Henrik Ibsen s A Doll s House - 1231 Words

A Doll’s House is a play by Henrik Ibsen about the liberation of the protagonist, Nora, from a toxic and oppressive relationship in the Victorian Era. Based on a real friend of Ibsen, Nora portrays a seemingly childish and bubbly persona, caged by noble sacrifices and a web of innocent lies. Manipulative and careful, she works furtively to solve all of her problems independently. This contrasts the view her husband has of her as his little doll. He suppresses her freedom of speech, thought, and even the freedom to eat what she pleases. While readers may get the impression that Nora is immature, she is slowly but surely revealed as an independent and responsible woman. At the beginning of Act One, Nora acts like a child, dancing around†¦show more content†¦While it is apparent Torvald loves Nora deeply, he treats her like an object he is free to and control and play withm hence the name A Doll’s House, which refers to Nora. Nora lives her life to please her husb and due to a childhood of doing the same for her father â€Å"‘I should not think of going against your wishes’†(6) she proclaims, as she wipes the remnants of a macaron off of her face so she would not be found in violation of the strict rules that prohibit the consumption of desserts, â€Å"‘Hasn t Miss Sweet Tooth been breaking rules in town today? [†¦] taken a bite at a macaroon or two?’ ‘No, Torvald’†(6). He dictates the conversation by establishing himself as dominant, using belittling pet names and making his supposed subordinate feel unnecessary guilt for going against his arbitrary demands. She feels the need to lie about something as simple as eating a macaron. Torvald brings out the doll-like, childish tendencies in Nora by inflicting these irrelevant rules and restrictions upon who he imagines to be his thoughtless, innocent, and weak-willed housewife. When Nora is interacting with other characters, these tendenci es are not apparent, because they speak to her as an equal and don’t have the power a husband held over his wife in the Victorian Era. Their relationship is similar to that of a parent and child, which Nora comes to terms with before the end of the play. She