A Doll's House Literary Analysis

In Henirk Ibsen’s play, “A Doll’s House”, Torvald Helmer’s self-perpetuated illusion about his superiority and authority over Nora Helmer is a decessive factor in her abandonment of him and their children. Torvald’s perception of being successful, without the need of anyone’s help, stems from his abundance of pride and the societal norms of Victorian culture. This surplus of pride carried by Torvald, as well as the Victorian era’s overall lack of respect for women, influences him to see Nora as a powerless “plaything”. His inability to see her as an equal due to his incredulous need to regard himself so highly puts a stake through their relationship, illuminating the importance of realizing the worth and value of those around oneself.

Throughout the novel, Torvald displays a sort of arrogance, allowing his pride to consume him, leaving him to believe his success is entirely his own doing. With his ego safely intact, he is able to profusely look down on others who are …show more content…
Torvald’s naiveness of Nora’s actual capabilities cause her to blame him for her lack of becoming anything more than a Victorian housewife. Torvald’s aparitions for a household constructed under Victorian values of the wife being soley and completely dependent upon the husband leaves Nora to be underappreciated and oppressed. Nora is only able to break away from the depreciation of her character when she flees the Helmer household in order to “learn to be competent” (Ibsen, 1758). Nora’s abandonment of her wifely duties to Torvald and motherly duties towards her children free her up to discover herself, allowing her to tend to her duties to herself as a human being. If Torvald instead treatsNora as an equal human being, instead of his “little songbird,” then perhaps Torvald have to face the harsh consequences of Nora’s