Nora is the protagonist on whom the play A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen revolves around and appears from the beginning to the end. She is the wife of Torvald Helmer, a moral orthodox and conventional person. In the beginning, she appears preparing for Christmas with full hope while hiding the Christmas Tree from the children, “Hide the Christmas Tree carefully, Helen. Be sure the children do not see it until this evening, when it is dressed.” (Meyer 756). Nora is blissfully contented as portraying the dutiful housewife and mother while hiding a secret that could turn her world into complete and utter turmoil. During the play, Nora’s character is consistently developed by her actions and speech, as her character undergoes the transition from a “doll” to an adult. Symbolism plays a major catalyst within the play, propelling Nora into becoming the woman that she is by the end of the play. Gender, The Doll’s House, and children are symbols that interlock the characters together throughout the play and bring them to life. Gender roles play a very symbolic role in A Doll’s House. Focusing on the many ways women are perceived in their multiple roles, this play central focus is …show more content…
And until the last act, Nora is in every scene, she seemingly never leaves this room. The action of throughout comes all to her. She is literally trapped in domesticity and given “housekeeping” money by Helmer as though she is a doll in a doll’s house. Helmer: “Come, come, my little skylark must not droop her wings. What is this! Is my little squirrel out of temper? (Taking out his purse.) Nora, what do you think I have got here? Nora (turning around quickly): Money! Helmer: There you are. (Gives her some money.) Do you think I don’t know what a lot is wanted for housekeeping at Christmas-time? (Meyer 757). This scene suggests that Helmer’s treatment of Nora is superior and an appropriate way to treat one’s
At the time, it was acceptable for a woman to be considered a man’s trophy and a doll to demonstrate in public, resulting in women symbolically representing purity, warm heartedness, and loyalty. This environment holds a mentality that is poisoning to all. Nora asks her husband for a Christmas gift consisted of purely money, gleefully following his lead with the pet names, “ H'm! If you only knew, Torvald, what expenses we larks and squirrels have,”. Nora is not a mindless woman despite her husband’s comments throughout the story.
Toward the start of A Doll's House, Nora appears to be totally glad. She reacts warmly to Torvald's prodding, talks with fervor about the additional cash his new employment will give, and enjoys the organization of her youngsters and companions. She doesn't appear to mind her doll-like presence, in which she is indulged, spoiled, and disparaged. As the play advances, Nora uncovers that she is not only a "senseless young lady," as Torvald calls her. That she comprehends the business points of interest identified with the obligation she acquired applying for a new line of credit to protect Torvald's wellbeing shows that she is canny and has limits past unimportant wifehood.
The first act is an exposition. The first act is more or less shows the lifestyle of families in the 19th century and the domestic problems at that time. In my opinion, Nora has gone through a kind of personal awakening. She 's come to the conclusion that she 's not a fully realized person. She has to spend some time figuring out who she is as an individual or she will never be anything more than someone 's pretty little doll. This would be impossible under the smothering presence of Torvald. She must force herself to face the world
Nora Helmer was a delicate character and she relied on Torvald for her identity. This dependence that she had kept her from having her own personality. Yet when it is discovered that Nora only plays the part of the good typical housewife who stays at home to please her husband, it is then understandable that she is living not for herself but to please others. From early childhood Nora has always held the opinions of either her father or Torvald, hoping to please them. This mentality makes her act infantile, showing that she has no ambitions of her own. Because she had been pampered all of her life, first by her father and now by Torvald, Nora would only have to make a cute animal sound to get what she wanted from Torvald, “If your little squirrel were to ask you for something very, very, prettily” (Ibsen 34) she said.
A Doll’s House illustrates two types of women. Christine is without a husband and independent at the start of the play whereas Nora is married to Torvald and dependent on him and his position at the bank. Both begin at different ends of the spectrum. In the course of the play their paths cross and by the end of the play each woman is where the other started. It appears that a woman has two choices in society; to be married and dependent on a man or unmarried and struggle in the world because she does not have a man.
“There can be no freedom or beauty about a home life that depends on borrowing and debt,” (4) Torvald says to his wife, Nora. This is ironic because Nora Helmer has no freedom. In “A Doll’s House,” Henrik Ibsen’s characters struggle to strive for what is right, both in a sense of their own feelings and morally. The play is Nora’s journey to find herself to obtain her own freedom. The first act offers a composition of Nora’s life, the second a situation, and the third is her decision to leave.
Nora Helmer is seemly carefree about life in the first act, but behaves frantically in the second, and then gains a sense of reality during Part three of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll’s House. At the beginning of the play, Nora exhibits many childish characteristics such as tossing her head around saying that Mrs. Linde would do better if she could just run off to a bathing spa, instead of dealing with any real life problems (Ibsen 1196). Once she returns from what seems to be an expensive shopping trip with lots of packages she eats a few of the desserts she has secretly purchased while out and when her husband, Mr. Helmer, asks if she has been eating his macaroons and she denies it. Even though the act is nothing serious, the audience learns that even Nora is capable of lying. She is more childish when she speaks to her husband but she behaves playfully but complacent towards his commands.
Nora’s husband presents himself, as he own Nora like a “Doll.” He says, “Is that my squirrel rummaging around?” It seems like as he was talking to a child. Nora shows her weakness by accepting the diminutive nicknames from Torvald and Torvald present himself as being the head of the house by showing his physical control over Nora. In order to possess and retain this power, he abides by the rules in society.
Nora and Torvald's relationship, on the outside appears to be a happy. 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" (p.1565), "my little lark" (p.1565), or "spendthrift"(1565). To him, she is only 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.
“A Doll’s House” gives the reader a firsthand view at how gender roles affected the characters actions and interactions throughout the play. The play helps to portray the different struggles women faced during the 19th century with gender roles, and how the roles affected their relationships with men as well as society. It also helps to show the luxury of being a male during this time and how their higher status socially over women affected their relationships with woman and others during this time period.
Helmer is supposed to receive a higher position and a pay raise at his job at the bank. Helmer receiving this job will mean wealth for his family. This would solve the problem of Nora’s constant spending and wast...
A Doll House was a play written well ahead of its time. This play was written in a time when it was considered an outrage for a woman such as Nora not only to display a mind of her own, but also to leave her husband in order to obtain her freedom. This play relates to the Art Nouveau and Edwardian period because just as the furniture and clothing were considered decorative pieces, so were women. Women were expected only to tend to the husband's and children's needs. Women were not supposed to do anything without first consulting the husband and certainly never do anything without his prior knowledge and approval. Women were expected to be at home and always looking presentable for their husbands.
Nora Helmer was a delicate character that had been pampered all of her life, by her father, and by Torvald. She really didn't have a care in the world. She didn't even have to care for the children; the maid would usually take care of that. In every sense of the word, she was your typical housewife. Nora never left the house, mostly because her husband was afraid of the way people would talk. It really wasn't her fault she was the way she was; it was mostly Torvald's for spoiling her. Nora relies on Torvald for everything, from movements to thoughts, much like a puppet that is dependent on its puppet master for all of its actions. Her carefree spirit and somewhat childish manners are shown throughout the play with statements such as, "Is that my little lark twittering out there?" (1). "Is it my little squirrel bustling about?" (2). A lark is a happy, carefree bird, and a squirrel is quite the opposite. If you are to squirrel away something, you were hiding or storing it, kind of like what Nora was doing with her bag of macaroons. It seems childish that Nora must hide things such as macaroons from her husband, but if she didn't and he found out, she would be deceiving him and going against his wishes which would be socially wrong.
At the beginning of "A Doll's House", Nora seems completely happy. She responds to Torvald's teasing, relishes in the excitement of his new job, and takes pleasure in the company of her children and friends. Nora never appears to disagree with her doll-like existence, in which she is cuddled, pampered and patronized. As the play progresses, Nora's true character appears and proves that she is more than just a "silly girl" as Torvald calls her. Her understanding of the business details related to the dept she incurred in taking out a loan to help Torvald's health shows her intelligence and her abilities beyond being merely a wife. The secret labor she undertakes to pay off her dept demonstrates her determination and ambition. In addition, her willingness to break the law in order to aid her...
In the beginning of the play, the reader is introduced to the Helmer household on Christmas eve; Nora purchases a Christmas tree to be used as the main ornament in the house and brings it in to be decorated. Shortly after, Torvald, her husband, approaches her by referring to her as his “little lark”(12) and his “little squirrel”(12). Shortly after, Torvald criticizes Nora for eating a macaroon: “Not nibbling sweets?..Not even taken a bite at a macaroon or two?”(14). Torvald “was only joking”(15). Perhaps it was the way the couple communicated at all times, but Torvald’s teasing is also manipulative. Nora seems to believe anything Torvald tells her; as naive as she is, she believes Torvald is only playing with her. However, as the man of the house, he does cause Nora to consistently ask for his approval, or fear his rejection: “I should not think of going against your wishes”(15), Nora says.