Societal Norms In A Doll's House

Societal norms can be a brutal dictator. Throughout “A Doll’s House,” the audience sees how societal normalities are not necessarily a good thing. In this play, written by Henrik Ibsen in the 1870s, the ideas of gender roles, reputations and love are explored artfully. The play follows the lives of Nora and Torvald Helmer, as well as several of their friends and acquaintances: an old doctor, a young widow in need of a job, a bank employee, and a nursemaid. Torvald treats his wife, Nora, as a child, and she usually acts a such, however, she has kept one big secret from him. She has hidden the fact that she borrowed money behind his back to save his life, with the help of none other than the almost fired Krogstad, a bank employee of her husband. With a classic blackmail plot as well as a love relationship between Krogstad and Nora’s widowed friend, Christine, this story has all the makings of a good soap opera. However, the surprising ending with …show more content…
For example, in the film adaption, the character of Nora is dark headed, with perfectly curled hair and almost gaudy clothing. In contrast, her friend Christine is fair headed with hair pulled back in a strict bun and her clothing is plain and practical. This contrast allows the audience to further visualize the contrast between Christine and Nora. Nora has a bubbly and rather immature personality, while Christine is far more wise and reserved in her ways. This is further illustrated in a conversation between Christine and Nora, where Nora tells Christine that she should have no more money problems, and Christine graciously chastises her, saying, “Nora, Nora, haven 't you learned sense yet? In our schooldays you were a great spendthrift.” This contrast in characters greatly enhances the interest level of the play, and the difference in character appearance also allows greater entertainment for the