating candy reveals Torvald?s controlling side. Edmund Gosse said, ? Her doctor and her husband have told her not to give way to her passion for ?candy? in any of its seductive forms?? (220). He forbids Nora from eating candy because he does not want her teeth to become rotten. This shows how shallow he is. Torvald is so obsessed with Nora being perfect, that he really is not in love with her. ? Helmer only sees the attractiveness of this love which lies intoxicatingly over her silent farewell?(Salome 229). Torvald is mean, shallow, and does not truly love his wife.

These nicknames that Torvald adds to his wife indicate that he does not really respect Nora but she does not care about them. She only feels excited about her husband’s job promotion and extra money given to her. It seems that Nora enjoys this male-dominated relationship. She embraces traditional family values that women should obey to their husbands as“the head of a family”. However, Nora shows her different side to audiences in the following acts.

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

Torvald and Nora have distinct differences in personality inside and outside their home. To the public, Torvald seems to be a strong, family man with good morals. In his home life, though, he needs to feel power over Nora at all times.

Torvald claims that the key to success in their marriage as well as the answer to Nora’s anxiety “… is to be open, frank, and honest with me” (pg. 109). The audience finds out, however, in the following scene, that when Nora finally opens up to Torvald about the way she has felt through their marriage, he is offended and confused. This reveals that gender expectations have warped Torvald’s ideas of truth and moral correctness so that he could not possibly accept something that is outside these bounds as truth. It is this warped perception that leads to Torvald’s moral dissonance later in this scene when he has trouble accepting the things that Nora is telling him. At one point in Nora’s speech, Torvald had to make an attempt at “[regaining his composure]” (pg.115), revealing that he had been taken off guard and bewildered by a problem that he thought he had to solve yet again.

He kept telling her to dance for him and to have sex with him. He also makes a big deal about how one christmas Nora was locked away for 3 weeks and he was bored. He didn't care that Nora was “making Christmas decorations” and then the cat ruined all her hard work, he cared that it was a waste of her time, making it a waste of his time. On a different occasion Torvald basically said that the reason they were married was “to keep each other company” or in that case, have sex. Everything he has Nora do is for his own pleasure and/or amusement, and Torvald doesn't find them as equals. He doesn't think that he is there for Nora’s amusement too. He again asserts his superiority by constantly pointing out how bored he is when Nora isn’t “entertaining” him.

Actor Dominic Rowan portrayed Torvald Helmer in “A Doll’s House”. He portrays this character to be overcompensating as if he is anxious and fragile. This character needs to be in control. He controls his wife, finances, kids, and household in order to maintain his identity.