Going to great lengths to protect the heart of a loved one is something most of us would do. How far are some willing to go before causing such pain though? In Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll House,” a scheming lawyer has made a deal in secret, with another man’s wife. The lies and bold ego’s in this play bring forth emotion in such a simple story. There are many sources that have stated Ibsen was a supporter of feminism and other sources say he was not. The main characters; Nora, Helmer (Torvald), Dr. Rank, and Mrs. Linde, all play significant parts in this play as they each have their own backstory and personal relationship to Nora and Torvald. Ibsen portrays Nora Helmer as loving and childlike, while Helmer, Nora’s husband is a serious working man
…show more content…
In “The Doll House Backlash,” Joan Templeton claims that this quote is a way for Ibsen to be completely excused from accounts that charge the story with a feministic point of view as it reads, “Ibsen’s Nora is not a woman arguing for female liberation, she is much more. She embodies the comedy as well as tragedy of modern life” (Haugen 28). In this article Joan Templeton argues the opinion by stating that “The priori dismissal of women’s rights as the subject of A Doll House is a gentlemanly backlash, a refusal to acknowledge the existence of a tiresome reality” (Templeton …show more content…
Torvald uses only pet names with Nora such as little lark, songbird, and little squirrel. He doesn’t treat her like an equal human. The interactions between the two usually consist of matters involving money. Nora tries to manipulate Torvald by telling him what she’ll buy with his money when really she needs the money to pay off a loan from Krogstad before he exposes her secret. Nora’s ego begins to come out when Krogstad comes to the house and Nora begins to boast about the influence she has over Torvalds decisions involving the bank. Krogstad asks her to make sure he keeps his job or he will expose her secret to Torvald. Krogstad threatens, “If I get shoved down a second time, you’re going to keep me company” (Ibsen 804). This is another example of ego. Nora doesn’t understand the danger she gets herself into and refuses to tell Torvald the truth. Nora is afraid of what will happen if Torvald finds out her secret. She is incapable of understanding that she needs to let go of her shame and be courageous enough to tell the truth. Nora becomes manipulative throughout the story and it becomes difficult for her to be truthful in any manner.
In “The Doll House Backlash,” Joan Templeton claims that this quote is a way for Ibsen to be completely excused from accounts that charge the story with a feministic point of view as it reads, “Ibsen’s Nora is not a woman arguing for female liberation, she is much more. She embodies the comedy as well as tragedy of modern life” (Haugen 28). In this article Joan Templeton argues the opinion by stating that “The priori dismissal of women’s rights as the subject of A Doll House is a gentlemanly backlash, a refusal to acknowledge the existence of a tiresome reality” (Templeton …show more content…
Torvald uses only pet names with Nora such as little lark, songbird, and little squirrel. He doesn’t treat her like an equal human. The interactions between the two usually consist of matters involving money. Nora tries to manipulate Torvald by telling him what she’ll buy with his money when really she needs the money to pay off a loan from Krogstad before he exposes her secret. Nora’s ego begins to come out when Krogstad comes to the house and Nora begins to boast about the influence she has over Torvalds decisions involving the bank. Krogstad asks her to make sure he keeps his job or he will expose her secret to Torvald. Krogstad threatens, “If I get shoved down a second time, you’re going to keep me company” (Ibsen 804). This is another example of ego. Nora doesn’t understand the danger she gets herself into and refuses to tell Torvald the truth. Nora is afraid of what will happen if Torvald finds out her secret. She is incapable of understanding that she needs to let go of her shame and be courageous enough to tell the truth. Nora becomes manipulative throughout the story and it becomes difficult for her to be truthful in any manner.