Maria Schneider
Mrs. Rutan
AP Literature and Composition
9 December 2014
Life is as lonely and selfish as you make it.
Norway was a vibrant and cunning charcter during Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll House. The main characters express their Norwegian setting as the
play goes along with their effervescent scenes. The main character Nora seems doleful and quiet as a “little
songbird” (Act 1, 1114) in her husband Torvalds eyes. Her personality and angst
comes forth as the play comes to an end. As a vacation for herself, Nora insisted that Torvald was
deathly ill eight years ago. She took out a loan to pay for this trip and from
then on did not have enough courage to explain to Torvald the situation she put
herself into. Nora makes this last final self-centered decision with angst and
shows her true personality. Nora is a character that cannot be admired, for she is full of selfish greed and lives in each moment without a care in the world.
Nora selfishly acts like she is a little bird that doesn’t know how to act or dress as an adult so Torvald must teach her. She is Torvald's “doll” (Act 3, 1153), she dresses up just for him; she dances for him, and when he is done playing with her he sends her away. Nora and Torvald have a party they must attend; Nora acts like she was never taught how to dress and to please Torvald says , “Take charge of me, Torvald, and decide what I’ll wear” (Act 1, 1115). She does all she can to please him, love him, and cater to his every whim. Before she can blink Nora’s worst fear comes to life; the man she took a loan from visits her family and presents a letter to Torvald; Torvald learns she took out a loan eight years ago and never told him about it. She can only be scorned upon for her decision of neglecting to tell her husband about this money she needs. Upon opening the letter “You Wretch!”(Act 3, 1145) was exclaimed by Torvald, he can’t stand the thought of his wife going behind his back is such a disdainful way, but insists she stay at his house. Nora cannot stand the thought of living with this wretched man and leaves. Nora inconsiderately made this brash decision to take out a loan, and after eight years she selfishly kept it to herself, and let her husband fall to the fate of this impending loan not being pain off and the lean shark coming to wreak havoc to their life.
No better time that the present. Nora lives in the here and now; every decision she makes has an effect on someone or something, but she doesn’t take time to think about how this decision would affect them. Money is supposedly just an object that can be thrown around, and Nora believes “now that you’re going to get that big salary and make lots and lots of money” (Act 1, 1093). Torvald is as much of a pawn in Nora's life as the money is and they both contribute to Nora’s childish, selfish personality. Nora greedily uses Torvalds money like it is endless. She doesn’t consult with Torvald before making financial decisions for herself; this in turn ends up breaking apart their “happy marriage” due to her egoistical ways.
Eight years in the past Torvald was proclaimed “deathly ill;” the only way to get him healthy was to go on a trip to Italy, “And it saved Torvalds life.” (Act 1, 1098). At this time, neither of the Helmer’s had enough money in the bank to pay for this unearthly expensive trip. Nora and her egotistical being took it upon herself to take out a loan so they could afford this trip. She shows her personality once Torvald finds out how carefree she was about this loan and the great lengths she went to take this vacation for herself—and Torvald. She told Mrs. Linde, “For now we had the money and the doctors urged us to go” (Act 1, 1099). She never gave Torvald the chance to consult a doctor or have a say in this life altering decision she made. Once she realizes this lie she has been living for the past eight years has come to life she runs as far and as fast as she can. She can’t handle her problems like an adult—the only way she can cope with the enviable is to selfishly flee.
When faced with life, and not the make believe land she has been living in; she takes the easiest way out. Nora packs her bags and leaves before she can take any chances of someone changing her mind. Nora claims "you never loved me--neither daddy nor you" (Act 3, 1149), she expresses this as a root of all of her problems, but in reality she selfishly takes away all feelings either of the Helmers have for each other so her decision to leave can be easier for herself. Any affects her decisions may have on the people around her do not go through her mind. Nora has been given everything she has without any effort on her part and when the time came for her to grow up she departed.
She emotionlessly leaves the “perfect” family she has been brought up in and her doll house comes crashing down. The title pristinely represents the life the Helmer’s lead people to believe is their own. They have three children, and Torvald and Nora have the relationship most couples seek to have. Behind the frames and baseboards of this doll house, all of the screws become undone. Nora is capable of keeping lies to herself and Torvald thinks his young wife is a “squirrel bustling about” (Act 1, 1093)—always running around without a care in the world. Nora is selfish, childish and not to be left admired by anyone in her life, for her disdainful ways left her family in turmoil. She can't be caught in her lies so she runs to keep her own sense of freedom.
Works Cited:
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"Henrik Johan Ibsen." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2014. Web. 16 =5" >Dec. 2014. <http://www.biography.com/people/henrik-ibsen-37014>
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"Twirl a Squirrel Champ." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 19 Dec. 2014. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgDa_cpgHWs>.
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DuBose, Mike. "Articles - Power, Greed, and the Love of Money." Power, Greed, and the Love of Money. Mike DuBose, n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2015. <http://www.mikedubose.com/posts/power_greed_and_the_love_of_money/>.
"Henrik Johan Ibsen." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2014. Web. 16 =5" >Dec. 2014. <http://www.biography.com/people/henrik-ibsen-37014>
Ibsen, Henrik. The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Doll's House. Comp. Martin Adamson and David Widger. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Gutenburg EBook. 13 Dec. 2008. Web. 16 Dec. 2014. <http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2542/2542-h/2542-h.htm>.
"Italian Tourism Official Website." Italian Tourism Official Website. Italia, n.d. Web. 19 Dec. 2014. <http://www.italia.it/en/home.html>.
"Money Rains from the Sky." - Teacher Nicole. English Channel, n.d. Web. 19 Dec. 2014. <http://tx.english-ch.com/teacher/nicole/home/money-rains-from-the-sky/>.
"New Version of Ibsen Classic 'A Doll's House'" New Version of Ibsen Classic 'A Doll's House' Norway, 24 Dec. 2010. Web. 19 Dec. 2014. <http://www.norway.org.uk/norwayandcountry/culture/performing/New-version-of-Ibsen-classic-A-Dolls-House/#.VJD0HTHF9Fw>.
"Twirl a Squirrel Champ." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 19 Dec. 2014. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgDa_cpgHWs>.
Wiseman, Michael C. "Nora as a Doll in Henrik Ibsen's "A Doll's House"" RSS. Student Pulse, 2010. Web. 15 Jan. 2015. <http://www.studentpulse.com/articles/220/nora-as-a-doll-in-henrik-ibsens-a-dolls-house>.