A Doll's House Research Paper

In the play Doll House, we see the effects of the falling economy can hurt a family of such high stature. Torvald Helmer and his wife Nora live an upper-class life, filled with riches and not a care in the world. But when Torvald’s health turned south and money becoming scarce, Nora had to take matters into her own hands. However, in this time period, this is very unusual. But being a woman, she is not thought of as a breadwinner for the family. Nora’s marriage to her husband Torvald makes her so restricted that she is more of an object to play with to Torvald, not a real wife. Lastly, Nora lets in why she was never a strong, independent women in the first place. She is the subject of dismissive behavior because her father raised her to be

Even as an adult she was given the things she needed. But when the opportunity came, Nora could work, but in secret. Nora’s lifestyle didn’t let women earn any money for the household. Torvald would have been furious at the thought of his wife doing more for the family that being a wife. But Nora takes the chance and she copied manuscripts for money to pay off the loan and save Torvald’s life. She goes against the social norm and takes charge of her finances.
When Torvald sees Nora, he sees something less than a wife. He never used her real name. Instead, he called her “my squirrel”, “skylark”, and “Miss Sweet Tooth” which are all signs of dismissive behavior towards Nora. Outside of the pet names, Torvald had Nora dress up in a costume and learned a dance for a friends party for everyone to see. Nora uses this environment to her advantage, however. She uses the playful acts of singing and dancing to hide the face she played Torvald throughout their marriage. It isn’t until the deceiving and the lying comes to light when Nora shows her true

He called me his doll-child, and he played with me just as I use to play with my dolls. And when I come to live with you-...I was simply transferred from papa’s hands into yours. You arranged everything according to your own tastes, and so I got the same tastes as you- or else I pretended to, I am really not quite sure which- I think sometimes the one and sometimes the other. When I look back on it, it seems to me as if I had been living here like a poor women- just from hand to mouth. I have existed merely to perform tricks for you, Torvald. But you would have it so. You and papa have committed a great sin against me” (1084).
At this moment, Nora realizes what had been wrong with her life all along. Her environment all began with her father treating her like she is nothing more than something to play with. And when Nora married Torvald, he treated her the same way as her father did. She let herself be in that environment because that was the only way she knew how to live. Her father was the one who taught her to be a doll, and Torvald kept her in the act. After Nora saw the truth of her life, she left the life that mistreated her. She became her own hero by leaving her home, family, and lifestyle to be who she was always wanted to