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Becoming Independent Throughout A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen illustrates
through an intriguing story how a once infantile-like woman gains independence
and a life of her own. Ibsen creates a naturalistic drama that demonstrates how
on the outside Nora and Torvald seam to have it all, but in reality their life
together is empty. Instead of meaningful discussions, Torvald uses degrading pet
names and meaningless talk to relate to Nora. Continuing to treat Nora like a
pampered yet unimportant pet, Torvald thoroughly demonstrates how men of his era
treat women as insignificant items to be possessed and shown off. While the
Helmer household may have the appearance of being sociably acceptable, the
marriage of Torvald and Nora was falling apart because of the lack of identity,
love, and communication. Nora Helmer was a delicate character and she relied on
Torvald for her identity. This dependence that she had kept her from having her
own personality. Yet when it is discovered that Nora only plays the part of the
good typical housewife who stays at home to please her husband, it is then
understandable that she is living not for herself but to please others. From
early childhood Nora has always held the opinions of either her father or
Torvald, hoping to please them. This mentality makes her act infantile, showing
that she has no ambitions of her own. Because she had been pampered all of her
life, first by her father and now by Torvald, Nora would only have to make a
cute animal sound to get what she wanted from Torvald, “If your little squirrel
were to ask you for something very, very, prettily” (Ibsen 34) she said. Through
their everyday conversation, Nora and Torvald reveal that they have a
relationship full of meaningless talk and games. “Is that my little squirrel
bustling about?” (2), Torvald questions Nora. “Yes!” (2) She answers, running up
to Torvald like a puppy. Because of her whimsical attitude, Torvald had assumed
that Nora was always happy and carefree, so what reason would there be for
meaningful conversation? Their relationship consisted of nothing truly real.
Everything was fun and games and for show. Torvald scolded Nora like he would a
child, “Hasn’t Mrs. Sweet Tooth been breaking rules today in town…” (4). Then,
Nora would respond as a young child would facing punishment, “I should not think
of going against your wishes” (4). This type of communications cannot be healthy
in any relationship, and greatly hindered the relationship between the two.
Finally, when Nora realized that they needed to seriously converse the timing
was too late, “We have been married eight years now. Does this not occur to you
that this is the first time that we two, you and I, husband and wife, have had a
serious conversation?”
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