Noras Perception of the Miracle in The Dolls House - Book Report/Review Example

Nora’s Perception of the Miracle in The Doll’s House Word Count: Henrik Ibsen’s The Doll’s House focuses on the plight of Nora, a woman in the middle of the nineteenth century, when values surrounding women were very different than they are today. The play opens with an apparently happy marriage, although it becomes quickly evident that there are dark secrets hidden under its surface. Throughout the progression of the play a miracle drives events, but there are in fact two separate miracles in the play. The first is a perceived miracle, which Nora hopes for and places her faith in. This is the idea that her husband will protect her no matter what happens. Her idolism of her husband and her faith in this outcome drives much of the action in the play, yet ultimately this miracle does not come to pass. It is a second, unsought miracle that provides a solution for Nora and changes her life for good. Throughout the play, the way that Nora perceives each miracle is a crucial image that underscores the actions of the characters and Nora’s growth. Nora is portrayed in the early parts of the book as a woman who is shallow and does not have an extensive thought process. Yet, despite this there is an underlying thread of something more. Her shallow nature can be seen in her behavior towards her husband, Torvald. When he was sick, she did not think twice about forging her father’s name in order to borrow money to ensure that her husband is protected. For example, when Torvald is discussing with Nora the concept of borrowing, he asks her what would happen if he owed money and died, leaving Nora with the debt. The question is focused on the fact that even if he was dead, the people that he owed money to would still want it. Nora’s response to the question was “They? Who would bother about them? I should not know who they were” (Ibsen Act I). She has little understanding that there are potential repercussions of borrowing money and does not consider that any harm will come of it, particularly as she works hard to pay the money back. Nora’s perception of a miracle comes from her implicit belief in her husband. She believes that she is fortunate and that her husband is a good, honest man with passionate devotion to herself and her children. Nora is confident that if anything were to happen to her, or if she were in any kind of trouble, Torvald would be there for her and would shield and protect her. This is the miracle that Nora believes in, and she pins all her hopes to it. As she becomes more aware of the dangers of her actions and their potential consequences, Nora continues to cling to this miracle even while she actively works to ensure that her husband never finds out what has happened. The way that Nora perceives her husband and the miracle he can perform is critical to the progress of the play and is a pivotal image. In the nineteenth century, women were financially dependent on men and were not expected to have anything to do with money, nor were they educated to. Borrowing money to save her husband’s life, Nora had little knowledge of the potential consequences. As she says, “If my husband does get to know of it, of course he will at once pay you what is still owing, and we will have nothing more to do with you” (Ibsen Act I). However, the concept that she does not grasp is that by falsifying her father’s signature she committed a criminal act. When Krogstad discusses this with her, she comments: “Then it must be a very foolish law… I don’t know much about law; but I am certain that there must be laws permitting such things as that” (Ibsen, Act I). Her responses show clearly that she believes he is trying to frighten her and that there is no way she will suffer significant harm due to her actions. Nora’s act of borrowing money and hiding that she had done so was partially based on the thought that it could lead to no significant. From the beginning of the play the audience is aware that Nora’s husband treats her like a child. He calls her his ‘squirrel’ and his ‘lark’, and chides her for spending money, calling her a ‘spendthrift’ and reminding her: “still, you know, we can’t spend money recklessly” (Ibsen Act I). Nora is even forbidden to eat sweets, including macaroons, although this does not stop her from doing so. This relationship is clearly not the wonderful thing that Nora imagines it to be and it is built not only on Torvald’s treatment of her but also on lies. The first evidence of this is the bag of macaroons which Nora is eating at the start of the play but immediately puts away and pretends not to have. Later on in the play it becomes evident that Nora is intentionally hiding from her husband that she has borrowed some money and is allowing him to think that she wants money to spend on trivial items. These aspects of the relationship are critical because they provide a clear indication that the miracle that Nora is hoping for may not be found within her husband’s nature once the truth of their relationship becomes known. Up till the beginning of Act III, Nora’s perception of the miracle from her husband remains unchanged. Although she is frightened about the consequences of her actions, and attempts to hide the information from her husband, she still believes that he will forgive her and fix the problem if he does find out. However, at this point it is becoming obvious to the audience that Nora’s perceptions do not correspond to the actual state of affairs. Torvald’s treatment of his wife is dismissive, and he refuses to take into consideration her wishes even when it is clear that there is some genuine reason for her concern. Thus, it is clear to the reader and, perhaps, also to Nora, that while things are okay at present, the reality was nothing more than a finely stacked house of cards that would soon come tumbling down. Nora’s perception of the first miracle has blinded her to the true nature of her husband and the esteem that he holds her in. While she believed in that miracle, she was unable to see the world around her for what it was. As that belief begins to fall apart, her husband’s behavior becomes more obvious and less ideal. The action of Act III brings down Nora’s hope for a miracle and reveals to her who her husband truly is. Her belief in her husband and the fantasy of the way that he would react is crushed by his actual reaction, and he gives no consideration to the hardship that she has been through or to her motives for borrowing the money or for hiding it from him. His reactions are based on the damage that her crime would do to him rather than any emotion or affection towards his wife. This can be clearly seen by the fact that when it becomes obvious that no charges will be pressed, Torvald’s reaction changes, he is no longer angry, and is concerned only with the fact that he has been saved. This is the second miracle, and the more important one of the two. While throughout the play Nora believed the Torvald would have sustained her, this second miracle forces her to confront the reality of her marriage and to decide what to do with her life based on this information. Nora’s best friend, Mrs. Linde, is the instigator of this event, as she convinces Krogstad not to ask for the letter back, forcing Nora to deal with her marriage of lies. As Nora’s perception of the first miracle is stripped away, she is able to understand who her husband truly is and what his perceptions of her are. This information is enough to strengthen Nora and causes her to make the decision to leave him as she does not want to be a doll anymore – she wants to live her own life. The Doll’s House is a play that focuses on a miracle. To the audience it is obvious from the beginning of the play that Nora’s husband is self-centered and will not merely pay back Krogstad and let the matter go. However, for Nora, this belief is the foundation of her behavior and relationship with Torvald. Her perception that he loves her is so strongly tied into her belief of this miracle that when one falls apart the other does also. The second miracle, brought about in part by Mrs. Linde, forces Nora to accept that her life is not the life she imagined it to be and that the husband she adored is interested only in himself and does not consider Nora a wife and an equal. Instead, she is a plaything and a doll, something for him to enjoy and to boast about. The miracle she believed in is no longer real; however, the second miracle provided her with the strength to choose her own life and to be honest about herself as a person. Works Cited Ibsen, Henrik. “A Doll’s House”. Gutenberg. 13 Dec. 2008. Web. 27 Sept. 2012. . Read More