A character analysis of Ibsen’s, “A Doll House”, reveals one main challenge facing Nora and women of today: men tend to misjudge women. Men assume that women are innocent and weak, merely because they are female. Nora Helmer, whom is considered childlike, is an example of women that live in a metaphorical “doll house”. On the other hand, towards the end of the story, Nora exhibits the independence and drive to be a real woman; this is another characteristic that many women display. Nora’s metamorphosis is a clear-cut representation of how modern-day women gained the freedom and rights they have today. In order to successfully dissect the character of Nora Helmer, we must talk about the struggles of women during her time. According to Elaine Fortin, the role of a wife in the 19th century was to “complement her husband, reflecting credit on himself and herself” (Fortin). The author clearly captures this concept by creating a character such as Nora. Her introduction, personality, motivation, struggles, and ultimate lesson learned will be thoroughly examined. Nora Helmer is introduced to the audience as the wife of banker, Torvald Helmer. The play begins with her being concerned with hiding the Christmas tree from the children, as indicated in this dialogue: “Hide the Christmas tree carefully, Helene. Make sure the children don’t see it till it’s decorated this evening”(Ibsen 892). There is also a slight indication of her financial status by her telling the Porter, “Here’s a krone. No, keep the change” (Ibsen 892). She displays normal interactions that a well-to-do woman of the 19th century. However, her vulnerability is evident in her interaction with Torvald in reference to spending more money: “Pooh, we can borrow until then”(Ibsen, 892). Emma Goldman describes Nora as “light-hearted and gay, apparently without depth. Who, indeed, would expect depth of a doll, a squirrel, a song-bird” (Goldman). As we examine Goldman’s comments, it is clear that the perception of Nora, differs from what she really is. Perhaps this is the author’s method of making her a believable character. Nora’s personality can be initially labeled as childlike or immature. Wade Bradford describes her as “behaving[s] playfully, yet obediently in his presence, always coaxing favors from him instead of communicating as equals”(Bradford). It is a possibility that she might be using this as a coping mechanism to forget her past transgressions. Another critic has the same opinion as Bradford and Goldman, by
After she reveals the "dastardly deed" to her husband, he becomes understandably agitated; in his frustration he shares the outside world with her, the ignorance of the serious business world, and destroys her innocence and self-esteem. This disillusion marks the final destructive blow to her doll's house. Their ideal home including their marriage and parenting has been a fabrication for the sake of society. Nora's decision to leave this false life behind and discover for herself what is real is directly symbolic of woman's ultimate realization. Although she becomes aware of her supposed subordinateness, it is not because of this that she has the desire to take action. Nora is utterly confused, as suggested by Harold Clurman, "She is groping sadly in a maze of confused feeling toward a way of life and a destiny of which she is most uncertain (256)." The one thing she is aware of is her ignorance, and her desire to go out into the world is not to "prove herself" but
In The Great Lawsuit she focused on several themes; the abolition of slavery and women’s rights, gender, Androgyny, intellectual companionship and religion (Moreland). There are several points in her literature that highlight her work in reference to gender roles.
Nora has a hard time finding who she really is deep down. She is a mother and wife but, deals with her husband’s verbal abuse on a daily basis. Nora struggles with the need to be a useful individual as she desires to be wanted and respected. She feels like she lives her life day by day trying to please everyone. Then she has to deal with Krogstead bullying her while her life is in jeopardy when her intentions were to help her family
Throughout the change from a carefree doll into an independent woman who is finally finding herself, we see that Nora is acting the way she does due to society. She has lost herself due to being a wife and a mother. Society is typically male dominant and because of the roles she has to fulfill, she lost herself.
that Nora is in every scene to show how she has adapted to living her
...e relationship with men, as nothing but tools she can sharpen and destroy, lives through lust and an uncanny ability to blend into any social class makes her unique. Her character is proven as an unreliable narrator as she exaggerates parts of the story and tries to explain that she is in fact not guilty of being a mistress, but a person caught in a crossfire between two others.
...The play demonstrates this in the following lines: Helmer: Before anything else, you’re a wife and mother. Nora: I don’t believe that any more. I believe that before anything else, I’m a human being, just as much a one as you are … or at least I’m going to turn myself into one … I want to think everything out for myself and make my own decisions. Nora must be true to herself in order to participate in society in a meaningful manner. Her relationship with her children has been marred by her relationships with her father and husband; she treats her children as dolls, and they are apt to grow up in the same manner, with the same inability to be true to themselves. By the end of the play, Nora realizes that she cannot properly fulfill her duties as a mother until she learns how to become a person first. In this sense, her abandonment of her children is an act of mercy.
Even though Nora seeks to be independent, she uses her role of subordination to her advant...
It sometimes takes a lifetime to change yourself, but changing in response to what other people want, without considering your own needs could be much more challenging. In a world without any flaws all people would be treated equally and with the same kind of respect. On the other hand, in the world we live in, almost all situations we find ourselves in have the potential to become a conflict. A Doll's House, a play by Henrik Ibsen, is an exceptional example of a conflict that exists as women are seen as possessions and not individuals by men. Ibsen uses the Christmas tree, macaroons, tarantella, and the doll’s house as symbols in A Doll’s House to express the flaws in a society that requires women to be the subservient and docile servants of men.
“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.
...ows that Nora’s emotional ties do not lie with Torvald, but with Dr. Rank, and ultimately, herself.
During the time in which Henrik Isben's play, A Doll?s House, took place society frowned upon women asserting themselves. Women were supposed to play a role in which they supported their husbands, took care of their children, and made sure everything was perfect around the house. Nora is portrayed as a doll throughout the play until she realizes the truth about the world she lives in, and cuts herself free.
...nt period in both their lives and their personalities. Nora left her husband and kids behind to start a new life on her own.
We can see as the play progresses that Nora was not as innocent as she seems in front of he...
Ibsen, Henrik. "A Doll House." Ibsen : Four Major Plays - Volume 1. Trans. Rolf Fjelde. New York: Signet Classics, 1992. 43-114. Print.