A salient point here is that Torvald, a pillar of society, seems to stand, always, on the high moral ground. Late in the play, we, Ibsen's contemporaries and Nora are thunderstruck at the moral bankruptcy of Torvald. Dr Rank and Nora's father fare little better. Whereas the convicted felon, Krogstad, and the whistle-blower window, Mrs Linde, become heroes. Morality is front and centre!Originally Posted by weezyhaahhh
Nora's desertion highlight her husband's failings.
"Love does not alter the beloved, it alters itself"
Same here. I have a feeling that he's kind of a foil to Nora. Her actual foil is Mrs. Linde, but in the manner of how he approaches his problems shows that Nora doesn't do anything. She stays back and begs the other not to do anything while on the other hand, Krogstad approaches the problem to solve it. Nora holds back when she has the chance to tell Torvald which shows her feminist side.
In Act 2 we see Nora's behavior change towards Torvald and Dr. Rank. She becomes more tensed around Torvald and more free around Dr. Rank. It seems as if they have an affair going on or will have on later on. Dr. Rank's confession might foreshadow a relationship between Nora and Dr. Rank. Nora even mentioned that he's her "best and truest friend". This friendship might as well build up into a illegitimate relationship. Earlier on its mentioned that Nora will be dancing the Tarantella. This dance is known to be preformed to rid the pain from a tarantula's infectious bite. Nora dancing to this could symbolize her getting rid of her problems or Krogstad. Whether she gets rid of Krogstad or herself will be revealed in Act 3.
• “One day I might, yes. Many years from now, when I’ve lost my looks a little. Don’t laugh. I mean, of course, a time will come when Torvald is not as devoted to me, not quite so happy when I dance for him, and dress for him, and play with him.”
Shows how Nora strives to establish a perfect image for Torvalds eyes.
• From now on, forget happiness. Now it’s just about saving the remains, the wreckage, the appearance.
Throughout Act 1 and 2, Nora tries to establish a perfect home and a perfect life for other peoples eyes. Although she is not responsible for economic matters in the family, she still leads a quite difficult life with Torvald dictating almost every part of her life. After all her hard work with taking matters into her own hands and helping her husband, Torvald can’t even accept the idea that his wife had helped save his life and had taken on a bigger role in life than she was told to.
• “I have been performing tricks for you, Torvald. That’s how I’ve survived. You wanted it like that. You and Papa have done me a great wrong. It’s because of you I’ve made nothing of my life.”
• "Nora, Nora! Just like a woman! But seriously, Nora, you know what I think about that sort of thing. No debts, no borrowing. There's something constrained, something ugly even, about a home that's founded on borrowing and debt."
Because of the extremely conservating time setting of the novel, many of the characters wear a mask covering their true feelings and personalities throughout the novel. The first impressions of Nora are given as that of a spendthrift and foolish woman, almost like a child. Later this first impression is undercut, with Nora’s character progressing into a rather intelligent and independent woman. Same with Torvald and Krogstead, we later find out justification for Krogsteads behavior.
• "Free. To be free, absolutely free. To spend time playing with the children. To have a clean, beautiful house, the way Torvald likes it." -Nora, Act I
Nora’s understanding of her life and true self evolves over the coarse of the play. In the first act she believes that her only goal is to keep the loan a secret from her husband and pay it off as quickly as possible, but she comes to realize that paying off the loan will not change her life and will not make her happy. She begins to question the life around her and if she is happy being married to Torvald. At the end of act 3, Nora seeks a new kind of freedom: the freedom of discovering her true self and only caring about her own ambitions, and beliefs.
Nora, though living unawares in a doll's house, always acts with integrity. Even in forging her father's signature!
The play is very much an attack on the Torvald's and Dr Rank's of Ibsen's world.
Is it different today, where you live?
I think rather that Nora, the simple woman of integrity, comes to see Torvald's morally bankrupt world for what it is. Ibsen's target is primarily middle class hypocrisy, and Nora's desertion is a dramatic means of highlighting that. After all, hadn't Ibsen himself for similar reasons deserted Norway for Italy, a decade before the play.
"Love does not alter the beloved, it alters itself"
I think this idea of covering up emotions and true personality for the sake of appearance is a universal idea/ archetype that Ibsen is using. The general idea is the same everywhere, but it definitely influenced by culture and changing times. In Like Water for Chocolate, we saw the idea, where Mama Elena would not let Tita marry as to not look bad to the neighbors/ break tradition. This situation is influenced by the culture in different ways than in a doll house (food, revolution, etc.) I think that today, we all like to believe that we represent our true selves, but truthfully we are all still guarded and protective to some degree. This dilemma is what makes this idea such a good theme.
We have talked a lot about how important the stage directions/props are. Here are some of the example that I saw:
"In the corner by the piano the Christmas tree now stands stripped of ornament, burned down candle stubs on its ragged branches" (72)
Throughout the play, the Christmas tree has been a symbol for Nora's life. At the beginning it appeared nice, and Nora was constantly trimming/decorating it to make it look better. This parallels her own effort to make herself appear nice for Torvald and society. Here, at the beginning of act 2, we see that the tree has lost its appearance. This symbol foreshadows and emphasizes the changes in Nora starting in act 2.
"from below, the sound of a door slamming shut" (114)
I think this last stage direction is important not only because it was against social norms, but because it provides further insight into the structure of the house. I may not have read something wrong, but I never really thought the one room setting of the play was on the second floor. This gives more information on the social class of Nora and Torvald too. Could it be a symbol for Nora related to the ideal "high" life? The last stage direction gives the reader (And watcher) something new to think about.
For Nora, this Christmas has heralded neither long sought after presents nor, more importantly, salvation.
The door of the doll's house definitively shuts with Torvald inside.
Helmer[sinks down on a chair at the door and buries his face in his hands]. Nora! Nora! [Looks
round, and rises.] Empty. She is gone.
"Love does not alter the beloved, it alters itself"
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