Essay 2

Student Name

Professor Orlet

LITO 103-OL01D

25 July 2019

Nora’s Transformation in A Doll’s House

Nora, the main female character of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, who is a faithful wife according to ancient conception of the feminine. The character of Nora depicts a model of a weak, inferior, obliging and respectful lady who always follows the commands of her husband. Nora thinks she is happily married to Torvaldo. They have been married for eight years and have three children. When facing the social mirror, Nora must be reflected in a particular way, and she needs to follow some predetermined outlines, to obligate the prototype of a classic female as expected in that society. Nora's public life is subject to her spouse's choices. Torvaldo controls her dress, dancing, actions and plan when they goes to party or dinner. Nora’s transformation from childish, frivolous to mature ,independent woman is courageous act, rather than a selfish one. Nora Helmer is a true hero, a woman capable of loving as few and sacrificing herself for others in a deeply materialistic world, and at the same time Nora is a pure cry to nonconformity.

From the play Nora and Helmer's relationship can be seen, Helmer represents women living in patriarchal high above. Although Helmer kept saying Nora as "my bird", "baby", "little squirrel" or even "My child," and has repeatedly claimed that love Nora , but in fact he never treated as equals Over his wife. Woman Helmer represents male authority before but obedient. Economically, they have no right to independence in life, they have not achieved equal status with her husband. Therefore, women did not get equal relationship with men. So, what this inequality wrapped up so that women mistakenly thought to enter the era of equality, women gained its rightful place in the family do? This is probably Ibsen on the surface of the problem after the hidden deeper problem.

Furthermore, in the bourgeois society privileged men as selfish, hypocritical nature of the disclosure. Writers in this capitalist society, mainly through successful male Helmer's image to reveal their nature. Nora forged signature guarantor before exposure, Helmer each other for her, however, one when Nora who breach the law for his actions brought him trouble, he immediately thus revealing his true colors. In the dismissal is concerned, selfish Helmer also be fully exposed. His reason for dismissal each other with one hand, he is a university student, on his case too familiar, affect his majesty in front of other people.

In 1885, Ibsen had made ​​a speech, pledged to work for the transformation of social relations, which include women's issues, namely, women in social, family status issues. Nora regarding the forged signature guarantor by her husband knew, finally recognize her own standing in the eyes of her husband, in the family's status, resolved to run away from home. She said her husband and children in addition to their own responsibility, there are other equally sacred responsibility, is "I'm on my own responsibility."(Ibsen). Remarks can be seen as a declaration of women independent. Here, Ibsen that women solve the problem, one must first understand their women in the family, gender relations in the position, then one must fight for their rights as human being’s struggle. In the play, Nora who pinned Ibsen 's hope, expressed Ibsen way for women in society. Nora reflects when women escape domestic constraints, the pursuit of freedom of thought, reflecting the feminist movement of thought Ibsen (Alexander 381).

Additionally, A Doll’s House, exposes the bourgeoisie in the moral, legal, religious, educational and family relations illusion, uncovered in the "happiness", "successful marriage" and other superficial phenomena beneath the shelter of capitalist culture, hypocrisy, and anticipated females' freedom such a sharp social problem (Moi 256). Ibsen in A Doll's House and peels back the way through the layers of the story unfold, analytical psychology of the characters, display character. However, as the work unfolds and especially once the character of Krogstad appears, who years ago lends money to the protagonist, a different facet of Nora is revealed.

Here is also a questioning about morality and an opposition between "feminine" morality and "masculine" morality, which is at the origin of laws as well as capitalist norms. Let's not forget that Helmer is about to become a bank manager. A notable who holds a respected position, while Nora used a scythe to borrow money.

Facing the insistence of the circumstances, she acted according to her own values, discordant with those of her spouse, dissenting with those of the males. She must soon face the uncompromising, unjust, and cowardly reaction of her husband who rushes her to a decisive choice. This situation allows the reader to verify, as Nora has not had such an easy and idyllic life that she could imagine at first, but has had to face very complicated situations , such as a serious illness of her husband, who had to pay for herself.

Faced with this situation, she has to ask for an illegal loan, since women could not ask for loans without the consent of a man, either the husband or the mother. However, in order to preserve moral integrity, mental health and harmony in her husband, she decides to do so illegally , exposing herself to the illegality and danger that this entails. This situation brings her creditor's threats, and even before it, she only worries about saving her husband and her family by sacrificing herself .

However, there comes a time when the situation is unsustainable and finally, her husband, Torvald, learns what is happening, taking against her. Without taking into consideration all the sacrifices she has made for him and for the family, and even wants to leave her, thinking only of what others can think of her and how that would affect his professional career. However, a shift in circumstances frees Nora from the threat, and secondarily, also Torvald, thus completely changing his attitude towards her wife, as if nothing had happened.

This moment is a turning point for Nora, a time when there is no turning back for her. At that moment, she decides to leave her husband and her family. She decides to look for her and do what she wants, to be a free person. She has spent her life being a doll with whom her father first, and now her husband, played and entertained. But at no time could she live her life , always aware of others, acting as expected of her husband and family. Finally, she realizes that it is time to live her life as an independent individual, to start over without anyone's help, to know for the first time in her life what is the meaning of freedom and self - determination in one’s life . So, she leaves her husband and her family, and it was an act of courage because she wanted freedom. Nora Helmer is a true hero, a woman capable of loving as few and sacrificing herself for others in a deeply materialistic world, and at the same time Nora is a pure cry to nonconformity.

Work cited

Alexander, Peter C. "Building a Doll's House: A Feminist Analysis of Marital Debt

Dischargeability in Bankruptcy." Vill. L. Rev. 48 (2003): 381.

Ibsen, Henrik. A doll's house. A&C Black, 2008.

Moi, Toril. "‘‘First and Foremost a Human Being’’: Idealism, Theatre, and Gender in A Doll’s

House." Modern Drama 49.3 (2006): 256-284.