A Dolls House Essay Example For Students

A Dolls House Essay In reading Ibsens A Dolls House today, one may find it hard to imagine how daring it seemed at the time it was written one hundred years ago. Its theme, the emancipation of a woman, makes it seem almost contemporary. In Act I, there are many clues that hint at the kind of marriage Nora and Torvald have. It seems that Nora is a doll controlled by Torvald. She relies on him for everything, from movements to thoughts, much like a puppet who is dependent on its puppet master for all of its actions. The most obvious example of Torvalds physical control over Nora is his reteaching her the tarantella. Nora pretends that she needs Torvald to teach her every move in order to relearn the dance. The reader knows this is an act, and it shows her submissiveness to Torvald. After he teaches her the dance, he proclaims When I saw you turn and sway in the tarantella-my blood was pounding till I couldnt stand it1009, showing how he is more interested in Nora physically than emotionally. When Nora responds by saying Go away, Torvald! Leave me alone. I dont want all this1009, Torvald asks Arent I your husband?1009. By saying this, he is implying that one of Noras duties as his wife is to physically pleasure him at his command. Torvald also does not trust Nora with money, which exemplifies Torvalds treating Nora as a child. On the rare occasion when Torvald gives Nora some money, he is concerned that she will waste it on candy and pastry; in modern times, this would be comparable to Macauly Culkin being given money, then buying things that would rot his mind and his body in the movie Home Alone. Noras duties, in general, are restricted to caring for the children, doing housework, and working on her needlepoint. A problem with her responsibilities is that her most important obligation is to please Torvald, making her role similar to that of a slave. Many of Ibsens works are problem plays in which he leaves the conclusion up to the reader. The problem in A Dolls House lies not only with Torvald, but with the entire Victorian society. Females were confined in every way imaginable. When Torvald does not immediately offer to help Nora after Krogstad threatens to expose her, Nora realizes that there is a problem. By waiting until after he discovers that his social status will suffer no harm, Torvald reveals his true feelings which put appearance, both social and physical, ahead of the wife whom he says he loves. This revelation is what prompts Nora to walk out on Torvald. When Torvald tries to reconcile with Nora, she explains to him how she had been treated like a child all her life; her father had treated her much the same way Torvald does. Both male superiority figures not only denied her the right to think and act the way she wished, but limited her happiness. Nora describes her feelings asalways  merry, never happy. When Nora finally slams the door and leaves, she is not only slamming it on Torvald, but also on ever ything else that has happened in her past which curtailed her growth into a mature woman. In todays society, many women are in a situation similar to Noras. Although many people have accepted women as being equal, there are still people in modern America who are doing their best to suppress the feminist revolution. People ranging from conservative radio-show hosts who complain about flaming femi-nazis, to women who use their feminine charm to accomplish what they want are what is holding the female gender back. Both of these mindsets are expressed in A Dolls House. Torvald is an example of todays stereotypical man, who is only interested in his appearance and the amount of control he has over a person, and does not care about the feelings of others. Nora, on the other hand, is a typical example of the woman who plays to a mans desires. She makes Torvald think he is much smarter and stronger than he actually is. Appropriate manners EssayThat onus is on the individual themselves. Nora feels her actions are justified, she does not need anyone telling her otherwise. She follows her heart, doing what she needs to do. She understands that the search for truth in ones life requires one hundred percent devotion. When Torvald tells her You dont understand the conditions of the world you live she replies by saying No, I dont. But now I am going to try. I am going to see if I can make out who is right, the world or I. It is for this reason that Nora undertakes such a radical action to see the truth. When Nora leaves she is freed from all the obligations her husband and society in general puts on her. She says to Torvald when a wife deserts her husbands house, as I am doing now, he is legally freed from all obligations towards her. In any case I set you free from your obligations. You are not to feel yourself bound in the slightest way, any more then I shall. There must be perfect freedom on both sides. This freedom from her obligations allows Nora to gain absolute freedom in life, and more importantly the ability to be responsible for herself alone. Mrs. Lindes character shows us what happens when someone is not primarily responsible for themselves. She married a rich man in order to take care of her family. In doing so she lost a great deal in her life, often expressing how unhappy she was in marriage. She acted out of obligation to her family instead of obligation to herself. In the end she explains to Krogstad how she regretted her decision to leave him. Mrs. Linde demonstrates the consequences of not acting true to oneself. Fortunately for Nora, due to her decision to leave, she did not have to face these consequences. When Nora decided to leave her family in order to discover not only the truth, but herself, she forgot about her obligation to others and worried about no one else. Noras decision to leave was utterly justifiable. She realizes that her primary duty is to herself and she acts on it. After Noras epiphany she takes radical, but at the same time just actions, however, the whole time remaining in accordance with herself. Mrs. Linde said a woman who has once sold herself once for anothers sake, doesnt do it a second time. How fortunate are those woman like Nora, who do not have to sell themselves once to realize this?