Henry Ibsen’s a Doll House, Essay Example

“Ibsen’s A Doll House is full of symbolism as the protagonist Nora attempts and finally finds herself self-emancipated from the terrible life she is bound by Torvald, her husband for years.” (Ibsen, 1981). Torvald is traditional and is like any other man from this time. Different symbols in her life such as the display of the Christmas tree, the macaroons and the costumes represent her voyage towards freedom. Nora feels trapped like a doll within herself. This feeling commences since childhood for her father has treated her same as her husband Torvald does.  Nora was always treated as a toy by her father and her husband and that is where the title comes from. She goes through a process of anger then to liberation and eventually freedom but realizes she no longer wants such a freedom because she only knows emotional bondage for so many long years since childhood.

“This play was a feature of how middle classed women were expected to live under bondage of their husbands and their plight for more.” (Ibsen, 1981).  The nineteenth century was the commencement towards liberation of women and their freedom in the workplace but many women were still skeptical to make their move because husbands still wanted to keep sort of a totalitarian rule that was traditional over them by keeping them in the home with children only.

Ibsen’s play is one of the most magnificent pieces of literary representation indicative of how women’s lives have evolved through oppressive states and egalitarian overtones forced through men and their skewed thinking. Though women won many rights and privileges during this time this did not simply mean they won their right to do the same and conduct themselves the same as men at the drop of a dime. This right and privilege evolved over years with the long struggles of feminist movements and the Civil Rights Movements through legislative acts.

Nora had a father that was not pleased with her way of thinking simply because it was not the same as his. Her father was traditional in his way of thinking and most likely treated Nora’s mother the same as he treated Nora.  She married a man that was not particularly fond of her way of thinking hence she used to dress as a doll to please him. She used to play games with her children but that eventually led to tenacity and rebellion as her anger grew. As her rage grew and her dignity was stripped so was her marriage to Torvald. Towards the end of the play she strips out of her costume and her ‘real spirit and self emerges.’ Prior to leaving Torvald she become defiant and flirts with Dr. Rank and Dr. Rank eventually declares his love for her. Eventually the loan taken out at the beginning of the marriage by Krogstad comes to light and she sees what kind of man her husband really is. She then wants no part of the marriage anymore. She has always been quite fond of the nice ornamentation and furnishings in their home but they mean nothing to her anymore towards the end of the separation of the marriage. She is more interested in finding her real personality and true self. She has unleashed the doll like personality and found the woman that lay deep inside her. Nora does not act herself when her old friend Christine Linde comes to her asking for her husband Torvald’s help finding a job after the passing of her husband. Instead Nora lives in a fantasy like world pretending her own life is fancy and good and is selfish in a sense. Kristine professes she and Krogstad were in love and thinks she can get him to relent on his promise to make Nora pay for the loan and the blackmail he is holding over her head.

The children are cared for by their Nanny, Anne-Marie for part of the play which symbolizes the significance of what will happen to the children after Nora separates from her husband after discovering her ‘real’ self and learning she never ‘really’ knew her husband at all. This comes to light after he discovers the loan from Krogstad and the deal with Anne-Marie does not go well at all as planned. Krogstad made bad on his bargain.

Nora Helmer certainly was not the traditional type of woman. “She stepped outside the box that her father had created for her and she was much empowered.” (Marker & Lise-Lone, 1989).  Ibsen had a fine way of advocating feminism in this play. Feminism is a realistic way of showing a form of realism in its true literalistic form. Some say that Nora lived in a fantasy word especially when her friend came to her for sympathy after her husband passed away and all Nora could do is rant and rave about her wonderful her own life was. Her life certainly was not wonderful at all. Her friend needed a job to survive. Where was Nora’s compassion?

In the beginning of the play Nora was just like any other traditional woman beckoning to what her husband wished for her to do but as the play progressed Nora began to transform and had her own ideas about what life should be about. She eventually leaves the home and has her own idea that she can support herself just like men can and should do. She simply was trying to form her own ideas and become an individual person who could think, act and develop her own person. That is what the woman of today does for herself, though that was unheard of for women of that day and time.

Ibsen’s play is often viewed in the eyes of many as a huge triumph over the rights of women or the civil rights triumph for women who were long overdue. Ibsen never took sides of whether he was for or against the feminist movement though he let the play move on during the time when feminism was not the ‘in thing’. He simply gave the audience a different viewpoint during a time when it was a ‘man’s world.

In the last scene of the play it is self-evident that Nora’s character, personality and way of thinking is full of dramatization when she states, “I cannot spend another night in a strange man’s house”. She is referring to not knowing who Torvald is any longer. She wishes to separate from her husband of whom she has been married to for years and worse, she wishes to leave her precious children behind, also. This is a new found persona for her because during this time it would be unheard of for a mother to leave her children behind with the father and not say whether she would be returning. This would simply be outlandish and unacceptable socially. Nora would be considered a social outcast in society for making such a move.  She has learned Torvald is not at all the man she has married so many years ago. With her new found self she has been able to take the veil off that once covered a doll-like self. The play ends as the curtain goes down and the audience is in wonderment whether Nora will return. Torvald is dumbstruck and saddened that his love and his toy has left. He does not know how to react nor how to behave without Nora but I have a hint that Nora will sing like a bird for awhile with her new found self then return to her family for she has strong ties of family traditions deeply embedded in her and with her new self she will be able to learn how to set new boundaries with her ‘new marriage’ to Torvald.

References

Ibsen, Henrik.  A Doll’s House.  In Four Major Plays.  Trans. James McFarlane and Jens Arup.  Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1981

Marker, Frederick J. and Lise-Lone Marker, Ibsen’s Lively Art: A Performance Study of the Major Plays.  Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989.