A DOLL HOUSE
In the play A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen, Nora, One of the main characters of the play, decides to leave her husband, her children and her home so she can find herself. She finally realizes she has to leave when confronted with a problem in her marriage, her husband keeps treating her like a doll, and her father treated her like that. Her childhood friend Kristine encourages her to find the strength to leave. Kristine had a very hard life, and she will be able to support Nora. Nora will suffer severe emotional turmoil by leaving Helmer, her children and her home; she must do so though in order to become an independent and mature woman not a doll.
In deciding what to do, Nora is torn. Whether one should be true to ones self or to be true to their society. Nora opposed society when she committed forgery. Nora refuses to believe that she actually committed a crime when she tried to save her husbands life and protecting her dying father. She was sure that somewhere in the laws these things are allowed. Nora seems to live in a fantasy world, where everything is perfect, and seems to make sense. Nora seems to have lost herself in the world of those she thinks she loves. She has become a supportive wife and a loving mother.
Nora feels that she cannot express herself. She is in a horrible marriage and she is just there to perform for Torvald. She treated as if she is useless and called a featherbrain and many others. Nora forged her fathers signature to obtain a loan because her husband is very ill and needs to go away for a period. She never told her husband about the loan and is being blackmailed. Now she is afraid it will all come out. She really is a very smart woman in some ways but in some areas is clueless. Eventually Torvald finds out and things go down hill. Nora decides she needs to leave and find herself. Torvald reminds her she has duties as a wife and mother. Right now Nora needs to makes changes in order for her to grow. She realizes she really did not love her husband and knew her children would be better off if she left. By leaving, Nora will be able to fulfill her individual morals and come to understand herself. When she walks out of the house, she realizes her entire marriage was a lie, and the world is different outside, and there will be people to help her achieve the independence she needs. She is starting her new independence and maturity by walking out the door and closing it shut.
Helmer cannot believe that his wife has done this to him. At that point Nora realizes he is much more concerned about his career than Nora going to jail, she tells him she did this because she loved him so much but he isnt even paying attention. This makes Nora realize she does not love or really know her husband at all and she needs to leave the dollhouse. Helmer most likely did not love her either. He enjoyed the pleasure of her when she performed for him and liked the control he had over her. However, in the end when the door closes you do feel bad for him. Nora feels her children will be better off in the end and maybe someday she will see them again. They are young and will be ok and have people around them that will care for them.
I feel Nora made the right decision in leaving especially for the time when this took place. If this happened now people would not think twice about her decision. People cannot go through life not understanding them as they will not really understand others. Nora always cared for others and put herself on the back-burner all the time, nobody ever really cared for her. Now she will be able to concentrate on becoming independent and more mature..Good luck Nora.
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