Torvald, plagued by time? After reading the drama A Doll House, audiences often question if Torvald is an antagonist to Nora or if the time period is to blame for his treatment of her. In the play A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen, Torvald Helmer causes his wife to walk out on him because of the way acts towards her. After analyzing the time period in which it is written, Nora would not have been the only women treated in this manner. Throughout the play Torvald plays with her like a doll. He picks her outfits, scolds her, and requires her absolute obedience, especially regarding money. Nora is a grown women and can think for herself, yet allows Torvald to make all of the decisions regarding the house and home. Moreover, Torvald did not understand
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Torvald thinks Nora is not resourceful and can not handle anything to do with money. When she mentions borrowing money Torvald expects that she knows never to borrow money. She always has to be raising the children the way Torvald admires. At one point he tells her she is not allowed to the Macarons. When Nora asks for the meal to include Macarons this Torvald's response. “Now, now, now-no hysterics. Be my own little lark again”(918). Nora is not eight years old, but he treats her as she is. Nora is a grown woman and can make her own decisions yet Torvald is almost always invested in the what she is doing. In his sense Torvald is an atrocious husband, however In the nineteenth century this is how husbands treated wives. Torvald is most likely raised seeing this and he observes it in other couples. Torvald can not be titled as an antagonist because he is shown the way he treats his wife is how all wives are treated. In final analysis, Torvald should not be called an antagonist and is not entirely to blame for Nora walking out. He does scold her, choose her outfits, and manage her, but in society that is the conventional treatment of women. Torvald, at no point of the play ever means to harm to Nora, but in all honesty he wants the best for his image not for her as a person. Torvald really likes how Nora complements his reputation, but he does not love her. Who is to blame for this? It could be Torvald, but after examining the complete situation it is the time period and
Torvald thinks Nora is not resourceful and can not handle anything to do with money. When she mentions borrowing money Torvald expects that she knows never to borrow money. She always has to be raising the children the way Torvald admires. At one point he tells her she is not allowed to the Macarons. When Nora asks for the meal to include Macarons this Torvald's response. “Now, now, now-no hysterics. Be my own little lark again”(918). Nora is not eight years old, but he treats her as she is. Nora is a grown woman and can make her own decisions yet Torvald is almost always invested in the what she is doing. In his sense Torvald is an atrocious husband, however In the nineteenth century this is how husbands treated wives. Torvald is most likely raised seeing this and he observes it in other couples. Torvald can not be titled as an antagonist because he is shown the way he treats his wife is how all wives are treated. In final analysis, Torvald should not be called an antagonist and is not entirely to blame for Nora walking out. He does scold her, choose her outfits, and manage her, but in society that is the conventional treatment of women. Torvald, at no point of the play ever means to harm to Nora, but in all honesty he wants the best for his image not for her as a person. Torvald really likes how Nora complements his reputation, but he does not love her. Who is to blame for this? It could be Torvald, but after examining the complete situation it is the time period and