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A character analysis on mrs linde from a doll house
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In Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House, Christine Linde surprises Nora Helmer with a visit to her house. The two women were childhood friends and have not seen each other in many years. As both characters' qualities unfold during the play, it is easy to see how Mrs. Linde's character traits underscore those of Nora's. Mrs. Linde's serious, responsible nature amplifies Nora's playful, childlike personality; Mrs. Linde's taking care of her sick mother and two young brothers emphasizes Nora's abandonment of her dying father; and finally Mrs. Linde deciding to marry Krogstad heightens the ending of Nora's marriage.
When the audience first meets Mrs. Linde, she seems to be quite a contrast to the childish Nora. Nora is immature and irresponsible while Mrs. Linde come across as being intelligent and demure. When the two are conversing, Mrs. Linde's quiet, reserved manner is dominated by Nora's bold and frivolous behavior. Nora constantly talks about herself and her life, even when she insists that she is "not going to be selfish today, I'm just going to think about you" (Ibsen, 373). She then decides that she "must" tell her good friend something; she goes into speaking about her and her husband's good luck and good fortune, which is enhanced by Mrs. Linde's bad luck and her poverty (Ibsen, 373). Mrs. Linde's husband did not have good fortune--he died and then his business went bankrupt. Mrs. Linde and her husband's misfortune intensify the good luck Nora and her husband have.
Both Nora and Mrs. Linde had ill parents. Mrs. Linde, however chose to care for her sick mother and her two younger brothers while, Nora completely neglected her father. Mrs. Linde took on as many jobs as she could to "make ends meet" and have enoug...
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...nt to continue living in the "doll house"; she does not want to be a "doll" anymore. She leaves Torvald and her children behind and gains her freedom. Mrs. Linde's decision to marry amplifies Nora's decision to leave.
The contrast in characteristics between Nora and Mrs. Linde intensify Nora's qualities. Nora's actions and behaviors are exaggerated because Mrs. Linde's are just the opposite. The way in which Mrs. Linde lived her life underscores Nora's way of life. The differences in Mrs. Linde and Nora's life allow Nora's characteristics to stand out. Mrs. Linde's role in A Doll's House is to set off Nora's qualities as a character.
Works Cited
Henderson, Gloria Mason, Bill Day, and Sandra Stevenson Waller, Eds. Literature and Ourselves. 4th ed. New York: Longman, 2003.
Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll's House. Henderson, Day, and Waller. 367-423.
Nora's second secession from society was shown by her decision to leave Torvald and her children. Society demanded that she take a place under her husband. This is shown in the way Torvald spoke down to her saying things like: "worries that you couldn't possibly help me with," and "Nora, Nora, just like a woman." She is almost considered to be property of his: "Mayn't I look at my dearest treasure? At all the beauty that belongs to no one but me -that's all my very own?" By walking out she takes a position equal to her husband and brakes society's expectations. Nora also brakes society's expectations of staying in a marriage since divorce was frowned upon during that era. Her decision was a secession from all expectations put on a woman and a wife by society.
Throughout A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen illustrates through an intriguing story how a once infantile-like woman gains independence and a life of her own. Ibsen creates a naturalistic drama that demonstrates how on the outside Nora and Torvald seam to have it all, but in reality their life together is empty. Instead of meaningful discussions, Torvald uses degrading pet names and meaningless talk to relate to Nora. Continuing to treat Nora like a pampered yet unimportant pet, Torvald thoroughly demonstrates how men of his era treat women as insignificant items to be possessed and shown off. While the Helmer household may have the appearance of being sociably acceptable, the marriage of Torvald and Nora was falling apart because of the lack of identity, love, and communication.
Upon reading “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen, many readers may find the character Nora to be a rather frivolous spending mother of three who is more concerned about putting up a front to make others think her life is perfect, rather than finding herself. At the beginning of the play, this may be true, but as the play unfolds, you see that Nora is not only trying to pay off a secret debt, but also a woman who is merely acting as her husbands “doll” fulfilling whatever he so asks of her. Nora is not only an independent woman who took a risk, but also a woman whose marriage was more along the lines of a father-child relationship.
In Henry Ibsen’s play the Doll House, Torvald restraints Nora Helmer’s freedom. Torvald sees Nora as a doll and a child instead of an equal partner or wife. When Torvald does not sacrifice his reputation to save her, Nora realizes that “[she] had been living all these years with a strange man, and [she] had born him three children.” After years of having to live as a doll, Nora has an awakening that kindles her passion for freedom.
Whereas one can see Mrs. Linde as mature and world-weary, one can easily read the character Nora as immature and childlike; one of the first examples of this immaturity and childishness can be found in the first few pages. Nora has come in from a day of shopping and in these excerpts we can see her child-like manner while interacting with her husband, Torvald:
Once Nora reveals her deceptive act to Mrs. Linde, we begin to see Nora’s character in a whole new light. One that is much more mature and determined than previously thought. It isn’t until Mrs. Linde accuses Nora of not knowing her hard day’s work that she finally reveals her greatest secret. It is through their common experience of sacrifice that unites them and brings them closer together again. As we reach the end of act one, we begin to see Nora struggle with her new problem of guilt.
The characters of this play help to support Ibsen's opinions. Nora's initial characteristics are that of a bubbly, child-like wife who is strictly dependent on her husband. This subordinate role from which Nora progresses emphasizes the need for change in society's view of women. For Nora, her inferior, doll-like nature is a facade for a deeper passion for individuality that begins to surface during the play and eventually fully emerges in the ending. An example of this deep yearning for independence is shown when Nora tells her friend, Kristina Linde about earning her own money by doing copying. Nora explains, "it was tremendous fun sitting [in her room] working and earning money. It was almost like being a man" (A Doll's House, 162). Mrs. Linde is an inspiration to Nora, because Kristina has experienced the independence that Nora longs for.
Nora is a dynamic character. When the play begins Nora is viewed and presented as a playful and carefree person. She seems to be more intent on shopping for frivolous things. But, as time goes on it becomes apparent that Nora actually has a certain amount of seriousness in her decisions and actions in dealing with the debt she incurred to save Torvald’s life. Nora’s openness in her friendship with Dr. Rank changes after he professes his affections toward her. Her restraint in dealing with him shows that Nora is a mature and intelligent woman. Nora shows courage, not seen previously, by manipulating her way around Krogstad and his threats to reveal her secret. After feeling betrayed by Torvald, Nora reveals that she is leaving him. Having
The theme in the play is widely centered on independence, as Nora shares her experiences with it during the beginning of the play. In Act I, it is Christmas Eve and Nora is decorating the house while Dr.Rank and Mrs. Linde visit the household. Nora and Mrs. Linde began talking, and Nora starts to reminisce about the time when she and Torvald had first gotten married and she was required to work to earn extra money because they were having financial difficulties. Nora looks back on that moment and has fond memories although the working world is seen as a “man’s” world; she reveled in the independence to make...
(Mrs. Linde and Nora) express their feelings of pride and fulfillment in helping their significant others by sacrificing themselves. Nora’s character is made more obvious to us by Mrs. Linde’s actions. Not only did Nora open her mouth about saving her husband‘s life, but she did it with the utmost pride. Claiming to have raised all the money herself she soaks in her self-importance. In Act 1, Nora seems to thrive on the pride she gets from borrowing the money. I suppose that she is feeling useful for a change.
In the play A Doll House, by Henrik Ibsen, Nora and Torvald’s marriage seems to have been torn apart by Krogstad’s extortion plot, but in reality their marriage would have ended even without the events in the play. Torvald’s obsession with his public appearance will eventually cause him to break the marriage. Nora’s need for an identity will ultimately cause her to leave Torvald, even without Krogstad’s plot. Lastly, the amount of deception and dishonesty between Torvald and Nora would have resulted in the same conclusion sooner or later. In this essay, I will argue that Nora and Torvald’s relationship would have ended even without Krogstad’s extortion plot.
Mrs. Linde, a childhood friend of Nora's, and Dr. Rank, Torvald's best friend, both arrive at the Helmer home at the same time. Dr. Rank retires to Torvald's study, and Mrs. Linde reacquaints with Nora. The two have not seen one another in about a decade. Nora acts very much like a naïve child throughout the conversation with her friend. She tells Mrs. Linde about Torvald's approaching appointment to bank manager and expresses how relieved she is that they will soon have all the money they...
In his play, A Doll 's House, Henrik Ibsen develops the character of Torvald’s wife, named Nora. Nora struggles to define her individuality as she seems to play two different characters. Partly living as Torvald 's perfect wife, while also living day by day to attempting to conceal a big secret from her husband that could potentially destroy his business. While trapped within Nora 's degrading marriage that consists of many animal names, secretly, her character develops into determined and intelligent women. It is in this secret, that Nora recognizes she must break away from her marriage and follow her dreams of being a strong independent woman.
In "A Doll's House", Ibsen portrays the bleak picture of a role held by women of all economic classes that is sacrificial. The female characters in the play back-up Nora's assertion that even though men are unable to sacrifice their integrity, "hundreds of thousands of woman have." Mrs. Linde found it necessary to abandon Krogstad, her true but poor love, and marry a richer man in order to support her mother and two brothers. The nanny has to abandon her children to support herself by working for Nora. Though Nora is economically advantaged, in comparison to the other female characters, she leads a hard life because society dictates that Torvald be the marriages dominant member. Torvald condescends Nora and inadvertently forces Nora to hide the loan from him. Nora knows that Torvald could never accept the idea that his wife, or any other woman, could aid in saving his life.
Abcarian, Richard, Marvin Klotz, and Samuel Cohen. Literature: the Human Experience. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2010. Print.