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Relationships In A Doll's House

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The word ‘relationship’ is often expressed, as a strong bond that signifies great understanding and trust among people. It acts as a very vital component in one’s life, as it makes an individual more emotionally, socially and economically stable. However, if characteristics such as: deceit, secrecy, and hypocrisy exist between relationships, it can adversely affect one’s life, leading to wretchedness.
These characteristics have been depicted, by Henrik Ibsen within the major characters and their relationships, in ‘A Doll’s House’. In ‘A Doll’s House’, Ibsen doesn’t follow the conventional plot structure of a play, instead he uses a three act play, which splits into, an “exposition” in first act, a “situation” in second act, and then a “discussion” …show more content…

Nora is portrayed as a middle-class house-wife, who is dependent on Torvald for financial support. Nora’s reliance on Torvald makes her a ‘doll like figure’ to him. Ibsen shows this through Torvald’s mocking tone, whenever he calls Nora: “My little skylark”, “My little spendthrift”. The animal imagery, ‘skylark’ is a metaphor for Nora, signifying that just like the ‘skylark’ which is trapped in cage, Nora is trapped and admired but not respected. Torvald expresses his emotional and intellectual superiority and dominance over Nora, by calling her ‘little’ always. For him, she was always ‘a doll, a decorated piece of property’, which is also evident when Torvald trains and dresses Nora for ‘tarantella’. Ibsen metaphorically compares Nora’s life with the ‘Christmas Tree’, the tree and Nora have almost the same place in the house, and that is for decoration purpose, also in reality both are dying in the house. Though Nora projects unconditional love, Torvald takes refuge in pretences and hypocrisy for survival in society and at home. Nora, who appears as a child-like, silly woman, in reality, is much more, matured and intelligent, whereas Torvald, who appears to be strong and benign, in reality, is an egotistical man, who cares only about himself. Nora initially interprets her marriage as holy, but in the end, realizes the hypocrisy that existed within her marriage. Ibsen uses symbols to portray how Nora in the end liberates herself from her hypocritical relationship. When Nora responded to

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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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Ibsen uses doll’s house metaphor to support that aberrant decisions are made by women who are discriminated by an unfair society. Nora realizes truth about real love and marriage. In the house, Torvald reads the letters from Krogstad and shows skeptical changes in mood by showing anger, fear and adoration toward Nora. After all his reactions, Nora asserts, “ I have been your doll-wife, just as at home I was papa’s doll-child; and here the children have been my dolls” (Ibsen 76). The “home” is an appearance of cage where dolls are kept in.

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Torvald perpetuates aids to Nora’s doll-like personality, by calling her pet-names: “Come, come, my little skylark must not droop her wings” (Ibsen 5). Nora follows Torvald around in a submissive manner. Calling her “little skylark” and “little squirrel,” Torvald degrades her as both a woman and a human. The word “little” is also frequently used before the pet names to illustrate how Torvald does not see Nora as equal; rather, Nora is his property or possession, similarly to how a child looks after his or hers doll. Not only does Torvald call her pet names, but he also controls what she eats.

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