A Doll’s House
by
Henrik Ibsen
(Character of Nora Helmer)
At the beginning of A Doll House, Nora
seems completely happy. She responds fondly to Torvald's teasing, speaks with
enthusiasm about the extra money his new job will provide, and takes pleasure
in the company of her children and friends. She does not seem to mind her
doll-like existence, in which she is coddled, pampered, and patronized.
As the play progresses, Nora reveals, that
she is not just a "silly girl", as Torvald tells her. She realizes
that the business details related to the loan she took to preserve Torvald's
health indicate that she is intelligent and possesses abilities beyond mere
wifehood. Her account of her years of covert labor to repay her debts reveals her
determination and ambition. Additionally, the fact that she was willing to
break the law to ensure Torvald's health shows her courage.
Krogstad’s blackmail and the trauma
that follows do not change Nora’s nature; they open her eyes to her unfulfilled
and underappreciated potential. “I have been performing tricks for you,
Torvald,” she says during her climactic confrontation with him. Nora comes to
realize that in addition to her literal dancing and singing tricks, she has
been putting on a show throughout her marriage. She has pretended to be someone
she is not, in order to fulfill the role, that Torvald, her father, and society
at large have expected of her.
Torvald’s severe and selfish reaction
after learning of Nora’s deception and forgery is the final catalyst for Nora’s
awakening. But even in the first act, Nora shows that she is not totally
unaware, that her life is at odds with her true personality. She defies Torvald
in small yet meaningful ways—by eating macaroons and then lying to him about
it, for instance. She also swears, apparently just for the pleasure she derives
from minor rebellion against societal standards. As the drama unfolds, and as
Nora’s awareness of the truth about her life grows, her need for rebellion
escalates, culminating in her walking out on her husband and children to find
independence.
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