Theme Of Freedom In A Doll's House

In the play, A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, the protagonist Nora changes her definition of freedom from the beginning of the play to the end. The motif of Nora’s changing definition of freedom comes from her character’s understanding of Torvald and the situations she has gotten herself into. As a woman in 19th century Europe Nora is restricted from doing things without her husband’s approval or permission. This brings up the oppression and subjugation of women that Ibsen uses Nora’s character to demonstrate. But the end of the play, both her character’s oppression and her changing definition of personal freedom are evident.
At the beginning of the play, the definition of freedom initially seems clear to Nora’s character. Nora’s definition of freedom is apparent when she says to Christine, “Free from care! To be able to be free from care, quite free from care; to be able to play and romp with the children; to be able to keep the house beautifully and have everything just as Torvald likes it!” (Ibsen 13). This quotes shows that Nora’s idea of freedom is to be a mother for her children and be a wife who is able to maintain a beautiful house for her husband, Torvald. This quote also reveals that Nora has not yet found the true meaning of freedom. She does not yet understand freedom or independence within society. Nora defines freedom at this point in the play as merely the ability to do things for others without worrying about her debt. And, since her freedom is restricted from Torvald, as Nora doesn’t have the ability to speak out what she wants to say to Torvald. Instead, Nora speaks to Dr. Rank about Torvald and about macaroons and says, “You couldn’t know that Torvald had forbidden them. I must tell you that he is afraid they wil...

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... end of the play, the climax begins with the mail being put in Torvald’s mailbox, it has brought unhappiness to Nora; it brought her to the point of attempting suicide. Nora says to herself, “Seven hours till midnight; and the four- and twenty hours till midnight. Then the tarantella will be over Twenty-four and seven? Thirty-one hours to live.” (Ibsen 50). This takes the readers back to Act ll, when Nora talks to Nurse Anne about her children. This brings up Nora’s thought of suicide or the thought of leaving her family behind. No one knows what Nora’s thinking of to do except for Krogstad. Nora says to the Nurse, “Do you think so? Do you think they would forget their mother if she went away altogether?” (Ibsen 30). Taken by the temptation of Nora’s debt, she is suffering from what she should do so she can be free from her debt so Torvald wouldn’t know about it.