Nora in A Dollhouse
- This is a preview of the essay.
To view the full text you must login!
Henrik Ibsen's A Dollhouse depicts a story about a woman, Nora Helmer, living in the late nineteenth century who gives up her respect as a mother and wife to become more independent. It is a prime example of the beginning of the women's liberation movement. Nora's character in A Dollhouse develops from a dependent and nave "doll" to a sacrificial wife and mother set out to gain her freedom.
The story begins on Christmas Eve with Nora bringing in a Christmas tree. Right from the very beginning it is evident that her character is very nave and childlike. Her husband, Torvald Helmer, opens his dialogue with, "Is that my little lark twittering out there?" (1132) He continues to call her by pet names, such as "little squirrel," which indicates that he has dehumanized her and treats her more like a doll than his wife. Possibly as a result, Nora is very sneaky. She and Torvald have a conversation about whether she has eaten any macaroons or not; this demonstrates that he has to control everything about her and her continual denial proves that she is manipulative.
Further into the story, a friend, Christine Linde, who appears to be much older and wiser, visits Nora...