Henrik Ibsen’s depiction of financial issues in A Doll’s House symbolizes Nora’s desires to obtain a matriarchal family with her at the center. In the 19th century setting of A Doll’s House, men control society and the flow of money through positions of superiority and dominance. The Helmers benefit from the historical economic boom that occurred in the 1940s, which provides for more income and allows Nora and Torvald to climb closer to the top of the social ladder. Nora’s desire to obtain high social status accompanied with her willingness to go to extreme measures to achieve this status wreak havoc upon her marriage and family, and ultimately display her thirst for control.
Due to her desperation to have authority, Nora takes extreme measures to achieve a sense of superiority. Ibsen portrays this through …show more content…
Nora’s fascination with material objects develops a barrier in her personal relationship with Torvald. As her obsession with money and expensive items increases, her relationship with Torvald grows more distant. Torvald centers his social status around his income, and as Nora spends increasing amounts of money, Torvald grows more frustrated. When Nora deceives Torvald about the macaroons, he states “has the little spendthrift been throwing out money again?” (Ibsen, 44). This demonstrates Torvald’s view of Nora’s spending habits, and how he believes that her money spending is wasteful. Torvald’s irritation towards Nora’s materialism only drives their marriage further apart. In addition, because Nora knows that Torvald will succumb to the pressure of her begging for money and ultimately give her whatever she asks for, she thrives in her position of control. Her knowledge of Torvald’s weakness for her allows her to manipulate him into giving her more money, which only furthers Torvald’s anger. Nora’s need to have material items creates the wedge that drives Nora and Torvald
Due to her desperation to have authority, Nora takes extreme measures to achieve a sense of superiority. Ibsen portrays this through …show more content…
Nora’s fascination with material objects develops a barrier in her personal relationship with Torvald. As her obsession with money and expensive items increases, her relationship with Torvald grows more distant. Torvald centers his social status around his income, and as Nora spends increasing amounts of money, Torvald grows more frustrated. When Nora deceives Torvald about the macaroons, he states “has the little spendthrift been throwing out money again?” (Ibsen, 44). This demonstrates Torvald’s view of Nora’s spending habits, and how he believes that her money spending is wasteful. Torvald’s irritation towards Nora’s materialism only drives their marriage further apart. In addition, because Nora knows that Torvald will succumb to the pressure of her begging for money and ultimately give her whatever she asks for, she thrives in her position of control. Her knowledge of Torvald’s weakness for her allows her to manipulate him into giving her more money, which only furthers Torvald’s anger. Nora’s need to have material items creates the wedge that drives Nora and Torvald