A Dolls House, by Henrik Ibsen, demonstrates the powerful independency of the constrained and confined married woman figure, Nora. The symbolism of the macaroons, the lamp, costumes, the Christmas tree, the lark and Nora ‘s going demonstrate the word picture of Nora as an person who is at foremost treated like an object, but subsequently battles as a adult female who wants to populate for her ain virtue. Her hubby Torvald sets the typical criterion of a adult male who controls and manipulates his married woman like a doll, Nora ‘s interruption from the oppressors in her life are unheard of at the clip the drama was written ; Nora therefore being an exceeding person who was ready to liberate herself from a male driven family.
Early on in the drama, Nora subconsciously seeks her ain freedom. She craves macaroons which her hubby explicitly forbids her to eat. Despite this, she frequently sneaks them anyways for her ain pleasance. “ Has n’t Miss Sweet Tooth been interrupting regulations in town today? Take a bite at a macaroon or two? ” ( Ibsen 1091 ) The macaroons and Dr. Rank ‘s love for her are symbolic for an flight from Torvald ‘s dominant nature. Nora acknowledges that Dr. Rank loves her and is thoroughly aware of it ; nevertheless, she refuses to state her hubby and keeps it secret from him, merely like the macaroons. Though Nora does non turn on Torvald and go forth with Dr. Rank, she acknowledges him as a friend, which efficaciously brings forth chumminess between the two that is separate from Torvald ‘s appreciation.
Nora ‘s character is brought away as a doll to be dressed up harmonizing to her Masterss ‘ caprices. Nora ‘s male parent would systematically be unhappy and dissatisfied with her if her sentiments differed from his ain, and she was subsequently haunted by hammering her male parent ‘s signature every bit good as Krogstad ‘s loan, even if it was merely to assist her hubby. Possibly she is afraid to state Torvald because it would take down him as a adult male to cognize he owed anything to his married woman. Nora provinces, “ How painful and mortifying it would be for Torvald, with his manful independency, to cognize that he owed me anything! ” ( Ibsen 1128 ) Her hubby besides farther established the thought of Nora as a doll of his ain. He dressed her up in costumes for their mask. This frock up is besides seen in the Christmas tree that Nora and Torvald decorate. Like their matrimony, the beauty and visible radiation of the Christmas tree is a facade.
Torvald frequently enjoyed naming Nora his small “ lark ” , “ Miss. Obstinate ” , “ my small squirrel ” , “ my small songbird ” . This nomenclature reaffirms that though he felt she was endearing and cute, her desires finally were low-level to his ain. This is particularly true in the symbolism of the lark. Torvald inquiries Nora, “ Is that my small lark chittering out at that place? ” ( Ibsen 1137 ) . Birds are typically a symbol of flight and freedom, for him to compare her to a bird becomes dry due to the deficiency of freedom he gives her in their place environment. She lives by and for her hubby, in his house, with her wings clipped.
Towards the terminal of the drama, Nora has an epiphany and brings forth the claim that thought she has been oppressed her whole life, she no longer will be. “ Our place has been nil but a play-room. I ‘ve been your doll-wife here, merely as at place I was Papa ‘s doll-child ” ( Ibsen 1146 ) . For Nora, this realisation is critical to her development as a free adult female. The two primary work forces in her life, her male parent and Torvald, have been handling her non as equal individuals, but as a toy. Torvald states, “ I would n’t be a adult male if I did n’t happen you twice as attractive because of your feminine weakness ” ( Ibsen 1143 ) . The ugliness and falsenesss of their love have besides come Forth when Torvald reveals how it ‘s Nora ‘s occupation to be entirely, impotently rely on her hubby. This is brought Forth particularly in the symbolism of the Christmas tree. Like their matrimony, it was thought to be beautiful and flowery, but is now ugly and abandon after the truth is revealed. Though Torvald descents and says that Nora has an every bit of import responsibility as a female parent and married woman, this does non rock Nora ‘s resoluteness. She proclaims, “ I have another responsibility every bit sacred ” ( Ibsen 1147 ) . The responsibility Nora speaks of is the responsibility of self-actualization. She wants to be recognized as her ain individual, non merely as a married woman or a female parent. This political orientation was really much considered blasphemy at the clip the drama was written ; nevertheless, now one can look at it as one of the first stairss toward the feminist motion.
Nora ‘s stoping scenes demonstrate the cogency and world of her interruption from her oppressors. She goes so far as to state she can non pass another dark in a alien ‘s family, demoing that her hubby ne’er truly knew her. Torvald feels Nora ‘s fraudulence would poison the kids, stating, “ I shall non let you to convey up the kids ; I dare non swear them to you ” ( Ibsen 1142 ) . This is Torvald ‘s manner of depriving Nora of her maternity. Nora, nevertheless, realizes that it was non her debt that would poison the kids, but instead the intervention of the kids that would poison them. If it continued, they would go dolls like her. Along with the Christmas tree being stripped and dismantled, Nora besides changes out of her tarantella costume. The costume that Torvold adored and made him experience so in love with her. She leaves the camouflage of her costume and exposes her true ego. This is symbolic of Nora ‘s going from a adult male who enjoyed doing her frock up for his amusement. “ I pretend you are my secret love, my immature, secret fiancee, and cipher has the slightest intuition that there is anything between us ” ( Ibsen 1137 ) . Torvald ‘s phantasies of Nora in some kind of hazard, about a different individual, show the semblance and facade behind their matrimony.
Torvald believes in his award as a adult male ; he does non see the cogency and moral backup behind Nora ‘s loan until it ‘s excessively late. He reprimands Nora until he realizes she wo n’t be charged. Merely when his repute is non at interest is he willing to do damagess. This is characteristic of a adult male who loves his married woman when it best suites him, alternatively of a adult male who loves his married woman through convulsion. Torvald exclaims, “ What a atrocious waking up! All these eight old ages — she who was my joy and pride — a dissembler, a prevaricator — worse, worse — a condemnable! ” ( Ibsen 1142 ) Nora sacrifices improbably for Torvald, but he is non willing to refund the favour because of his award, even willing to dishonor her. Torvald besides says, “ Nora, I would lief work for your interest. But no adult male can be expected to give his award, even for the individual he loves ” ( Ibsen 1111 ) . Nora ‘s rebuttal shows that his lip service is sex based, and that adult females give for their hubbies all their life. “ Millions of adult females have done it ” ( Ibsen 1149 ) . This shows that Nora recognizes that she and many adult females of her clip forfeit for their hubby to the point of it being inordinate and unjust.
By the terminal of the drama, Nora has wholly realized that she can no longer last as a doll to be toyed and paraded about. She slams the door behind her after denoting to Torvald that she wants nil to make with him any longer. By closing the door on Torvald and her household, Nora opens a new door to a life where she can populate how she wants. She could ne’er love Torvald unless he treated her like an equal, non a doll. Nora left a adult male who looked at her like a trade good or a pet, his small lark. She did what most adult females even in the modern epoch do non hold the bravery to make ; she broke free.
