A Doll's House: Cultural Norm

Taylor Faircloth

Dr. Turfa

English 102-A61

March 9, 2017

MWA #2

In several ways, throughout “A Doll’s house”, Nora takes part in acts of rebellion. She goes against what are considered the cultural norms at the time. Torvald did not condone Nora to take part in eating sugary sweets such as macaroons, something that she continued to do behind his back anyway. A family friend, Dr. Rank, had a closer relationship with Nora than Torvald did. So, close that she even presented her fancy stockings to him, something that was considered very inappropriate at the time. Nora disregarded the law when it came to saving her husband’s life, even if it was something he ultimately would despise of if he knew. The main idea the play is trying to get across

Krogstad in order to save her husband. Mr. Krogstad had done a similar crime in his past which cost his reputation dearly. Torvald, who was an upstanding lawyer, absolutely disagreed with borrowing money in the first place, even if it was legal pursued. Nora believed her actions were justified in the sense that she would rather break the law than to have her husband die. Mr. Krogstad decides to use this against her later in order to secure his position at the bank once Torvald becomes the manger by blackmailing Nora. Eventually Torvald discovers what Nora has done and is immediately outraged at her. Torvald was worried more about his title than the fact that she saved his life. The fact that Torvald did not appreciate what Nora had done to keep him alive, even though it was wrong, finally led to Nora slamming the door at the end of the play, leaving everything

Instead of letting Torvald die, she saves his life but is scrutinized for the way she goes about doing it. Rather than live as his obedient slave, Nora goes against his order of not eating sweets and she also is too personal with Dr. Rank. “She accuses her husband, and her father before him, of having used her as a doll, and declares herself unfit to be a wife or mother until she has learned to be herself” (The Guardian). If she is willing to rebel in those ways, then it makes it even easier when the time comes that she decides to leave Torvald and her children behind and defy yet another social norm by slamming the door behind her. People were not used to this idea for a woman, therefore: “This is why Nora’s proclamation that she also had a duty to herself shocked audiences” (Theater 271). All of this shows how women were held to a much different standard than men and how Nora breaks those barriers in order to pursue her own