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A Doll's House Research Paper

1162 Words5 Pages

Influence of the Victorian Era In Hendrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, readers get a glimpse in one family’s life as the strict, demanding rules of the husband are merely influenced by society in the Victorian Era. In the late 1800s’, society viewed men as the head of the household. Strict rules were enforced however there are many different aspects in the story proving that Nora caused many of the problems as well. Even when Torvald becomes verbally abusive, Nora’s actions seem to be influenced by her genuine love and care for him. Though Nora continues to put herself through the difficult situations because of the societal views during the Victorian Era, her actions prove that she genuinely cares for her family. In “A Doll’s House”, strict limitations made by Torvald are displayed in different acts throughout the story. One example where this becomes clear is when Torvald demands Nora to get rid of the macaroons because they are not healthy. Torvald imagines Nora as …show more content…

Throughout the story, Nora tries to hide the fact that she forged her deceased father’s name in order to get help for Torvald. In many scenes she tries to distract him in hopes to postpone him from finding out. In one part of the book, in act III, Nora tries to distract Torvald with her Tarantella, or her dance. While this works temporarily, his attention almost instantaneously turns back to the letter that he has received. In the letter, Torvald reads of the illegal acts demonstrated by Nora. He automatically freaks out on her, and accuses her of being a liar and a hypocrite...“What a horrible awakening! All these eight years-she who was my joy and pride-a hypocrite, a liar-worse, worse- a criminal!” (Ibsen 973). After saying all of these harsh words, Torvald says her father’s actions and principles have come out into her. He tells her to be quiet, to let him talk, and respectfully, she does

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Nora is a married woman and has children to take care of. She really has little freedom because of the way Torvald treats her. She is not even I feel as if deep down she knows she is not free and wants something more in her life then to be a entertaining puppet for Torvald. She realizes at the end of the story that Torvald is not good to her because of the way he acted when she told him about forging the signature. When Torvald called her a criminal and other harsh words she realized that she had no true love from Torvald and wanted to be free from him.

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1418 Words | 6 Pages

In act one, the audience learns about the secret which Nora has been hiding from Torvald: that Nora has obtained a loan from Krogstad due to their financial situation and inability to pay for their trip to Italy to save Torvald’s life. When Krogstad

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Nora’s defiance may have resulted in criticism from society, but Ibsen importantly commented on the terrible treatment of woman in relationships and the world. Ibsen created A Doll’s House in a time where women were treated unjustly and poorly. While the play might seem slightly irrelevant now, it still has a place in the world today. Women can borrow money and leave their husbands; however, society still puts tremendous pressure on women to fulfill sacred vows. The expectation to assure her husband’s happiness and to prioritize everyone else before herself is still an issue that many woman face today.

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314 Words | 2 Pages

Torvald and Nora 's relationship in Henrik Ibsen 's "A Doll 's House" is untypical of the ones found in today 's standards and society. Firstly, there is usually an understanding of equality found within a relationship, whereas Torvald views Nora as his possession, someone he owns. Torvald talks to Nora as if she was a child and tells her what to do. The word "little" is constantly said before he calls Nora by her pet names; "little lark" and "little featherbrain" are a few of them. This indicates that Torvald sees her as a child and emphasizes that he does not see her as an equal.

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885 Words | 4 Pages

When Nora dances the Tarantella and dances more violently, her ego then employs the sublimation defence. This is to express her distress and unhappiness on Torvald almost finding out, however this is done on a socially acceptable way. The relationship between Nora and Torvald is also remarkable, for it resembling that of a father and daughter. The resemblance can be seen

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1436 Words | 6 Pages

The way that Nora responds to Torvald and his many rules show again Nora’s childish nature. This is evident in how Torvald controls Nora and does not want her to eat macaroons. After realizing that Nora had in fact had some, he questions her to which she responds “No; what makes you think that?” (Ibsen 1361). Nora hides the truth from Torvald as if he is her father and is unable to stand up to him because she fears what may happen to her even though they should be equals. Although it may be frowned upon for the wife to make such decisions in this period, Nora knows that this is no way to live, and instead of making that known she buries the idea.

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615 Words | 3 Pages

In "A Doll's House" the main character, Nora, is influenced and controlled by her husband Torvald. He often treats his wife as if she is one of his children, and the bigger problem with that is that Nora follows along with it. She acts very childish

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1283 Words | 6 Pages

The reader becomes very aware of the situation Nora is faced with as Ibsen challenges us to think about the societal times women were a part of during the late 1800’s. As Unni Langas states in her article describing gender within the play, “..this drama is not so much about Nora’s struggle to find herself as a human being, as it is about her shocking experience of being treated as a woman..” (Langas, 2005). This gives the reader an insight into Nora Helmer’s character. She is evidently perceived as the Doll trapped in the Doll house, as she is viewed as an entertainer rather than her own person in the eyes of her husband and children.

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1396 Words | 6 Pages

Initially, Nora appears to be a dependent, naïve girl, yet as the play unfolds, we see her as strong, independent woman, willing to make sacrifices for those who she cares about as well as herself. Henrik Ibsen uses symbolism in order to portray Nora’s sovereignty from the strict social guidelines of morality and appearances in 19th century Norway. The Helmer household is portrayed as the ideal and typical family in 19th century Norway. The Helmer’s home represents the standard middle class home, which is described in the stage directions as a “comfortable and tastefully, but not expensively furnished home.”

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1464 Words | 6 Pages

Throughout Denmark during the late nineteenth-century, the typical marriage was represented with the male dominance because women were looked down upon with no rights or thoughts for themselves. Torvald, the father figure in the play, represents the male dominant figure during the nineteenth-century. Throughout the play, the patriarchal symbolism that Ibsen emphasizes throughout the marriage of Nora and Torvald gives the reader a better understanding as to why Ibsen would put certain symbols to represent a typical marriage. In A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen portrays male-controlled symbolism throughout the play in order to emphasize the standard family structure of the late nineteenth-century. A Doll 's House is a play in the eyes of social

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1329 Words | 6 Pages

I can 't dance to-morrow if I don 't rehearse with you first! Let me rehearse at once. We have time before dinner. Oh, do sit down and play for me, Torvald dear; direct me and put me right, as you used to do (Ibsen 30 & 31). Nora was able to prevent Torvald from seeing the letters for a bit of time by using the tarantella to her benefit.

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759 Words | 4 Pages

During act III, Nora asked to speak to Torvald after her performance of the tarantella dance. The following conversation demonstrated her quest for autonomy and freedom, as well as Torvald’s inadequate responses to her arguments and demands; it also showed how deeply connected her unhappy situation is with society’s regulation of the relationship between the sexes. She asserts that she is “...first and foremost a human being”, and her strong conviction that her womanhood, and the expectations associated with it, are secondary, strengthens her resolve to make a radical choice: A break with both husband and, with necessity due to her legal position, her children (Ibsen, 184). During her conversation with Torvald, she proclaims, “I have other sacred duties... The duties to myself (Ibsen, 184).”

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1567 Words | 7 Pages

In 1880s, women in America were trapped by their family because of the culture that they were living in. They loved their family and husband, but meanwhile, they had hard time suffering in same patterns that women in United States always had. With their limited rights, women hoped liberation from their family because they were entirely complaisant to their husband. Therefore, women were in conflicting directions by two compelling forces, their responsibility and pressure. In A Doll’s House, Ibsen uses metaphors of a doll’s house and irony conversation between Nora and Torvald to emphasize reality versus appearance in order to convey that the Victorian Era women were discriminated because of gender and forced to make irrational decision by inequity society.

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1384 Words | 6 Pages

Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House is a play set in 19th century Norway, when women’s rights were restricted and social appearance was more important than equality and true identity. In A Doll’s House, Nora represents 19th century women entrapped by society to fulfill wifely and motherly obligations, unable to articulate or express their own feelings and desires. Ibsen uses Nora’s characterization, developed through her interactions with others as well as her personal deliberations and independent actions, language and structure in order to portray Nora’s movement from dependence to independence, gaining sovereignty from the control of her selfish husband, deceitful marriage and the strict social guidelines of morality in 19th century Norway. Initially, Nora appears to be a dependent, naïve, and childlike character; yet, as the play unfolds, she appears to be a strong, independent woman who is willing to make sacrifices for those she cares about as well as herself.

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958 Words | 4 Pages

This unhappy secret must be disclosed; they must have a couple understanding between them, which is impossible with all this concealment and falsehood going on,” (Ibsen 52). Mrs. Linde is well aware of Nora’s secret and the consequences that would follow if Torvald found out. When Torvald finds out about the letter, he is only worried about his reputation and his appearance. Torvald says, “From this moment happiness is not the question; all that concerns us it to save the remains, the

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