Independence In A Doll's House Essay

Women in the 19th century were seldom independent as gender equality was absent. Independence can be defined as the unwillingness to adhere to the husband’s desire. In Henrik Ibsen’s play A Doll’s House, Ibsen delves into Nora’s journey toward independence as a result from the inconveniences of her seemingly carefree relationship with Torvald. Torvald’s inconsiderate and hurtful criticism toward Nora acts as a stepping-stone toward her independence. Additionally, the revelation of Torvald’s actual persona further enhances her independence toward her imminent self-actualization. Likewise, Nora’s self-realization of needing to learn about the world finalizes her growth. Accordingly, the independence of Nora acts as a catalyst to the destruction of her relationship with Torvald. One of the main issue in this play is the exchange of criticism caused by Torvald’s misconception about the truth regarding the incident of forging a name. This criticism is not only seen as condescending in nature, but more importantly, it is a way to break Nora’s supposed obedience toward Torvald. As shown in the following passage: “Almost everyone who has gone to the bad early in life has had a deceitful mother” (Ibsen 27), Torvald indirectly insults Nora and demonstrates how he …show more content…
This self-realization is reflected in the passage: “There is another task I must undertake first. I must try and educate myself…And that is why I am going to leave you now” (Ibsen 67). Also, Nora is aware that she has been a doll without proper education all this time and that she has been financially dependent on Torvald. In this case, the first step to reverse that fact is to completely detach herself from Torvald. The following passage demonstrates Nora’s sense of heightened