His wife Nora helps him realise when she declare she is "leaving now" her decison to leave was sparked by neglect she expreiened from Helmer. Disregarding any indapendance and respect for her, depriving her basic human treatent. This is approved when Helmer says: `First and foremost you are a wife and mother. ´ Nora resonds with the obvious "First and foremost I´m a human being" but the fact she needed to state it empathises Helmer does not recognize her demands for equality and respect. Helmer initally believes Nora has no other purose other thana service to him and his chilren.
Torvald tells her that Nora has a duty as a mother and a wife but Nora tells him that “she is an individual”, showing that she is finally putting herself on par with Torvald, and no longer allowing Torvald to control her, but instead she is trying to gain independence and liberation from social norms in order to break free from the “Doll’s House.” She tells him that she must leave him, because “for eight years [she’d] been living with a stranger”, emphasising how there was never any proper communication and mutual understanding between them, and hence no proper marriage, as she didn’t actually know what his true character was like up until that night, as she was convinced all along that Torvald would be the man to take everything upon
Nora on the surface seems to be the epitome of a 19th-century wife, but the audience quickly realizes that she defies gender expectations with the forged loan and eventually with her separation from Helmer. Helmer not only fits perfectly into his masculine role but blindly
It becomes increasingly obvious that nora caanot be honest or sincere in conversation with Torvald- he refues to see her as an intelligent, independant woman and she remains frustrated and inhibited. Helmer objectifies Nora: she is there to complement and enhance him and his standing in the community. He tries to mould her into the perfect wife-submissive, unthinking and obedient.
Henrik Ibsen's Norwegian play A Doll’s House illustrates the story of Nora Helmer, a quintessential nineteenth century housewife, as she keeps the secret of her debt while balancing the care of her banker husband, Torvald Helmer, and household. When the play was first performed, it was controversial because in the end, Nora leaves her family once she realizes Torvald would not have stepped up and defended her in spite of her debt. The play caused such controversy that an alternative ending to the play was made, in which, Nora sees her children and realizes she can not leave them behind. Nora was not justified in leaving because her children did not deserve to be left with Torvald.
Most critics around the world believe the play led to increase awareness on the need for women’s rights in all continents, on the other hand some critics opine that the play depicted women as inferior creatures and dolls who have no personality of their own. Nora Helmer the main character strives to achieve the perfect concepts of life set by the society and her husband. Nora is trapped in her home where her Torvald has built a wonderful life for his ‘doll wife’. Nora’s transformation comes when she discovers the role in doll house imposed on her by the society and her husband and she is desperate to free herself in order to discover her identity.
(Ibsen Act 3; Page 179). Torvald will not even let Nora be around her own children anymore. Instead of just hearing Nora out and listening to what she has to say, he immediately crosses her out. All Torvald cares about is Nora's actions and not her reasoning for these actions, so much so that he dismisses her, to save his own image. Torvald repeatedly shows that he only cares about appearances and is willing to do anything to deceive others, as long as it means keeping a good
One of the greatest things about history is that you can look back on it and see all the changes and events that has brought us here where we are today. One change in history that is still evolving even today would be the role of women. In the play, A Doll’s House, the protagonists known as Nora, and her friend Mrs. Linde, lead a role on how women were treated and expected to behave during the era the play was created. The ideal image of a woman in the past would not fit with the ideal image of a woman in today’s modern society (at least in some countries). Even though A Doll’s House dates back to the year 1879, it is still relevant in the society we live in today.
She is going off to know her own responsibilities towards herself. This kind of self-realization, which usually leads to a new beginning. Nora opens her eyes and observes that her individuality and freedom have been taken in living with Torvald Helmer. Nora is a woman who will not go on living her life on illusions and with a strange man she once called her husband anymore.
This decision forced her to change her role and become financially responsible to take care of her husband and pay back her loan. Nora was able to deviate from social constructs to gain the freedom to engage in finance. This experience in saving to pay back her loan influenced her decision in attempting to live independently. Compared with Torvald, who complies with his gender role by providing for the family and assuming authority as the head of the family. However, he uses his gender role to marginalize Nora to the level of a child or doll.
Nora says “Look, here is the dress; Torvald had it made for me there” (Ibsen 31). Just like a doll, Nora allows Torvald to dress her up, sacrificing her role as a women and making her a doll. Torvald even says “you do as your husband wishes?... you will want to be trying on your dress, I expect.” (Ibsen 33).
Nora’s parting words to Torvald show to the audience her unwillingness to adhere
Henrik Ibsen’s play, A Doll’s House, is often regarded as a contemporary social commentary on marriage, and while that was perhaps Ibsen’s intention in writing the play, his subtle, yet insightful commentary on love - more specifically, blind and devoted love - is nonetheless, a brilliant motif. Through the marriage of Nora and Torvald, Ibsen essentially questions the practicality of falling in love blindly and thereby questions the viability of a relationship - or in this case, a marriage - founded upon such flimsy sentiments. Nora’s unquestioning and devoted love for Torvald, is marked by her willingness to make sacrifices, to the extent of giving up her reputation in order to preserve their relationship. However, her dwindling hope for the
Throughout the play, Nora plays the role of a typical women in the 1800s, staying by her husband’s side, taking care of the children, and doing all the household chores. She does, however, go behind Torvald’s back when she takes out the loan. When she realizes that she deserves more than how she’s been treated and what she’s been putting up with she walks out and says, I have got to educate myself” (Ibsen 915). Nora walks out the door and expresses a way of feminism telling Helmer that she no longer knows how to be his wife and no longer knows who she is. Walking out on your husband was very uncommon for women to do during the Victorian time period as they do today.
A Doll House Analysis The movie A Doll’s House offers a close representation to Henrik Ibsen’s play. Although the script respects the play in most instances, it slightly varies, and certain scenes differ in the interpretation of this dramatic work. A comparison is necessary to reveal the choices that were done in the adaptation process and the manner they were tackled (Labrecque 52). The director of the movie proposes a different point of view when Nora meets Krogstad a second time.
