Henrik Ibsen: Themes And Symbolism In A Doll's House

Henrik Ibsen’s “Doll’s House”, is set during the turn of the nineteenth century in a small, Norwegian town. No one would think that the events that take place in the story were happening during the beginning of the woman’s rights movement. Symbolism is prevalent throughout the play, subtly addressing the inequality Nora experiences in her marriage to Torvald. Ibsen’s symbolism makes it clear to the reader that there is a power imbalance that was normal for married couples at a time when men were seen as the breadwinners and women were homemakers. At the end of the play, though, Nora takes control of her own life, leaving Torvald and everything she knows, to find herself. Nora asserts herself as an independent woman, much more than just Torvald’s …show more content…
But rather than the endearing classics one may expect from the era such as ‘sweetheart’ or ‘darling,’ he likens her to animals. In the very first line he calls her ‘skylark” and later Torvald calls her a play bird. While, on the surface this may not seem like something out of the ordinary, it symbolizes a lack of respect that Torvald has for Nora. Errol Durbach agrees in “A Doll 's House: Ibsen 's Myth of Transformation” that, “Torvald’s first line in the play, simultaneously loving and demeaning, a mixture of genuine pleasure and irritating cuteness on hearing Nora return to their love nest: “Is that my little sky-lark chirruping out there?” (108-130). Torvald’s statement towards Nora is demeaning because throughout the play we realize that he sees Nora as nothing but a mere object, like a bird in a cage, that he can keep locked up, away from the world, for his enjoyment only. Torvald’s bird comparisons can also be seen as a veiled insult because while birds are beautiful and have gorgeous singing voices, they’re also not very …show more content…
It takes a keen eye to really look into the story deeper, picking out the small details that mean more than what they seem. Ibsen continuously uses the themes of pet names, money, and even the play’s title as recurring symbols that show the imbalance in Nora and Torvald’s relationship. It is important to pick up on symbols while reading any story so that you can understand the deeper meaning behind common objects because it gives you insight and sometimes will also foreshadow what will happen at the end. For example, in the beginning of “Doll’s House”, Torvald uses money to pacify Nora and we see throughout the play that money is a recurring symbol that is ultimately responsible for the downfall of Nora and Torvald’s marriage. Without a doubt, the symbolism in “Doll’s House” is both important and plentiful throughout the