Death of a Doll: Paternal and Maternal Figures in Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll House” Nora’s final actions in the end of Henrick Ibsen’s “A Doll House” have certainly been the object of much criticism. In fact, “So much has it disturbed audiences that a few well-known productions changed the ending to have her return before the curtain falls”(Brooks). After all, why would a mother abandon her children and her husband with no clear indication to if she were going to return? In its time, Nora’s decision was considered disgraceful as well as practically unheard of, and, continues to be an albeit less shocking force in contemporary analysis. A deeper understanding of Nora’s reasons in her seeming dereliction of her family, however, requires In Ibsen’s play, “fatherhood, ordinarily associated with the authority and stability of patriarchy, is associated with abandonment, illness, absence, and corruption” (Rosefeldt). Torvald, Krogstad, Nora’s father, and Mrs Linde’s father all display tendencies that clash with the western stereotypes of patriarchal figures. Torvald, for all of his talk of the corruption that poisons homes, is willing to comply to Krogstad’s demands when he learns of his wife’s forgery. He blames Nora’s actions on her “father’s flimsy values”(Ibsen 845), and tells her “The thing must be hushed up at any cost”(Ibsen 845). He believes that Krogstad’s unwillingness to admit to and atone for his mistakes has destroyed his home and the lives of his children and yet in this moment is preparing to do the exact same Throughout the play she has proven herself to be intellectual and cunning, as well as a mother who obviously cares deeply for her children. As she changes out of her party dress, — which symbolizes the shedding of not only her “doll clothes” but also of her child-like dependence — Torvald says he will be “… conscience and will to you both”(Ibsen 847), two things that have been dictated for her by someone else her entire life. Her feelings and actions of individuality have been suppressed by others, as well as herself throughout the play. She does not see herself fit to be a mother, a figure for her children to learn from, when she is basically but a child herself. When Torvald questions why she won’t stay for the children’s sake she
In Henrik Ibsen’s play A Doll House, Ibsen tells a story of a wife and mother who not only has been wronged by society, but by her beloved father and husband because of her gender. Nora left her father’s house as a naïve daughter only to be passed to the hands of her husband forcing her to be naïve wife and mother, or so her husband thinks. When Nora’s husband, Torvald becomes deathly ill, she takes matters into her own hands and illegally is granted a loan that will give her the means to save her husband’s life. Her well guarded secret is later is used against her, to exort Torvald, who was clueless that his wife was or could be anything more than he made her. However, Nora has many unrecognized dimensions “Besides being lovable, Nora is selfish, frivolous, seductive, unprincipled, and deceitful” (Rosenberg and Templeton 894). Nora is a dynamic character because her father and her husband treat her as a child and do not allow her to have her own thoughts and opinions, as the play progresses she breaks free from the chains of her gender expectation to explore the world around her.
In Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll House, a drama written in the midst of an 1879, middle-class, suburban Europe, he boldly depicts a female protagonist. In a culture with concern for fulfilling, or more so portraying a socially acceptable image, Nora faces the restraints of being a doll in her own house and a little helpless bird. She has been said to be the most complex character of drama, and rightfully so, the pressure of strict Victorian values is the spark that ignites the play's central conflicts. Controversy is soon to arise when any social-norm is challenged, which Nora will eventually do. She evolves throughout the play, from submissive housewife to liberated woman. It seems as though what took women in America almost a century to accomplish, Nora does in a three-day drama. Ibsen challenges the stereotypical roles of men and women in a societally-pleasing marriage. He leads his readers through the journey of a woman with emerging strength and self-respect. Nora plays the typical housewife, but reveals many more dimensions that a typical woman would never portray in such a setting.
During the Victorian era, in which this play was written, women were predestined to the role of being mothers and wives, nothing more and nothing less. It was believed religiously by society that it was God’s will for women to have these roles, which were unarguable. Women were only allowed to hold a small role represented by feminine qualities. By law, a woman was the property of her father, brother, and even her husband. These women thought of marriage as a method of subsistence, yet it provided nothing more than a new home with increasing responsibilities and no real benefits or haven. Any property or money made, regardless of where it came from, belonged to the husband. He was also the absolute guardian of the children. Right at the core of the value system of the Victorian era was the feminine inferiority. You can see how men had absolute guardianship over their children when Torvald reads the first letter from Krogstad where he notifies him that he will damage his reputation because of Nora’s crime. He tells Nora that, “Of course, you will continue to live here. But the children cannot be left in your care. I dare not trust them to you” (Doll act 3). An example of how women were considered property in this era is how Torvald reacted towards Nora when the letter from Krogstad arrives to him notifying him that he pardoned Nora’s crime. Torvald says, “There is...
Ibsen reveals many things about the bourgeoisie roles of men and women of society through the play A Doll’s House. These ideals are crucial to ones overall social status. The reader can see the characters and their roles in a figurative and literal dollhouse from the title to the end of the story. The main character Nora is the focus of performing these gender roles as she takes on the role of a doll and eventually seeks self-realization and a striving purpose. She leaves behind her family to fulfill an independent journey. Ibsen helps to point out the flaws of society’s stereotypical gender roles and gives new possibilities to men and women.
Torvald is the typical husband of the time of the play. He tries to control his wife and expect her to submit to him. He manipulates her through many different ways. First, he calls her pet names such as "little lark" (3) and "squirrel" (4) and speaks to her in a condescending tone, as if she is a child. He then tries to control her habits so he will not let her eat sweets or spend too much money. In fact, all the money she gets comes from him. He demands that she is subservient and treats her as almost a dog later on in the play. At the end, when Nora's secret is out, he lashes out at her and kicks her out of the house. When he wants her back after he realizes that he will no longer get into trouble for what she did, she does not want to come back, he finally realizes that she does not love him anymore and that his manipulation of her is over. This leaves him in a pickle because he now has to take care of his children without Nora, hardly a good position for him.
The manner in which Torvald talks down to his wife and the apparent. unopposed acceptance of this by his wife, is evidence that, at least. Initially, power firmly rests in the grip of Nora’s husband. Nora’s language is full of indefinite, qualitative statements, demonstrated. especially when talking about Torvald's salary, however, when Torvald speaks.
The main struggle for dominance in the play is shown with Nora and Torvald Helmer. For most of the play, the audience sees how manipulative Torvald can be with his wife. In one conversation, he tells her, “Look, Nora, in lots of things, you’re still a child. I’m older than you in many ways and I’ve had...
Henrik Ibsen’s play A Doll House examines a woman’s struggle for independence in her marriage and social world. Through the use of character change, Ibsen conveys his theme that by breaking away from all social expectations, we can be true to ourselves. When Ibsen presents Nora Helmer, we see a “perfect” wife, who lives in a “perfect” house with a “perfect” husband and children. The Helmer children have a nanny that raises them. By having the nanny, Nora has the freedom to come and go as she pleases. Torvald Helmer, Nora’s husband, will begin a new job as bank manager, so they will be rich, which will make her “perfect” life even better. Torvald even calls Nora pet names like “my sweet little lark” (Ibsen 1567) and “my squirrel” (Ibsen 1565). These names may seem to be harmless and cute little nicknames, but the names actually show how little he thinks of her. “Torvald uses derogatory diminutives to address Nora” (Kashdan 52). Torvald talks down to her. Nora is “regarded as property rather than a partner” (Drama for Students 112). He isn’t treating her like a real person. In Torvald eyes, she isn’t an equal. “Nora is viewed as an object, a toy, a child, but never an equal” (Drama for Students 109).
In this passage of “A Doll’s House” by Ibsen, the reader is presented with a decisive moment in the play. It provides the crucial turning point in which Nora’s changes her outlook towards Helmer by being independently decisive. Nora’s requirement to obtain freedom from her accustomed lifestyle, demonstrated so precisely here, is depicted from her search for what can be found in the world in accordance to her conflict. It gives her an authoritative position in holding the reins to her life. This is the climatic part within the play, due to its illustration of Nora’s character and opposition to remain under the control of her husband. The belittlement of Nora is also seen, which will lead to her final decision of walking out on her family to explore what the world has in stock for her.
In the time this play was written, women had very few rights in public society. Ibsen reflects this by portraying Nora as having very few rights in the household. Torvald runs everything, and Nora has no say in how the house is run.
To start, Torvald’s definition of “human being” is someone who does what they are told and are submissive to authority. During the 1800’s, men were the primary leader of a household, and this book demonstrates this well. Torvald is very fixated with keeping up an image of class and sophistication, and he runs his family to be “human beings” under his definition by only allowing certain things. At the beginning of the story, Nora is secretly eating macaroons because if Torvald knew, he would discard them immediately. He desires a wife who is “perfect” in looks and mannerisms because that portrays the image of the quintessential family. He also avoids providing h...
Torvald is not very kind towards his wife because he treats her like a kid this referring to the theme of ‘Men vs Masculinity because it’s evident in the text that he views himself as the higher authority figure, and he refers to her as, “little squirrel and “little spendthrift” example of Torvald stamping his male dominance over women is when. Never mind, never mind! [Walks about the room.] Yes, it is funny to think that we- that Torvald has such power over so many people. [Takes the bag from her pocket.] Doctor Rank, will you have a macaroon?” (11), this is reiterating the idea of male characterizes are held higher than women in this play because of Torvald. Tovrvald in the play is also seen by his kids and the audience as the man who brings in the money once again stereotyping the male as the ‘bread winner’, krogstand acts superior when he is around women by saying that the women he was talking to should be pleased that they are talking to him. Over the course of the play the audience realizes that Nora stamps herself as an independent women who does not reply on men and rejects the idea false idea of marriage and the burden of motherhood and won’t give into male dominance even though the male characters in the play are held higher than the
The protagonists of both plays are oppressed by their husband and stripped of personal liberties in their oppressive, male dominated society. Nora, in A Doll’s House, is often referred possessively, like an object, by Torvald her husband, with names like “my little lark”, and “my squirrel” (145). The use of names for Nora emphasizes that he does not see her as an equal. Furthermore, the costume and dance for the New Year’s party further objectivizes Nora, emphasizing the delusion in Torvald that Nora’s identity is for him to mold for his fantasies. In The Father, the Captain and Laura have conflicting plans on how their daughter should be raised. According to Scandinavian laws of that time period, women have no right to interfere with the husband’s plan in determining the faith of the daughter. The Captain displays his authority over Laura when he says, “According to the law as it now stands, children are brought up in their father’s fait...
Torvald and Nora Helmer are the main characters in the play. Torvald is the domineering head of household while Nora is meek and submissive, or so she would have Torvald believe. Torvald refers to Nora as a “spendthrift”, a “sulky squirrel”, a “sweet little lark” and a “little prodigal”, all of which he means as sweet terms of affection but instead he comes off as condescending. Torval treats Nora like a child yet he expects his wife to cater to his every demand, and he thrives off the power he
Torvald expects Nora to agree with what he says and thinks, and commit her life to keeping the family happy by being a housewife. But Nora defies the roles that she is expected to have as being a wife, a woman, and a friend. As a wife, Nora spends Torvald’s money on macarons which are forbidden and attempts to earn her own money while going against what her husband tells her, because she wants to be an independent person with her own opinions. The trip to the south and borrowing money was all done by her, and in the end of the play Nora ultimately goes against the expectations set upon her by leaving the house to live on her own to gain knowledge and experience, but leaves behind her husband and children who she is responsible for taking care of. As a woman, she does not have the authority to disagree with her husband or try to influence his actions. Torvald says, “If it ever got around that the new manager had been talked over by his wife…” (Ibsen 42) showing that it would be a laughing matter if a woman had an idea, but Nora still makes many attempts to persuade her husband. As a friend, Nora is expected to know her role which is a listener and supporter for Mrs. Linde and just an acquaintance to Dr. Rank, but the relationship with Dr. Rank goes beyond what is acceptable. When Dr. Rank confesses his feelings for Nora she is very upset because they can no longer flirt with each other now that the feelings are real. Her role is to be a loyal wife to her husband, which she is, but Ibsen uses the flirtatious dialect between the two to show that there are mutual feelings and that confessing them brings the relationship beyond what is allowed. As Nora challenges all of these roles, she is gradually becoming more stressed and eventually breaks down and leaves her husband, which demonstrates the effect of the unrealistic expectations to uphold the roles of