In this three-act play of 1879, Henrik Ibsen gives a whole new perspective to the meaning of a doll house. No longer does the reader consider a doll house to be a fun and enchanting child’s toy, instead it is portrayed as the struggles of feeling caged and powerless. This essay will discuss the development and growth of the character of Nora Helmer as she faces the difficulties of being trapped in the doll house by gender stereotypes, deception, and the power of money. Throughout the play it is slowly revealed to the reader what society at this time and Torvald Helmer himself expect of a woman. With comments from Helmer like “Isn 't it your duty to your husband and children?” (Ibsen 1647) and “Why shouldn’t I look at my dearest treasure?
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At the beginning of the play Nora is made out to be somewhat childlike and sheltered in her experiences and tribulations. As the plot progresses we see there is a lot more to Nora than first meets the eye. As the lies continue to grow and gain complexity, similarly does Nora’s character. The major lie is how Nora borrowed money from Krogsted but told Torvald it was from her father so they could get the medical help he so desperately needed. This begs the question of justification. Is Nora’s deception permissible since it was an act of love and necessary to save Torvald’s …show more content…
As the play opens we see Nora spending money frivolously, then asking Torvald for more. She even asks for money as Christmas time is approaching “You might give me money, Torvald. Only just as much as you can afford. And one of these days I’ll buy something with it” (Isben 1601). One might start to think that Nora is very greedy and materialistic, only thinking of herself and the things she wants, but as Mrs. Linde’s character joins the cast we see a different side to the story. Nora reveals to Mrs. Linde that when Torvald was sick she had borrowed money and now was trying to pay it back. Nora says “Whenever Torvald has given me money for new dresses and things like that, I’ve never spent more than half of it” (Isben 1608). She also explains how she got a copying job for extra money and locks herself away supposedly making Christmas ornaments. It isn’t until Krogsted’s job is in jeopardy that we see the real power of money in the play. Krogsted blackmails Nora, threatening to expose her secrets to her husband if she can’t convince Torvald to let him keep his job. One can infer from his threats that Krogsted’s mind is not on the money Nora owes him but his own personal reputation at the bank. With the threats of exposure Nora begins to scramble but ultimately becomes exhausted by the weight of her lies and lets Torvald find the letter Krogsted has left revealing
At the beginning of the play Nora is made out to be somewhat childlike and sheltered in her experiences and tribulations. As the plot progresses we see there is a lot more to Nora than first meets the eye. As the lies continue to grow and gain complexity, similarly does Nora’s character. The major lie is how Nora borrowed money from Krogsted but told Torvald it was from her father so they could get the medical help he so desperately needed. This begs the question of justification. Is Nora’s deception permissible since it was an act of love and necessary to save Torvald’s …show more content…
As the play opens we see Nora spending money frivolously, then asking Torvald for more. She even asks for money as Christmas time is approaching “You might give me money, Torvald. Only just as much as you can afford. And one of these days I’ll buy something with it” (Isben 1601). One might start to think that Nora is very greedy and materialistic, only thinking of herself and the things she wants, but as Mrs. Linde’s character joins the cast we see a different side to the story. Nora reveals to Mrs. Linde that when Torvald was sick she had borrowed money and now was trying to pay it back. Nora says “Whenever Torvald has given me money for new dresses and things like that, I’ve never spent more than half of it” (Isben 1608). She also explains how she got a copying job for extra money and locks herself away supposedly making Christmas ornaments. It isn’t until Krogsted’s job is in jeopardy that we see the real power of money in the play. Krogsted blackmails Nora, threatening to expose her secrets to her husband if she can’t convince Torvald to let him keep his job. One can infer from his threats that Krogsted’s mind is not on the money Nora owes him but his own personal reputation at the bank. With the threats of exposure Nora begins to scramble but ultimately becomes exhausted by the weight of her lies and lets Torvald find the letter Krogsted has left revealing