Conformity is a social construct that people tend to have the most control over. If one doesn’t “fit into” societal standards, they either accept their fate by not attempting to conform, or they try to take action. Taking action has either a positive, or a negative outcome. In the case of Nora Helmer in the play A Doll’s House, trying not to conform to society leaves her in a rough spot. Her husband, Torvald Helmer, blackmails her because of her knowledge of a large sum of debt they have accumulated due to medical bills. As an addition from the blackmail, Nora deals with a sort of “awakening”, slowly realizing what she’s worth and how the way society wants her to be is not particularly the way she wants herself to be. What Nora ultimately …show more content…
As a woman whose beliefs and actions are questioned on a routine basis, Nora just wants to help her husband by borrowing money for his medical bills. However, this is seen as peculiar for this time period, as the man of the household would be responsible for all situations having to do with money. It is because Nora decides to take matters into her own hands that her very role in society begins to change. “[Nora]: Do you suppose I didn’t try, first of all, to get what I wanted as if it were for myself? I told him how much I should love to travel abroad like other young wives; I tried tears and entreaties with him… I even hinted that he might raise a loan. That nearly made him angry, Christine. He said I was thoughtless and that it was his duty as my husband not to indulge me in my whims and caprices-as I believe he called them. Very well… you must be saved-and that was how I came to devise a way out of the difficulty” (Ibsen …show more content…
She is instructed by Krogstad to “not do anything foolish” (Ibsen 45) and then attempts to keep Torvald away from any pressing matters. “[Nora]: You must not think of anything but me, either today or tomorrow; you mustn’t open a single letter-not even open the letter box” (Ibsen 49) Nora understands, by stating this, that she can keep Torvald blissfully ignorant to the reality that is, first of all, her getting a bank loan, and second of all, that she got a bank loan from none other than Krogstad himself. In fact, when the truth finally gets to Torvald, Nora seems distressed at first, but progressively her independence starts to
Throughout the change from a carefree doll into an independent woman who is finally finding herself, we see that Nora is acting the way she does due to society. She has lost herself due to being a wife and a mother. Society is typically male dominant and because of the roles she has to fulfill, she lost herself.
Unwilling to accept her supposed role in society, Nora wanted to figure out whether women should live under the guidance of men or if they should make decisions based on their own knowledge. Nora could not tolerate abiding by the rules of her male-dominated society. It took much fortitude for Nora to rebel against the views of the majority of people, and to reflect on the information she got herself instead of letting it be determined by another.
Nora is the pampered wife of an aspiring bank manager Torvald Halmer. In a desperate attempt to saves her husband's life Nora once asked for a loan so she and her family could move somewhere where her husband could recover from his sickness. Giving the circumstances she, as a woman of that period, by herself and behind her husband forged her dad signature to receive the loan. Now, Nora's lender (Mr. Krogstad), despite her paying punctually, uses that fault as a fraud to pressure her so she could help him to keep his job in the Bank where her husband is going to be the manager. Nora finds out that Torvald would fire Mr. Krogstad at any cost. At learning this, Nora trembles for she knows Mr. Krogstad will tell everything to Torvald. She remains confident; however that Torvald will stand by her no matter what outcome. His reaction though is not what she expected and therefore here is when she realizes that she "must stand quite alone" and leaves her husband.
Nora lives in a dream world, a child fantasy, where everything is perfect, and everything makes sense. She thinks that the world would never condemn a woman who tries to save her husband's life or protect a dying father. When confronted by Krogstad, who tells her it is against the law to sign someone else's signature, she responds: " This I refuse to believe. A daughter hasn't a right to protect her dying father from anxiety and care? A wife hasn't a right to save her husband's life? I don't know much about laws, but I'm sure that somewhere in the books these things are allowed." Nora simply does not understand the ways of the world, and the final realization that she is in real danger of risking hers and her husband's reputation, and worse, makes her snap out of the childish dream she had been living.
Happiness through Self-Realization In Ibsen’s play A Doll’s House, we encounter the young and beautiful Nora on Christmas Eve. Nora Helmer is a playful and affectionate young woman full of life and zeal. As the play progresses, we learn that Nora is not just a “silly girl” (Ibsen) as Torvald refers to her. She learns of the business world related to debt that she acquired by taking out a loan in order to save her beloved Torvald's life.
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.
Very early on in this part of the text, the reader is able to identify signs that show Torvald may not fully love Nora at this point. Torvald announced, “It is to get about now that the new manager has changed his mind at his wife’s bidding” (Ibsen 45). He is trying to say he will not listen to Nora because of what others will think. Even if people might not agree, he should still listen to his wife if he truly loved her. At the same time, Nora as begins to show she might not feel the same way about Torvald as she did before. Nora noted, “My husband must never get to know anything about this. Because she is wanting to hide something from Torvald, the reader is shown she does not fully love Torvald enough to even trust him. While it is shown that they do not feel the same way about each other, Ibsen does indicate that both Nora and Torvald do still somewhat love each other. Nora explains, “Torvald loves me; he would never for a moment hesitate to give his life for me” (Ibsen 50). This quote tells the reader directly that Torvald not only still loves Nora, but still loves her enough to give his life up for her. While their feelings towards each other have changed, they still care about one
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
However, as the story evolves, a different side of Nora emerges. She attempts to conform to society’s views of gender roles in order to keep her “beautiful and happy home” and fears that telling her husband about what she did will “completely upset the balance of [their] relationship” (891). ... ... middle of paper ... ... nd society, and the differences between Nora and Anne Marie, the nursemaid.
Nora 's character is a little bit complicated. she is a representative of women in her time and shows how women were thought to be a content with the luxuries of modern society without worrying about men 's outside world. However, Nora proves that this idea is entirely wrong. Nora is not a spendthrift as all people think specially her husband. on the contrary, she has a business awareness and she is mature
Even though it might seem that without Krogstad’s extortion plan, Nora would have never developed her need for an identity but she has shown signs for a new identity well before Krogstad tried to extort Nora for his job back. In the beginning of the play, Nora is already seen to be defying Torvald’s wishes by eating some macaroons. Not only that but when Torvald reminds Nora about last Christmas and how Nora “locked [herself] up every evening, till way past midnight, making flowers for the Christmas tree” (1.125-127). Nora told Torvald that she “wasn’t bored at all” (1.129). This small act of defiance towards Torvald might seem like nothing special but it is a subtle hint that Nora no longer wants to be Torvald’s plaything. Another instance of defiance happens right after, when Nora discuss her loan with Mrs. Linde. Nora was extremely ecstatic when she brought up her loan of Four thousand, eight hundred kroner. She even describes the loan as something she is “proud and happy about” (1.316). Not only was Torvald’s wish of having no debt defied by Nora’s own action but she has a sense of pride and believes that her actions were justified without any input from Torvald. Nora taking out the loan was her first step in approaching maturity and independence and it instilled in Nora’s mind a need for an identity different from Torvald’s. Krogstad’s extortion plot probably sped
The reason that Nora had to do this was because “a wife cannot borrow without her husband’s consent” (Ibsen and Archer). During the time that the play was written women were seen as not being capable of having or obtaining money. Therefore, it was their husband’s job to provide for them. Women were also not able to take out loans without a man’s signature. In order to obtain a loan Nora forged her father’s signature. Nora also does not want Torvald to know about what she has done for him because he would seem weak for not being able to keep his wife in line, which she reveals when she says “how painful and humiliating it would be for Torvald, with his manly independence, to know that he owned me anything!” (Ibsen and Archer). The reason for this is that men are expected to be overtly masculine. This means that they not only act as the provider for the family, they are also the strict disciplinarian, and the person who makes all of the decisions within the household. So if it was discovered that he wife was the one who had actually procured the money for their move, it would emasculate him and ruin his reputation in the
In order to successfully borrow the money, Nora had to illegally sign for her father to receive the loan. Behind Torvald 's back, Nora forged the signature to ensure that the money would arrive before her husband became too ill. Mrs. Linde cautioned Nora that "a wife cannot borrow [money] without her husband 's consent" (Ibsen Act 1). Despite Nora being aware of this law, she pursued the illegal act anyway. This revealed that Nora was willing to anything out of the best interest for her husband. Nora reminds Mrs. Linde that it would be "painful and humiliating...if Torvald [knew] that he owed [her] anything. It would upset [their] mutual relations together" (Ibsen Act 1). Nora 's main focus is to make sure her husband maintains his male dominance within their marriage. This is the turning point in which the audience realizes that Nora is not solely abusing her marriage with Torvald for his money, but rather she is a driven wife is willing to risks to protect her
Nora is the beloved, adored wife of Torvald Helmer. He is well respected, and has just received a promotion to the bank manager. Torvald also obtains high moral standards but he is very controlling and materialistic. During the first scene the couple is discussing the issue of borrowing money. Torvald says to Nora "…you know what I think about that. No debts! Never borrow! Something of freedom’s lost-and something of beauty, too- from a home that’s founded on borrowings and debt. We’ve made a brave stand up to now, the two of us, and we’ll go right on like that the little way we have to."
During the time in which Henrik Isben's play, A Doll?s House, took place society frowned upon women asserting themselves. Women were supposed to play a role in which they supported their husbands, took care of their children, and made sure everything was perfect around the house. Nora is portrayed as a doll throughout the play until she realizes the truth about the world she lives in, and cuts herself free.