The Use of Power in A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen - Book Report/Review Example

At the time when this play was written, the role of women was limited to bringing up children, supporting their husbands and keeping their house clean and comfortable. The society disliked women to talk of freedom and authority. Politics, decision making and work was left for men and they had authority over women because women were dependent upon their men for there support in household affairs. In this setup freedom, liberty and equality of women were regarded as a bad thing which the society frowned upon.

Ibsen's portrayal of the society emphasizes how middle-class life is limiting, brutal, and unforgiving. He cleverly exposes these hypocritical norms and faults of society and suggests outcomes of this suppression of womenfolk which compelled Nora to secede from her marital life, the society’s values and decided to leave her husband and children just to live a life of her own: “There is another task I must undertake first. I must try and educate myself--you are not the man to help me in that.

I must do that for myself. And that is why I am going to leave you now (Act III). By doing this, she shows and uses her power to lead a life of her own, free from social and ethical pressure of husband and society and becomes equal to her husband.The play is all about the use of power of men over women; and in reaction to the false and hypocritical standards, by women over men. In the first act, we see Torvald dominating over Nora by dictating her not to be extravagant and spendthrift. Then we come across ill fate of Nora when her husband is nearly on deathbed and needs to be taken to Italy for treatment.

Nora's compulsion is exploited by Nils Krogstad who extracts a bond from her, which later in the play, he uses for threatening her and ultimately ruins her whole life. Nils Krogstad exercises his power for mala fide intention and exposes faults of society and law that have nothing to do with humanistic aspect of her doings in order to save her husband's life. Next show of power is that of Nora's father as it is revealed in the last act when arguing with Torvald, she tells him that her husband and father were alike in that both of them used her to amuse and play with her and never thought of herself in context of her own imaginations and desires.

USE OF POWER: The play may be called a play of power or a show of power of opposite gender. The society in which this play was written and produced was dominated by men and women had a submissive role. Hence, in all the play we see men dictating and ordering men to women of their influence. Torvald orders her wife not to be spendthrift and Krogstad orders Nora to make Torvald keep him in his position. In the beginning, Nora herself admires her husband's powers and exclaims: [smiling and humming].

That's my affair! [Walking about the room.] It's perfectly glorious to think that we have--that Torvald has so much power over so many people (first act, beginning scene). However, this admiration fades away when Nora learns her husband does not act according to her guidance and refuses to keep Krogstad. In reaction to these dictations, women also begin to realize they are not treated and understood as human being beloved ones, but merely they are being used as toys and dolls to be played with.

Retaliating, they also start showing their power and influence over their men. The first instance is that of Nora who influences her husband to provide a chance to Mrs. Linde. The she tries to influence him for keeping Krogstad in spite of the fact that he was proven guilty and blackmailer. In the last, Nora's father also turns to have shown his power over Nora, as revealed by self. She says: "I mean that I was simply transferred from papa's hands into yours. You arranged everything according to your own taste, and so I got the same tastes as your else I pretended to.

You and papa have committed a great sin against me. It is your fault that I have made nothing of my life" (Act III, last scene).