Nora Pathetic Character

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Similar to Ethan Frome, Nora Helmer is also the pathetic protagonist in A Dollhouse written by Henrik Ibsen. Nora perceives her life and relationship as something totally different than what they actually are. Nora's perception of her husband and her life are the push factors to her tragic outcome. Nora fits the description of a pathetic protagonist because she is relatively passive and unable to understand her suffering until the very end of the play. Hernandez 3 For instance, Nora perceives Torvald's displays of demeaning and condescending attitude as a sign of fondness. Nora is naive enough to regard her pet names, such as "lark", "spendthrift", "obstinate little person" from Torvald as terms of endearment instead of terms to name her as the inferior. Nora is dependent on Torvald, she strives for his attention and love much like a child does to their parent. Torvald's and Nora's relationship more closely resembles a father/daughter relationship, rather than a husband/wife relationship. Nora aims "... to be able to keep the house beautifully and have everything just as Torvald likes it." To the audience it is known that Torvald is the superior but Nora is blissfully ignorant of this due to the fact …show more content…

Nora lives her life in a fantasy world, where she believes that Torvald as her husband, will save her. Nora expects Helmer to carry out his actions when he states, "Do you know, Nora, I have often wished that you might be threatened by some great danger, so that I might risk my life's blood, and everything, for your sake." Even Nora's view on maternal responsibilities is nothing but playing games with the children and purchasing the prettiest outfits while the maid takes on the more realistic motherly role. Nora is unable to look beneath the veil until the very end of the play to realize that she is simply a doll playing in a doll's

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