A Doll’s House Nora Analysis

The playwright Ibsen Henrick weaves the story around a couple; where the wife, Nora, is invaded with a reality that brings her to question her marriage. In order to find answers to the surfaced questions, she sets forth on a journey of setting up a plot for the purpose of testing her marriage. She gambles with her marriage by setting a standard for her husband, which will unfold if he feels deeply for her (Ibsen).

Everyone in the play is depicted as holding a secret that unravels with the progression of play. Nevertheless, the secret of Nora is not as dark as the night but the danger lurks on the premise that the person, who has lent her money is a notorious man named Krogstad. She had loaned money from him by forging the signature of her father in order to pay for her ailing husband – Torvald. The money was not meant for covering the hospital expenses; instead, they were for a visit to Italy that could help her find cure for her husband’s illness. Nonetheless, she feared losing her husband if he comes to know of it (Ibsen).

The play has its varied changes that make the play interesting. When the curtain is lifted for Act 2 the setting specifically remains the same but the character of Nora has transited from an abiding and devoted wife to the one who stands half way between trusting her marriage that is that is based upon strong bonding; or it is weak enough to let the truth destroy their bonding. From an obedient and ruled Nora, she has become courageous and questioning Nora. This particular element sets her marriage apart eventually in the play. Nevertheless, the change in the character of Nora signifies her confusion and questions, which are whirling in her brain. She asks Dr. Ranks to witness her suicide so that after demise there is a witness to reveal the truth. Nonetheless, after Dr Ranks express his intimate love for her, she refuses to take Rank’s help (Ibsen).

Nora has believed in her marriage and felt that her husband had adored her to the extent where he will protect and love her beyond any conditions. Her image of her husband is shattered into pieces when he insults and ridicules her upon finding out that Nora had loaned money by forging her father’s signature. However, when the truth behind the loan is unfolded to her husband with another letter provided to him by Dr Ranks, he apologized to Nora for his daunting attitude and his failure to understand her. Nevertheless, Nora is hurt beyond repair by the words uttered by Torvald. His words had triggered something in Nora, thus she sets forth on a journey to re-define herself (Ibsen).

As she made it clear by saying, “Yes Torvald, I have changed my things now Torvald” (page 104, Act, 3)

Furthermore, in Act three Nora accepts that she has changed. She accepts that she had acted immature and did not have knowledge of the world; therefore in order to gain more knowledge and be mature enough she needed to understand the world from her perspective. Nevertheless, her acceptance of her childish attitude is far deeper and ironic in its tone; for it entails a vast meaning. Her dialogue with Trovald implied that she looked forward to draw a meaning out of her life. To know on her bases how the society works; to rebel what she does not believe in; and to be independent of people who would tell her what is good or bad for her. She had wanted to adopt a life where Trovald did not exist to love her only if she will be the way he wants her to be (Ibsen).

Works Cited
Ibsen, H. A Dolls House. Pennsylvania: Arc Manor LLC, 2009.
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