In Henrik Ibesen's play A Doll House, Nora Helmer struggles with telling her husband, Torvald Helmer, the truth about a loan she receives for them to go to Italy when he was sick. Consequently, when Torvald learns of the news he instantly insults Nora and declares that she has "ruined [his] happiness" (Ibesen 93). However, when Torvald tries to dismiss his insults after receiving a note that her contract was revoked, she does not accept his apologizes and decides to leave Torvald and her children to "make sense of [her]self and everything around [her]" (Ibesen 100). Her selfish decision to leave makes her a bad wife and mother, but she there are a few more characteristics that makes her a bad wife. The characteristics that Nora shows in …show more content…
Unfortunately, there are two players to this game, and Nora decides to betray her husband and borrow money anyhow, not only to help her aide him during his illness, but also use it to an advantage: "Years from now, when I’m no longer pretty … Then it might be useful to have something up my sleeve” (Ibesen 18). Fabienne Oguer states that Torvald's motivation to play "Trust" is that “he believes Nora would feel guilty if she betrayed his trust" (Oguer 86). Unfortunately, it only makes her feel an obligation to be an individual, separate from martial control. Nora is motivated throughout the story to be according to her "free," however, she does not only want to be free of the loan she is owning to Krogstad, she wants to be free from her father and husband's control. Throughout the story, Nora feels as if she has always been treated like a doll child first by her father and then by her husband and is never given the opportunity to evolve as an individual and become a woman who has the potential to be independent and forceful (Yuehua 83). The perfect example her attempt to fulfill her potential as a woman is when she first borrows the loan from Krogstad by forging her dying father's signature. Although she knows her act is wrong and against the law, she still goes on with a naïve challenge to Krogstad during their encounter about the forged signature
She gains her independence and saves her husband. However, her reputation is nearly destroyed after Torvald finds out she forged the letter. Nora asking, “It is indiscreet, to save your husband’s life,” knows that she sacrificed a lot to save Torvald (Ibsen 1029). Nora believes she saved Torvald’s life, she also believes that if he knew then their lives would never be the same. If Torvald knew Nora had taken out a loan, he would feel indebted to her and that would be humiliating to his masculinity, while disrupting their “happy” home life. However, Nora relinquished many of the things that meant a lot to her. Nora forged her father’s signature risking her and Torvald’s reputation. She also takes on all the debt herself, paying it off with her spending money. Nora will not be able to buy as much for herself with the debt revealing her willingness to sacrifice wealth for Torvald’s wellbeing. Just as Cyrano sacrifices his life to send letters to Roxane, Nora sacrifices her happiness and reputation to save Torvald. This shows Nora’s devotion and unconditional love towards Torvald. Both Cyrano and Nora are risking their lives for someone they love. As Cyrano repeatedly risks his life for Roxane, Nora feels as though her “duties to herself” are more valuable than her devotion to anyone else as she states, “aren’t they your duties to your husband and children?... Duties to myself…” (1076). Nora has gone through a kind
A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen was first performed in 1879 when European society strictly enforced male supremacy over women. The play consists of a middle class couple, Torvald and Nora Helmer, who seem to have the perfect marriage, three children, and a pending respectable income with the husband’s recent promotion to bank manager. Torvald treats Nora like a doll, manicuring and manipulating her looks and actions. Although his controlling demeanor is concealed by innocent nicknames and monetary allowances, the affects of his domination over his wife are eventually exposed. At the end of the play, Nora leaves in a haze of anguish after her husband fails to defend her when she is accused
Throughout the time, Nora’s definition and understanding of freedom has evolved. She considered freedom as something like a duty. In the first act,
A Doll’s House, written by Henrik Ibsen, portrays the complicated marriage of Nora and Torvald Helmer. In numerous ways Nora is treated like a child or “doll” by her husband, and in turn, Torvald takes care of her physically, emotionally, and financially. While Nora is stuck in a patriarchal society, until she had a change at the play’s end, she played along and never had an objection. Nora’s sudden realization to start a new life and leave her family not only proves she is irresponsible, but also she does not know what she will face in the real world, and she cares about herself more than her own children.
When her husband was sick, the doctors suggested to Nora that they move south until he recovered, but not to tell Torvald that he could die if he did not. (182). At the time, they did not have the money for this, and Torvald's morals are against borrowing any money (176). Without telling Torvald that his life depended on this trip to the south, she borrowed money from Krogstad, even though it is illegal for a woman to borrow without her husband's permission (184). Krogstad required Nora to have her father sign a bond as promise that she will pay the money, but she did not have the heart to ask her father because he will ask what it is for (194-195). This is because her father was sick as well, and she could not bare it if she caused him to worry about another person when he is on his deathbed. Therefore, Nora forged the signature so she can save her husband and spare her father (195). This act greatly compromised her reputation and is a large sacrifice to make.
When we think about dolls, we think about being very playful and childish. Nora Helmer is just that, a playful, childish person. She is in her own little dream world. Since Nora does not get out much and does not have a job, she is very clueless about the outside world. She is married and she has three children. Nora is married to Torvald Helmer. At the start of the play, Christmas is just around the corner, and Torvald is promoted at the bank. Nora is excited when she finds out about Torvald’s promotion Nora is a very dependent character in the beginning of the play. Nora is seen as a pushover by everyone. Her husband uses her and expects her to do exactly what he says, but that does not always happen. In the play Nora changes a lot throughout.
In “A Doll House” by Henrik Ibsen, it is a story of Nora who is keeping a secret from her husband, Torvald Helmer, which can destroy her marriage. She has committed fraud in order to save her husband from a deadly illness. She never told anyone where she got the money from and is not ashamed of what she did, despite the consequences. According to Vicki Mahaffey, “She had privately sacrificed herself to save her husband’s life when he was ill, and she was certain that he would do the same for her if her well being was even threatened” (57). Torvald thinks she is supposed to be his “doll-wife” (Ibsen 1235), which means she is to be the perfect wife with the perfect family and home. He became disgusted when he found out what she did, however,
When the door slams at the end of “A Doll’s House” by Henry Ibsen, No one would not believe the woman walking out of her house is the same one who appeared at the beginning of the play. The main character in this play is Nora. Nora goes through a complete transformation, changing from a child like and dependant woman to a self strong woman pushing to become independent. Ibsen portrays the roles of society in the Victorian times in this play. Throughout her whole life, Nora’s husband and father have always controlled her; she has never been able to be independent, and the treatment she receives is not equal to the males around her, and the people around her belittle and patronize her to no end. Finally it goes too far and Nora realizes
By saying all these things Nora is seemingly proving to Torvald that he has power over her. Luckily, Torvald is not incredulous and feels that Nora is being
Nora is a captivating character in Ibsen's A Doll's House. She swings between extremes: she is either very happy or immensely depressed, prosperous or completely desperate, wise or naive, impotent or purposeful. You can understand this range in Nora, because she staggers between the person she pretends to be and the one she someday hopes to become. Throughout the play, Nora is portrayed as subordinate to her male counterpart, Torvald. As most other men during this time, Torvald believed that women were not capable of making difficult decisions, or thinking for themselves. As the play progresses, Nora faces a life changing decision to abandon her duty as a wife and mother to find her own individuality. Even though Torvald is responsible
In Henrik Ibsen’s play “A Doll’s House” the relationship between husband and wife, male and female, is portrayed in many ways. Female’s were seen as inferior and had very little expected out of them other then being a wife and mother, which is accurate for the time period Ibsen wrote the play in. This is evident in the relationship between the two main characters, Torvald and Nora Helmer. Torvald expects Nora to be a wife and mother first and foremost above being a human being. Though these two responsibilities are a big deal, especially in the time period “A Doll’s House” is written in, they have taken precedent over Nora’s responsibility for herself, to find who she truly is. Nora does a lot of pretending, a lot of hiding, and ultimately is a doll in the eyes of Torvald. Through out the three acts Nora makes herself weak and allows herself to have no voice. She has played around to please Torvald, pretending to be happy and have her own opinions, but by the end of the play she realizes that it has all been an act and decides it 's time to take off the costume and stop pretending.
Nora Helmer from the play called, "A Doll 's House" by Henrik Ibsen is the main character of the play. By Nora committing a crime, forgery, to save her husband 's life, Torvald, she realizes that she has never been herself. At the beginning of the play, Nora seems happy with her life, her marriage, and her family. It seems that everything is going well because now they have some extra money to support their needs and live a better life without limitations, but there is always something wrong when there is too much happiness. Nora keeps a huge secret from Torvald, but she does this because she doesn 't want to end her family 's happiness and stability, and she also doesn 't want to be seems as she is against society 's expectations. Torvald always tells her that they should never take a loan even if they need it because borrowing money from the bank takes people 's liberty. Nora disobeys and she takes a loan, but she doesn’t do it to do the opposite of what Torvald says, she does it because she wants to save Torvald 's life. She even lies to him telling him that all the money comes from her father 's, but he dies before that money is available to her, and who knows this is Krogstad, who gives her the money.
In Henrik Ibsen’s play “A Doll’s House” the relationship between husband and wife, male and female, is portrayed in many ways. Female’s were seen as inferior and had very little expected out of them other then being a wife and mother, which is accurate for the time period Ibsen wrote the play in. This is evident in the relationship between the two main characters, Torvald and Nora Helmer. Torvald expects Nora to be a wife and mother first and foremost above being a human being. Though these two responsibilities are a big deal, especially in the time period “A Doll’s House” is written in, they have taken precedent over Nora’s responsibility to herself, to find who she truly is. Nora does a lot of pretending, a lot of hiding, and ultimately is a doll in the eyes of Torvald. Through out the three acts Nora makes herself weak and allows herself to have no voice. She has played around to please Torvald, pretending to be happy and have her own opinions, but by the end of the play she realizes that it has all been an act and decides its time to take off the costume and stop pretending.
Individuals have a tendency to adjust to their circumstance and environment. Despite the fact that Nora appeared ditsy, she may have been acting thusly, to purchase time, and pay off her obligation. In expansion to getting to be mindful of Nora's criminal action, we likewise see another lady rise. As the commentator states, Nora appeared to pick up a feeling of truth; maybe she continuously felt along these lines. Be that as it may, she was agreeable in her circumstance, and disregarded a horde of signs, that demonstrated the she was in a terrible relationship. This circumstance was conveyed to light when Nora has an epiphany, as seen here: He called me his doll-kid, and he played with me generally as I used to play with my dolls. Also, when I came to live in your home—I imply that I was essentially exchanged from dad's hands into yours… When I think back on it, it appears to me as though I had been living here like a poor lady - just from hand to mouth. I have existed just to perform traps for you, Torvald. In any case, you would have it so. You and dad have conferred an incredible sin against me. As indicated by Kimberly Powell, Nora's acknowledgment was not extremely prominent with
Nora obtains a loan because it is what she needs to do in order to save her husband’s life. She lies to her husband about how she obtained the money; she knows Torvald would never stand for being in debt since it could potentially ruin his reputation. Because Nora was a doll to both her father and husband, she had to turn to lying and excessive spending habits in order to obtain some ounce of power and control over Torvald. While lying is typically considered morally wrong and a sin, lying is a necessity for Nora.