Introduction
The play "A Doll's House" by Henrik Ibsen focuses on a female character, Nora. It highlights her struggle to find her independence in a world that is dominated by males under a patriarchal community. The play opens with the introduction of Nora and her husband Torvald, where the play paints a picture of a happily married couple to the audience. However, as the narrative progresses, instances of their unhappy relationship are revealed through demonstrating their dominant-submissive style of marriage and other apparent issues. Therefore, the audiences are challenged to identify a practical and applicable interpretation for the couple.
The play initially defines Nora as a person who is utterly satisfied, and her life is centred on money. For instance, she hands the porter a pound when he had only asked for a shilling. Moreover, this opening introduces the theme of money such that Nora is not reluctant in giving the porter extra money to illustrate how she is not in-tuned to the value of money as she acts heedlessly by giving it away to the porter. This irresponsibility progresses throughout the play and facilitates the occurrence that shatters Nora's household. However, some audiences would argue that Nora was naïve and reliant on men. Nevertheless, the fact that Nora can tip the porter almost twice the required amount he needed and partake in a shopping excursion before meeting the porter would illustrate that Nora was spending her husband's money lavishly as it was the only form of control that she could access in her relationship. Some members of the audience would claim that Nora's outlook on life or ways of thinking is subjugated to the consumerist and materialistic attitudes. Therefore, even though Nora is capable of spending her money, the source and creator of the money is still her husband, who is a man. This illustrates that she is unable to earn her own money as it is part of the patriarchal society.
Just as Nora is portrayed as an ideal domestic wife, who takes care of her household, her husband Torvald Helmer is illustrated as a highly regarded husband in the nineteenth century as his occupation helps him to earn a lot of money to enable himself and his family. However, his perception of his wife is that she is wholly dependent on him and his capabilities. Therefore, he often uses a patronizing voice when communicating with her to demonstrate his superiority over her. For instance, he calls her a squander bird and asks her if she has overspent her money (Ibsen 8). Nevertheless, even though the materialistic and consumeristic world consumes him, he has noble attitudes that enable him to hold the respect of the audience continuously. For instance, he explains that "a home that is founded on debts and bowing can never be a place of freedom and beauty" (Ibsen 4).
The title of the play "A Dolls House" implies childlike mannerisms, adolescence and a being with commanding power over the situation. This notion can be identified in the narrative where Nora is portrayed as a doll that belongs to Torvald and is one of the many dolls in society. Furthermore, the setting of the play which comprises of a single location which contains a room that is cheap but seems comfortable and tasteful. This setting resembles a dollhouse where Nora feels trapped. Nora is often restricted to this room until the final scenes, where she considers the idea of restriction (Ibsen 17). Although some of the audience could justify that this restriction is due to her gender, she still retains more authority compared to her children. This notion, however, equates her to a smaller figure such as a child when compared to other characters such as her husband, Torvald. Moreover, Nora has internalized her gender role as illustrated when she buys her sons a sword and a horse to demonstrate bravery, authority justice, dominance and freedom. At the same time, her daughter only gets a doll and a cradle to illustrate her future (Ibsen 05).
The gifts of a doll and cradle that Nora gives her daughter create an image that is associated with the typical female characters in the play. Her daughter, Emmy, receives these toys to prepare her for future roles associated with motherhood which will be her rightful place in the society in future. Nora further says that the gifts given to her daughter are nothing much. However, the term "nothing" signifies the excessive money that she used to purchase the boys' toys compared to what she used to buy the doll and cradle for Emmy (Ibsen 07). Thus, the play used these toys to illustrate that female gender in the nineteenth century were not treated equally to the males. Therefore, this notion was incorporated from the earlier stages in life and continues as they become older.
Nora and Torvald's relationship demonstrated by their relationship maturity can be considered as a patriarchal relationship where Torvald acts more like a father to Nora instead of a husband. In contrast, Nora whines at Torvald, which illustrates poor judgment and that she does not consider the consequences of her behaviour. This behaviour is similar to the relationship demonstrated by Willy and Linda in the narrative "Death of A Salesman" by Arthur Miller. In this situation, both Willy and Torvald are portrayed as victims of a materialistic world where individuals are distinguished by the amount of money they generate and not by their character or contribution to society. Therefore, the pressures that both men face make them insecure (Miller 08). However, contrary to Lind and Willy's relationship where Linda takes up the paternal role, Torvald, in this play, is the paternal figure who exerts punishment through actions such as "playfully taking her by the ear" (Ibsen 06). Although the term playfully is used to illustrate enjoyment, the words "take her" present exertion of force to demonstrate that Torvald is the masculine figure which has control over Nora.
The play also paints Nora as a childlike character who is often belittled by her husband the stage actions such as Nora humming and tiptoeing across the room can be used to illustrate her childlike behaviour as tiptoeing suggests a sense of respect and fear such that she does not want to disturb her husband with noises. Additionally, Nora is often linked with little animals as her husband calls her names such as "my little squander-bird" or "my little squirrel". However, these words dehumanize her as she is seen as an animal that needs to be owned by someone, and she cannot be free (Ibsen 02). These features make her powerless in the audience's eyes as she is seen as an object or a trophy that her husband can show off to others. Therefore, Nora is not free to the extent that she develops behaviours similar to those of a child since she is often treated like one.
Nora can also be identified as deceptive and manipulative towards her husband even though she illustrates submission to Torvald. She utilizes her feminine attributes of splendour to manipulate Torvald sexually. Nora often flirts with her husband to get more money that she can splurge. Moreover, she deceived her husband all through the narrative by hiding her erroneous money-borrowing actions from him. This notion also facilitates dramatic irony, as Torvald thinks that he is smarter than her and does not require her assistance when she is more intelligent compared to him.
The narrative illustrates the notion of segregation between the couple such that Torvald is entirely separated to Nora physically and intellectually. The physical factor that facilitates this separation is "Helmer's Study" that completely separates Nora from the world of men as well as the business world (Ibsen 10). Moreover, Torvald does not care for Nora's world, and he insists that the domestic universe comprises of "useless things for the house". The application of the term useless illustrates that Nora's world is irrelevant, which further demonstrates how Torvald is not interested in his wife's work but is focused on being the breadwinner of the family. Additionally, the term "debt" is used in the play to illustrate the loss of control. Torvald believes that he should not depend on other people if he wants to be successful as it is his role as a man to provide for his family. According to him, borrowing money was a form of submitting control to another person.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the play uses Nora and Torvald as compelling characters to illustrate the stereotypical outlook that society forced upon them. The author uses them as a way of criticizing community experiences of how men and women should behave. The opening scene of the play illustrates a happy and loving home with couples that seem ideal, perfect and loving. However, as the narrative progresses, the dark nature of the family is brought to light and presented to the audience for them to make appropriate judgment.
