“A Doll’s House” written by Henrik Ibsen dates back to mid-19th-century Norwegian society. During this time, men and women maintained strict gender roles. Gentlemen ruled society with laws and masculinity while women brightened households up with their gentle looks and admiration towards their husbands. In 1879, the author of the play presented his work to an audience who held these specific traditions in their lives. Negative reactions rose to the controversy but also introduced a new perspective that encouraged support for social progress. Years after his play’s initial premiere, the writer recognizes that the plot line indicates feminist themes, but most importantly represents individual development regardless of gender. “A Doll’s House”, …show more content…
Her husband, Torvald, is a character that places Nora’s limits upfront for the audience to see. After a day of shopping and spending, Nora returns home to her husband, only to hear his remarks such as “What a woman you are!... No one would believe how much it costs a man to keep such a little bird as you... You're a strange little being!”. These comments made towards Nora resemble phrases that can be made to actual pets rather than women. At the time, it was acceptable for a woman to be considered a man’s trophy and a doll to demonstrate in public, resulting in women symbolically representing purity, warm heartedness, and loyalty. This environment holds a mentality that is poisoning to all. Nora asks her husband for a Christmas gift consisted of purely money, gleefully following his lead with the pet names, “ H'm! If you only knew, Torvald, what expenses we larks and squirrels have,”. Nora is not a mindless woman despite her husband’s comments throughout the story. She understands the image she must maintain underneath that household, therefore her refusal to tell her husband of her secret is the initiation stage - the hero crosses a threshold into a new, more dangerous world, gaining a more mature perspective- of the heroic archetype. She reveals her secret deed to
Upon the first glance of Torvald and Nora’s relationship, Nora is returning from a day of Christmas shopping. She is acknowledged by her husband’s greetings of belittling pet names that he uses in an inconspicuous thus unnoticed form of verbal oppression and a verbal stake to claim her as his property “But if Helmer considers Nora his property, as he apparently does, Nora encourages him to do so. To him, she calls herself his little squirrel and his lark” (Dukore 121). These actions are not Nora’s fault, it appears Nora does not fight his degrading pet names because she knows no difference and also it benefits her in the ability to manipulate Torvald w...
Nora clearly represents the doll of the house and Torvald's dehumanization of her is flagrant throughout the story. He relentlessly refers to his wife through the use of pet names such as "my little skylark" and "my helpless little squirrel." In addition Torvald uses the possessive "my" often to reflect the notion that she belongs solely to him. She is his plaything, his toy, and his possession. Torvald even states to Nora that it was "quite expensive for him to keep such a pet." Once Torvald becomes aware of his wife's transgressions he reduces even her further calling her a miserable creature and a heedless child.
The protagonist of “A Doll’s House”, Nora Helmer, has a perfect life that has been made up, planned, and all done for her by the society and her husband, Torvald. Nora is trapped in a “dollhouse” that is her physical and actual home. Her husband has made and built a perfectly arranged life for his doll wife, and their dolly children. Nora’s relationship with her husband appears lovely and pleasant at first. Indeed she loves Torvald, at least that was what is expected of her. Women are supposed to love their husbands and their husband’s opinion is usually prioritized and superior towards the women’s. It was the custom of that time that women are expected to love their husbands and follow what they say. In the play, Torvald pampers Nora and talks to her as if she was a little baby. He treats her with no respect and sees her as nothing more than a doll, a pet, and a property he owns. Torvald sometimes puts up money above Nora’s head and lets her jump for it like a pet. In t...
Nora herself is an obvious symbol. She represents the “doll” of the house as if she is the wife that her husband wants her to be but not so much that on the inside. Her husband, Torvald, treats her as if she is a toy instead of a human. He calls Nora with pet names as if she is an animal. “Come, come, my little skylark must not droop her wings. What is this! Is my little squirrel out of temper? It’s a sweet little bird, but it gets through a terrible amount of money. You wouldn’t believe how much it costs a man when he’s got a little song-bird like you!” Torvald announces in Act I (What). She hides things from her husband which shows how broken she is. When Torvald finds out about Nora's fraud, he feels betrayed and scandalized. Nora Helmer represents how most women were treated as a possession of their husbands and/or fathers and also represents immaturity. Although...
Genders have always played a major role in society and the household throughout history. These conventions are the rules that society functions from and more importantly the ideals crucial to ones overall social status. Husbands are to support the family with financial success, which involves freedom from debt and moral guilt; meanwhile, wives have a submissive role and are to be economically and socially dependent on their husbands. Some form of gender stereotype has been a foundation to social structures throughout time. Henrik Ibsen challenges the ideals of the bourgeoisie lifestyle and gives the reader a different perspective through the play A Doll’s House. Ibsen breaks down the stereotypical role through the main female character, Nora Helmer, who fulfills a doll like stereotype very well but as the story evolves, the play shows it is only a performance in order to save her husband’s pride.
Due to Nora conforming to this, her rebellion slowly begins to seep out behind the facade in which she has put up due to trying to be perfect and the “ideal” Victorian wife for her husband and her children children. As Nora was maturing, she began to adapt to this social role of being a wife and a mother in the society in which she lived in because “no one wanted to be called a ‘blue-stocking,’ the name given to women who had devoted themselves too enthusiastically to intellectual pursuits.” (Hughes) Like this reform, many women followed in an act of equality and the pursuit of happiness, like Nora did when she realized that her life was like a doll in a home that Torvald built for her. Nora’s realization was not expected as women’s thoughts were not allowed to be expressed, as it could be associated with an ailment. This was a shock to the storyline as “society during this era made it impossible for women to make any advancements,” so Nora deciding to leave her destined occupation and role was beyond surreal during this time.
Nora Helmer was a delicate character and she relied on Torvald for her identity. This dependence that she had kept her from having her own personality. Yet when it is discovered that Nora only plays the part of the good typical housewife who stays at home to please her husband, it is then understandable that she is living not for herself but to please others. From early childhood Nora has always held the opinions of either her father or Torvald, hoping to please them. This mentality makes her act infantile, showing that she has no ambitions of her own. Because she had been pampered all of her life, first by her father and now by Torvald, Nora would only have to make a cute animal sound to get what she wanted from Torvald, “If your little squirrel were to ask you for something very, very, prettily” (Ibsen 34) she said.
In A Doll's House, Torvald Helmer's attitude toward his wife Nora can be seen in the ways in which he refers to her. In line 11 of the first act, we come across the first instance of Torvald's bird references to Nora with "Is that my little lark twittering out there?" This reference is the first of many in which Torvald refers to Nora as a lark. Often this referencing is preceded by diminutive terms such as "little" and "sweet, little." Torvald also refers to Nora as a squirrel, a spendthrift, a songbird, and a goose, these terms also preceded with a diminutive. The significance of this nicknaming is to show Torvald's attitude toward Nora. Torvald sees Nora as small, sweet, unobtrusive and therefore easily controlled. This position is one he would like Nora to continue to occupy. In line 257, Torvald refers to Nora as "my richest treasure" denoting his attitude toward her as his possession.
In its historical context A Doll’s House was a radical play which forced its audience to question the gender roles which are constructed by society and make them think about how their own lives are a performance for Victorian society.
Henrik Ibsen paints a sad picture of the sacrificial role of women throughout all social economical classes in his play “A Doll House”. The story is set in the late 19th century and all minor female characters had to overcome adversity to the expense of love, family and self-realization, in order to lead a comfortable life. While the main female protagonist Nora struggles with her increasingly troubled marriage, she soon realizes, she needs to change her life to be happy as the play climaxes. Her journey to self-discovery is achieved by the threat of her past crime and her oppressing husband, Torvald and the society he represents. The minor female characters exemplifying Nora’s ultimate sacrifice.
Nora and Torvald's relationship, on the outside appears to be a happy. Nora is treated like a child in this relationship, but as the play progresses she begins to realize how phony her marriage is. Torvald sees Nora's only role as being the subservient and loving wife. He refers to Nora as "my little squirrel" (p.1565), "my little lark" (p.1565), or "spendthrift"(1565). To him, she is only a possession. Torvald calls Nora by pet-names and speaks down to her because he thinks that she is not intelligent and that she can not think on her own.
Torvald even calls Nora pet names like "my sweet little lark" and "my squirrel”. These nicknames may seem harmless and cute, but in reality, the names actually show how little he thinks of her and how he’s the one harnessing the power in the relationship. When Torvald says "my little squirrel" he is suggesting that he in fact owns Nora and that she is second-rate to him, since she is seen as little and as a squirrel which are usually frightened, non-threatening creatures. Torvald sees women as both child-like, helpless creatures detached from reality and who are responsible for taking care of the chores and children while staying inside the house. Gender roles are also seen in the rules Torvald for Nora to follow.
The idea of equality for women has been the subject of countless books, speeches, and performances for decades. The concept of a world in which a woman can be considered equal to a man is not a new concept in today’s society, but it was in that of 19th century Norway. This is the world of noted playwright Heinrik Ibsen, a forward thinking individual with ideas that challenged the restrictions of society time and time again. A forerunner in the women’s rights movement, Ibsen’s play A Doll’s House offers a commentary much before its time on the dangers of a patriarchal society through the evolution of its protagonist, Nora. In his play, Ibsen uses the Christmas tree to symbolize the growing empowerment and independence of Nora, as well as the steady deterioration of Nora and Helmer’s marriage.
The role of women has changed significantly throughout history, driven by women who took risks in setting examples for others to follow. Henrik Isben, author of A Doll's House, said “ A woman cannot be herself in society of the present day, which is an exclusively masculine society, with laws framed by men and with a judicial system that judges feminine conduct from a masculine point of view” (Innes 147). This proves that Isben was aware of male dominance in society during that time period. In his drama, “A Doll's House,” it deals with gender favoritism and male dominance.
In the beginning of the play, the reader is introduced to the Helmer household on Christmas eve; Nora purchases a Christmas tree to be used as the main ornament in the house and brings it in to be decorated. Shortly after, Torvald, her husband, approaches her by referring to her as his “little lark”(12) and his “little squirrel”(12). Shortly after, Torvald criticizes Nora for eating a macaroon: “Not nibbling sweets?..Not even taken a bite at a macaroon or two?”(14). Torvald “was only joking”(15). Perhaps it was the way the couple communicated at all times, but Torvald’s teasing is also manipulative. Nora seems to believe anything Torvald tells her; as naive as she is, she believes Torvald is only playing with her. However, as the man of the house, he does cause Nora to consistently ask for his approval, or fear his rejection: “I should not think of going against your wishes”(15), Nora says.