Women In A Doll's House

The Sacrificial Role of Women in A Doll’s House

In A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, he portrays a story about a simple marriage life of a husband, Torvald Helmer, his wife Nora, their three children, and their servants. They have been married for eight years and though it seems like a happy marriage, he never saw her as a companion, he was only fond of the idea of her. In A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen reveals how women were seen merely as objects rather than people, they were shown no respect.

At the beginning of the play, Torvald and Nora’s marriage seems very happy and content. Nora has just bought presents for the children for Christmas. Nora seems a bit money-hungry in the first few scenes, giving the impression of an ungrateful wife, “You might give me money, Torvald. Only just as much as you can afford; and then one of these days I will buy something with it”(Ibsen 1347). Torvald often refers to her as if she was a child or pet of some sort throughout the play, “Come, come, my little skylark must not droop her wings. What is this! Is my little squirrel out of temper?” (Ibsen 1347). This depicts Nora as a prize rather than a life partner, she seems very happy when Torvald gives her money though, she has

This initiated an argument that brought reralization to Nora that was a just a facade, “You have never loved me. You have only thought of it pleasant to be be in love with me” (1388). She the becomes aware that she was merely a doll, filling in the role of a mother and a wife, “ our home has been nothing but a playroom. I have been your doll-wife, just as at home I was papa’s doll-child” (1389). Nora realizes that Torvald will never put himself before her to protect her, it was her who was protecting him from judgement, “ Nora imagines that once Helmer learns about her crime, he will generously and heroically offer to rescue her by sacrificing himself” (Moi