A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen - Essay Example

A Doll’s House Introduction “A Doll’s House” is ashort story ed by Henrik Ibsen. The story focuses ondescribing the relationship between Torvald and his wife Nora. Throughout the story, it becomes evident that Torvald mistreats his wife and regards her as a doll that he can manipulate aat his own will. However, Nora eventually realizes that their relationship os not working and opts for a seperation in order to rebuild her life and regain her identity. In his article titled, “Nora as a Doll in Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House”, Chris Westgate illustrates how Nora is treated like a doll in “A Doll’s House”. Evidently, Nora is inhumanly treated exactly the way a doll would be. Nora’s husband Torvald does not recognize her as an equal human being. He regards her as a thing that can easily be manipulated just as children manipulate dolls. Brief summary of the plot “A Doll’s House” begins with a cheerful atmosphere between Torvald and his wife, Nora. It is Christmas and Nora buys plenty of toys for the kids, macaroons, and a Christmas tree. Torvald does not approve of these actions. Torvald loves his wife, but regards her as a plaything; an entertaining doll. It is true that she does sometimes wheedle, pout and chatter because Torvald expects her to behave in such a manner. Just after their first child is born, Torvald falls ill and has to go abroad for treatment. Nora borrows 250 pounds from Krogstad, a moneylender. Both Torvald and Krogstad work in the same bank, only that Torvald is the manager. Nora fakes documents to convince Torvald that the money came from her father. The monetary paybacks from Krogstad go on for many times, all of them kept clandestinely (Westgate 502). Torvald has no idea while Nora hides many more things from her husband. Trouble begins when Krogstad discovers that he is on the verge of getting fired by Torvald. He calls Nora and tells her that he will let the cat out of the bag if he is to be fired. Nora beseeches Torvald to reinstate Krogstad in the bank, but all her words fell on Torvalds’ deaf ears. Krogstad on receiving his letter of dismissal, drafts a letter in which he makes public all the particulars of Nora’s insincerities. Torvald receives and reads the letter, accusing Nora of being a liar, criminal and of having no morality or religion. Torvald disowns Nora immediately, claiming she is unfit to raise her children. Under the persuasion from Mrs. Linde, Krogstad writes a second letter indicating his willingness to withdraw all accusations against Nora. Torvald gets the second later as well, which changes his attitude, making him, declares that he is saved (506). However, Nora still walks out, saying she is going to try to become a bona fide human being, not a doll to cajole Torvald’s vanity. She goes out with unalterable finality. Discussion Westgate makes it evident that fiscal giddiness is an outstanding factor in the development of the plot. Nora’s opening act on stage is paying a delivery boy. The service costs 6 pence, but she chose to give him a shilling (Ibsen 8). She decides not to wait for the change, which is an ostensibly mundane occurrence. The above mirrors the reckless attitude implied in the play. A doll is an inanimate object, used during playtime. The doll, in its dream world, is an object responding to other’s expectations and forgetting to advance itself. Nora, in her dream world, tells the boy to keep the change in the progression of the delivery boy, and not Nora. She reacts to the expectations of the boy, forgetting her expectations. She is passive, just like a doll (Westgate 503). Consequently, Torvald is very domineering of Nora. In the play, Torvald frequently adds “my” to all the favorite names he uses to refer to her. In one line, Torvald refers to Nora as “my dearest girl” (Ibsen 37). This reference is an illustration that Nora is nothing short of “property” in the eyes of Torvald (Westgate 505). Mrs. Linde says that she will save Nora “at any price quotation”, as if she is an item that could be bought. Though Nora is infatuated with the acquirement of earthly possessions, she is in the ownership of Torvald. When Torvald enters into the picture, the latent childlike behavior of Nora becomes more bald-faced. Torvald calls her pseudo names like “little squirrel”, “little miss extravagant” and “little lark”. Nora openly embraces the little epithets of her being treated like a little girl (Wiseman 82). These references are a clear indication that Nora is nothing but a doll that Torvald pampers with sweet words. Torvald, in the play, does bombard Nora with rules and regulations. He inhibits her from doing anything, and their relationship becomes like that of a father and daughter. In the final act, Nora makes a comparison of her father and Torvald. Nora’s father would impose his beliefs on her, and she would act in accordance with them because she wanted not to upset her father. According to Nora, Torvald was culpable of an equivalent thing. At the costume and dance party, Torvald insists that she wears a fish costume so that she could pretend to be something exotic. Torvald makes Nora take on an unfamiliar identity, proving the fact that Nora was being treated like a doll. Still at the costume party, Dr. Rank proposes that Nora attends the party herself, and not as instructed by Torvald. In other words, Rank is signifying that Nora ought, not to be treated like a doll by having other identities placed on her. In fact, the play’s first performance ever was titled “The Child Wife” (Wiseman 85). Towards the closing stages of the play, the doll imagery comes out powerfully. Nora imagines that his husband will stay put, and principally defend her by, not permitting Krogstad to blackmail him. Nora’s dream world is shattered when Torvald notifies her that he would not make the forfeiture. At this juncture, Nora realizes that she has been living with a strange man in the name of her husband. She had three children with him, but his reactions perturbed her. It is this realization that coerces Nora into the “factual world”, and she swiftly stops being a doll. She does not comprehend the fact that despite the fact that Torvald loves her; he loves her as an item- a status symbol. For this reason, it is evident from the fact that Torvald strips Nora off her motherly and spousal duties, but insists on keeping her for “appearance sake” (Wiseman 93). Nora makes it evident that Torvald deemed her unfit to take care of the children when she said, “Indeed, you are perfectly right. I am not fit for the task” (Ibsen 107). To Nora, if her reputation as a criminal would eventually erode the minds of the Helmer’s offspring, then she would be ineffectual as a protector and mother to them. Nora then slips out of her fancy “Neopolitan fish” attire. She highlighted that she was willing to start afresh when she said, “I must stand quite alone, if I am to understand myself and everything about me. It is for that reason that I cannot remain with you any longer” (107). Westgate highlights that the shedding of that dress is symbolic of the change of life of Nora’s part (507). In the past, she was a submissive, childlike item of possession, but now she is an autonomous and mature adult. She is no longer a doll to be manipulated and forced into doing things she does not like, all in the name of love. Nora no longer wants to be a composite of others’ and societal expectations, but herself. She becomes conscious of the fact that his husband is a “doll husband”, their marriage a “doll marriage” and their children “doll children”. Moreover Nora admits that she has been Torvald’s doll when she says, “I have been your doll-wife just as at home, I was papa’s doll-child; and here the children have been my dolls” (Ibsen 106). Conclusion It is evident that Nora is being treated like a doll as explained by Chris Westgate in his journal, “Nora as a Doll in Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House”. For this reason, I concur with because Nora is being manipulated by his husband, Torvald. Nora is in the ownership of Torvald, an item he can manipulate whenever and however he wants to. In the play, Torvald imposes his ideologies upon Nora, who has no option, but to obey to avoid issues. Torvald also refers to her as “my property”, meaning that she is just but an “item” and not a human being in the form of a “life companion”. In her passivity, Torvald also plays with her using funny names with “little” in them. For this reason, it is evident that that Torvald looks down at Nora, as not being an equal human. Torvald also instructs Nora what to wear, to suit his needs. The above is a clear manipulation of Nora as a “Doll”, a fact that comes out clear in the symbolically titled play “A Doll’s House”. Works Cited Ibsen, Henrik. A Dolls House. Rockville, Md: Serenity Publishers, 2009. Print. Westgate, J. Chris. A Dolls House (Review). Theatre Journal 56.3 (2004): 500-509. Wiseman Michael A Dolls House: Ibsens Myth of Transformation. Choice Reviews Online 29.06 (1992): 78-99. Read More