Torvalt In A Doll's House, By Henrik Ibsen

The desire to be the best, to be dominant among a group of people can reveal a character’s deepest fears or weaknesses. To be great requires a certain personality, but is it not always easy to come out on top. In the play “A Doll’s House”, by Henrik Ibsen, there are multiple endeavors for dominance. Torvald battles Krogstad over being the most successful; driven by money and a power hungry ego, this conflict reveals more about both men’s personalities. Consequently, their struggle unveils Nora’s fight to be independent and depart from society’s norms. There is pressure from society for men to be the providers for their families. As a result, they are also seen to be the leading partner in a marriage. Torvald becomes the manager of the bank

Although the two men were friends from their college years, Torvald feels no remorse laying him off. This displays how driven Torvald is to be the boss and be respected. His reputation is important to him, but often a strong facade hides an insecure mind. Torvald is insistent in being called Mr. Helmer because he needs to feel esteemed in order to alleviate his self-doubt. However, he acts more like a child in that he always needs to be recognized in a certain manner and be the center of attention. Torvald is in fact a weak person and not a strong husband because he lets money and the desire for dominance drive his actions. On the other hand, the struggle for power reveals surprising aspects of Krogstad. Despite blackmailing Nora and having a bad reputation due to an unlawful act committed years ago, he has good intentions. Krogstad is not the cold-hearted antagonist Ibsen depicts him to be. He is, in fact, just concerned with the welfare of his family. A good reputation ensures success in their

During this time period, there was the stereotypical opinion that women should only be homemakers because they do not have the intellectual capacity to do anything more. The struggle for dominance between Torvald and Krogstad also brings to light Nora’s venture to have purpose. Ibsen uses her to comment on society’s gender roles. For the majority of the play, Nora plays her part as the ideal wife well. However, at times she portrays herself as being more than just a trophy wife. Her conflict with Krogstad reveals how innovative and unselfish she actually is. For instance, she does not spend all the allowance money Torvald gives her. In addition to saving a little of her allowance, she also does odd jobs to earn money. She does all of this in secret to pay off the loan to Krogstad. At first, Nora gives off the impression that she is a “spendthrift” and an airhead, but she proves herself to be a woman of perseverance and determination. The men’s struggle for dominance also reveals her marriage’s flaw. Torvald treats her like a doll he needs to take care of and show off to others. He underestimates her ability, similar to how society doubts that women can do more than just sit still and look pretty. His condescending demeanor towards her ultimately allows her to realize that she needs to leave him in order to be truly independent and live up to her potential. Like all women in society eventually realize,