A Doll's House Character Analysis

Improved Essays
The play by Henrik Ibsen A Doll House is a great play, with unexpected ending. The story of ,seams to be, a wonderful life of a family: wealthy husband Torvald, his beautiful young wife Nora , who he is madly in love with, and their three children, living “carefree life in a beautiful charming home” (1457). Helmer’s family , could easily represent a modern family. Nora, who is only worry about material things and pleasing her husband with Christmas decoration and dresses, instead of simple conversation. Torvald, who is more worry about his work position and business than his family, “buying” his wife’s love and attention. Nora’s children that use their mother just as a doll to play.The main characters will uncover lots of unforeseen sides not just of people around them, but most importantly about themselves.
At first Nora seems to be very manipulative,selfish and a greedy
…show more content…
Nora lies not only to her husband and friends, but to her own self , about being so “light and happy” and carefree (1453), but instead she is just a doll in a beautiful doll house,for her husband and a kids. Finally, she finds the strength and exit the miserable world that she has been living in. It is very important , that in the end she realizes that she is a human at first, and then wife and the mother: “I believe that , before all else, I’m a human being no less than you” (1494). She feels clearheaded and tells her husband that the way she is now, she is no wife for him anymore. Nora realizes that has always been a toy in the hands of others. But by entertaining someone, she is making herself unhappy. She had to throw off the “doll’s" mask, to become an independent person, reveal previously hidden features of her character and look differently on her family and herself. Nora has a real strong personality and she is uncompromisingly fighting for her

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    The Doll Breaks Free A Doll’s House is a play written by Henrik Ibsen, the first performance of the play was on December 21st, 1879 in the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark. Ibsen is a Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. His other popular pieces include Brand, Peer Gynt, An Enemy of the People, Emperor and Galilean, Hedda Gabler, Ghosts, The Wild Duck, Rosmersholm, and The Master Builder just to name a few. During this time, women were still suppressed and lived their lives simply to raise children and serve their husbands.…

    • 1533 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Hiding things behind both her father and her husband since forever, Nora has learnt her own way of adaptation and loyalty towards them. Always hiding behind a ‘dominant’ male figure, she would do her own selfish things behind them, such as going in the maid’s area in the middle of the night or eating a forbidden snack (macaroons) behind her husband’s back. Compared to Penelope, Nora would seem to me a more selfish character due to these same reasons. Although, even with her selfishness, she would still do her best in order to acquire her husband’s fidelity. Saving her husband’s potential life by committing fraud against a loan shark, or even leaving her dear husband due to him not meeting her prerequisites of him; during that time period, a woman doing all of this seemed unimaginable.…

    • 576 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the play A Doll’s House many characters play many different roles for different purposes. One very important character- Christine Linde, plays the role of a confidante, role model, and a lover. A confidante is a person with whom someone shares a secret or private matter, trusting they will not tell anyone.…

    • 373 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “A Doll’s House” is one woman’s transition from a housewife with a bit of a defiant streak to complete independence over the course of a few days. Nora Helmer’s rebellion against her husband and movement towards modern womanhood starts out rather innocuously. When Nora is introduced to us, in the first act, she is simply a young woman who wishes to protect her husband and perhaps have the slightest bit of freedom for herself. However, as situations begin to deteriorate her disposition changes, as do her feelings toward the life she has made. Her attitude shifts somewhat gradually throughout the play until around the middle of the third act, when she is forced into a somewhat somber realization that she is unhappy in her marriage.…

    • 1000 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen is a dramatic play that’s set during the Victorian Era in Norway. The play tells the story of the Helmers, Nora and Torvald, whose relationship demonstrates the societal problems of their era as well as exemplifies the stereotypical gender roles of their time. A Doll’s House exhibits themes on gender inequality and presents ideas that show how society dealt with gender inequality during the Victorian era. Most people were unaware of these social ills due to their traditional upbringing. Torvald’s conservative views of the female 's role in society make him ignorant to the wrongs of Norweigan society.…

    • 1335 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Her mannerisms and actions better align with a young child, not a grown woman. Nora’s behavior is continually depicted as happy. Nora is illustrated as laughing and humming. She could be viewed as very disconnected from the world, like many children, she is perceived as oblivious to the space around her. Nora’s stage prompts aid her appearance of a child when they direct her to laugh and hum at even inappropriate times.…

    • 1145 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Those who read A Doll’s House feel for Nora throughout her emotional journey of leaving her husband. The supportive characters of Mrs. Linde, Krogstad and the Helmer children help to further bring out Nora Helmer’s discovery of her own self-worth. Mrs. Linde provides her with a trusted friend and support system in her difficult situation. During a discussion with Nora, Mrs. Linde remarks, MRS.…

    • 1490 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    She asserts “I am no wife for you” and that due to his hubris, Torvald has now “had his doll taken away from you.” She goes on to then explain to Torvald that “I set you free from all your obligations” in regards to the end of their marriage. This is a drastic change from the traits Nora displayed in the beginning of the play where she was dependent on Torvald for all things. She has now liberated herself from his grasp and the play ends with her leaving, never to be spoken to again. Nora’s dramatic shift in confidence and character is spurred on by her realization that she does not depend on Torvald on as deep a level as she once thought and that she is able function as an independent woman.…

    • 1045 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Character Analysis Of Nora In A Doll's House

    • 687 Words
    • 3 Pages
    • 1 Works Cited

    Her actions with her own children can also be explained from the actions of her father and husband. Since she had never been treated any way except as a doll or plaything, she did now know how to be a real mother to them. Just as any child learns from examples set before him, so did Nora learn only the fun and games of rearing children. The nurse was there for all the serious work; Nora just had to love and play with…

    • 687 Words
    • 3 Pages
    • 1 Works Cited
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    (Ibsen 71) However, after she finally realizes that she is as important as the others and she should leave the house and educate herself before she fulfills her function of motherhood. Nora has transformed to a new woman after she understands these In the contrast, her husband, Torvald, stands for society. To argue his belief, Torvald states that “[Nora] [is] not even thinking what people will say” (Ibsen 110). This argument not only shows audience Torvald’s conflicts with Nora, but also implies Torvald’s belief is as the same as society.…

    • 1387 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Nora Helmer is a very complicated character despite the fact that at the beginning of this play it seems like quite the opposite. At the beginning of act one, Nora is whimsical and gleeful and very much like a child. She is very much living in a fantasy world or a doll’s house as the title of the play suggests. Nora has been taught since birth to be similar to a doll. Her father treated her as such in the past and so does her husband at the time the play takes place.…

    • 1148 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Literary Devices in “A Doll’s House” “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen is a modern drama set in a house in the suburbs of Norway during the upper eighteen hundreds. The story centers around a housewife name Nora Helmer and the difficulties Nora experiences living a life acceptable in the eyes of society. People associated with Nora that have an impactful effect on the story include: Torvald Helmer, Nora’s husband and a banker; Mrs. Kristine Linde, Nora’s longtime friend who just moved into town; Dr. Rank, Torvald’s best friend who is an ill site to look upon; Krogstad, a lawyer who worked at the bank; and finally Nora’s three children. The story begins with Nora, who in order to help her family, especially Torvold, borrows money without telling…

    • 1368 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    Nora Helmer’s Childlike Behavior In Henrik Ibsen’s play, A Doll’s House, Nora Helmer ends up falling into blackmail by trying to save her husband’s life. Nora fails to pay back a loan that made it possible to keep her husband alive. Throughout the play, Nora has to deal with these decisions by herself. Nora Helmer is considered to be childish, not only from the way she handles the difficulties that face her, but also the way she handles herself in her own household.…

    • 1416 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    It focuses on Nora, who sacrifices for her husband’s life by secretly borrowing money and leaves him on realizing that her existence as a woman was like a “doll” without any independence or identity in this world. Nora is rebellious character, who struggles to oppose her moral values and find her own identity in the male centered society. Nora can be characterized as an immature, selfish, and perfidious character, whose actions represents her illogical thinking and childish behavior to satisfy her…

    • 804 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    But at the start of the play Nora is revealed who she truly is. “She is laughing to herself, as she gets off her hat and coat. She takes a pocket of macaroons from her pocket and eats one or two; then she goes cautiously to her husband’s door and listens”( ). This shows that she is set up to do things that dissatisfy her partner in order to meet her individual…

    • 1094 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays

Related Topics