Representation Of Nora In A Doll's House

She was known as the playful, trophy wife by everyone at the beginning of the play, but as the play goes on she is shown as a self-empowering, eager woman. To many people, Nora’s first impression was most likely a money-loving, childish wife. She seems to just want money from her husband and when she was asked by her husband what she wanted for Christmas her response was “money”. Nora also acts childish so her husband, Torvald, treats her like one. Torvald treats Nora more like a house pet instead of his wife.

Torvald labels his wife as “my little lark mustn’t droop her wings like that. What? Is my squirrel in the sulks?” (882). Torvald treats his wife like a money-loving child who doesn’t seem equal to him. He is like a grandfather throwing money away for his favorite money-loving grandchild.

Through this play, Ibsen stresses the importance of women's individuality. A Doll's House combines realistic characters, fascinating imagery, explicit stage directions, and an influential setting to develop a controversial theme. The characters of this play help to support Ibsen's opinions. Nora's initial characteristics are that of a bubbly, child-like wife who is strictly dependent on her husband. This subordinate role from which Nora progresses emphasizes the need for change in society's view of women.

“Has the little spendthrift been out throwing money around again? (Ibsen 1569)” He naturally assumes that Nora, being a woman, is out frivolously wasting money. This belief comes very naturally to Helmer. He is the model man of his time, as well as this one. He has a bright future ahead, cares for his family, is kind to his w... ... middle of paper ... ...e door of the apartment she begins her journey to find the truth and to leave the lies and illusions behind (Hemmer 82).

Is my squirrel in the sulks?" (Ibesn842) . When he talks to his wife it seem like he is talking to a little girl. And he says that as he is giving her money which makes their interaction seem almost of a grown grandparent giving money to his precious, favorite young granddaughter. In their marriage Nora didn 't seem like a wife she just seemed like an objected.

The similarities of the motives behind the actions of both Kristine and Nora in A Doll's House could be used to compare the similarities of these two characters even though these characters are in reverse roles throughout this play by Henrick Ibsen. Kristine and Nora marry for money, use Krogstad, and learn a valuable life lesson. Therefore, the correlations of Kristine and Nora's motives demonstrate the similarities between these two characters. Kristine does what she believes is right at the time by marrying Mr. Linde for money instead of marrying him because she loved him due to the fact that her mother was ill and she had two younger brothers who needed financial security for which Kristine herself is unable to provide, being a woman living during Victorian times. Even though Kristine stands behind her reasons for marrying Mr. Linde she has been left, for the past three years since her husband's death and subsequent loss of his business, taking care of her mother and brothers, ensuring their financial security.

Upon reading “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen, many readers may find the character Nora to be a rather frivolous spending mother of three who is more concerned about putting up a front to make others think her life is perfect, rather than finding herself. At the beginning of the play, this may be true, but as the play unfolds, you see that Nora is not only trying to pay off a secret debt, but also a woman who is merely acting as her husbands “doll” fulfilling whatever he so asks of her. Nora is not only an independent woman who took a risk, but also a woman whose marriage was more along the lines of a father-child relationship. Throughout Act one, Nora’s most noticeable characteristic is her child like personality and her inability to understand the importance of honesty. As the play opens on Christmas Eve Nora comes home with an abundance of extravagant gifts for her family.

This quote reflects that Nora is spoiled because it seems that she likes to brag about her life and family with all the money Torvald will bring in. One may believe that this is all an act that Nora is displaying because she wants people to think that life is all happy and wonderful. It also shows how Nora is dependant where she relies on her husband to work and bring home money, while she watches the children. Near the end of the play the audience begins to see how Nora finally starts to understand herself. She states “ I believe that before all else I am a reasonable human being just as you are…I must think over things for myself and get to understand them.”(Ibsen ).

Torvald loved her because she allowed him to play and control her as if she were real a doll. Nora begins to also understand that the love Torvald shared for her was the same to that of her father. Everything was based on what they felt was entertaining and not on loving Nora for who she is. The end of Act III brings Nora to a complete self- discovery. Nora has come to understand herself and the ones around her life.

Nora Helmer’s character itself is minimally established and revealed at the beginning of the play, but the reader is further privy to her personality as the play progresses, as she interacts with each of the other minor characters in the play. Ibsen deliberately chooses to show Nora’s true self by revealing it in conversations between her and other characters; Mrs. Linde is one of these minor characters who is juxtaposed against Nora. Mrs. Linde married primarily for financial security and future ambitions while Nora sincerely believes that she married Torvald for love and happiness. This provides a conflict for the apparently childlike Nora as she realizes that her partner in the marriage probably didn’t marry her for the same reason. Also, an example of dramatic irony arises at the end of the play when Mrs. Linde’s relationship with Krogstad revives again while Nora’s marriage to Helmer crumbles.