Jared Davis
Mrs. Williams
ENG 102-71
Research Paper on “A Doll’s House”
11/20/17
Torvald’s Dominance in “A Doll’s House”
A major theme that Ibsen introduced in the drama “A Doll’s House” was the dominance of men over women in relationships. He showed marriage as an unequal partnership, where Torvald controlled Nora in all aspects of her life. In the play “A Doll’s House,” Henrik Ibsen showed how Torvald’s dominance over Nora turned her character into a secretive wife, deceitful friend, and neglectful mother as a secret from the past unfolded. Nora transformed into a dark and mysterious spouse as Ibsen created Torvald’s character to overpower her. In Ibsen’s play, Nora lied to everyone she met by hiding the truth of a forged document because …show more content…
As the story progressed, Ibsen showed the reader that Nora gradually detached herself from her children. Nora deserted her children and realized that she was Torvald’s “doll” (Ibsen 915-17). Nora could not be the mother she needed to be because she was trapped by Torvald’s domination. Rolf Fjelde declared, “Nora, the doll-child of her father, the doll-wife of her husband, unthinkingly transmitting her doll-identity to her own daughter” (476). He was saying that Nora was changing her own child into a slave of male authority. During the resolution of “A Doll’s House,” Nora found that her life had been a lie, and she chose to desert her role as a mother. Nora felt that she could no longer live under Torvald’s rule, which caused her to leave her husband and children behind. In “A Doll’s House,” Torvald’s dominance created a spiral downfall in the harmony of the entire household. The play was set at a pivotal time in history when women were portrayed as less dominant than men. Henrik Ibsen showed the authoritarian nature of Torvald through his relationship with Nora. The audience watched as Nora developed the shameful characteristics of dishonesty, treachery, and carelessness which followed her throughout the
Mrs. Williams
ENG 102-71
Research Paper on “A Doll’s House”
11/20/17
Torvald’s Dominance in “A Doll’s House”
A major theme that Ibsen introduced in the drama “A Doll’s House” was the dominance of men over women in relationships. He showed marriage as an unequal partnership, where Torvald controlled Nora in all aspects of her life. In the play “A Doll’s House,” Henrik Ibsen showed how Torvald’s dominance over Nora turned her character into a secretive wife, deceitful friend, and neglectful mother as a secret from the past unfolded. Nora transformed into a dark and mysterious spouse as Ibsen created Torvald’s character to overpower her. In Ibsen’s play, Nora lied to everyone she met by hiding the truth of a forged document because …show more content…
As the story progressed, Ibsen showed the reader that Nora gradually detached herself from her children. Nora deserted her children and realized that she was Torvald’s “doll” (Ibsen 915-17). Nora could not be the mother she needed to be because she was trapped by Torvald’s domination. Rolf Fjelde declared, “Nora, the doll-child of her father, the doll-wife of her husband, unthinkingly transmitting her doll-identity to her own daughter” (476). He was saying that Nora was changing her own child into a slave of male authority. During the resolution of “A Doll’s House,” Nora found that her life had been a lie, and she chose to desert her role as a mother. Nora felt that she could no longer live under Torvald’s rule, which caused her to leave her husband and children behind. In “A Doll’s House,” Torvald’s dominance created a spiral downfall in the harmony of the entire household. The play was set at a pivotal time in history when women were portrayed as less dominant than men. Henrik Ibsen showed the authoritarian nature of Torvald through his relationship with Nora. The audience watched as Nora developed the shameful characteristics of dishonesty, treachery, and carelessness which followed her throughout the