The relationship between Nora and Torvald in A Doll’s House is a complicated one. While on the surface it may appear that Torvald is the dominant partner, Nora actually holds a great deal of power in their marriage. Ibsen cleverly uses the character of Nora to explore the role of women in society, and how they are often underestimated.
While Torvald does control the finances in their household, Nora is the one who truly knows how to manipulate him. She is able to get what she wants by playing on his emotions and using her own feminine charms. This is best seen in the scene where she threatens to leave him, knowing full well that he will not let her go.
Ultimately, it is Nora who makes the decision to leave her marriage, even though it will be a difficult one. She knows that she cannot continue living in a stifling and constrictive environment. Ibsen’s A Doll’s House challenges traditional gender roles and highlights the importance of independence for both men and women.
In Act One of “A Doll’s House,” the connection between Nora and Helmer is established through speech and stage directions. The relationship is very representative of the time period in which it is set, with Helmer, the husband, being the head of the family and having ultimate say over family life according to his own beliefs.
Nora is his opposite, she is a trophy wife and is only seen as this by Helmer, Nora does everything in her power to make sure that she meets her husbands’ expectations. Nora even goes as far as lying about eating macaroons which she knows will make her sick because Helmer does not approve of them. Nora is willing to do whatever it takes to make her husband happy, even if it means going against her own happiness.
Helmer is shown to be very controlling over Nora, he does not allow her to have any true friends and would prefer if she did not work. A big theme in A Doll’s House is equality between men and women and how at this time period women were looked at as property and their opinion did not matter, they were only seen as decoration. Nora begins to challenge this idea later on in the play.
The relationship between Nora and Torvald is a very interesting one because it shows how different genders were treated during this time period. Nora is willing to do whatever it takes to please her husband, even if it means going against her own happiness. Helmer is shown to be very controlling over Nora and does not allow her to have any true friends or work.
By using first-person possessive pronouns, Ibsen allows Torvald to come across as the authority figure in the relationship. For example, when he says ‘Is that my little squirrel frisking about?’, the word ‘my’ implies ownership over Nora. This was reflective of ideologies at the time which stated that a man owned his wife within a relationship and therefore had power over her. Similarly, pre-modifying adjective ‘little’ serves to undermine Nora’s authority even further and emphasize Torvald’s power dynamic within their marriage.
A further example of this is when Nora says ‘I am afraid I can’t explain it’ in response to Torvald asking her to explain something, her use of ‘I’ reflects that she is submissive to him and is not able to make decisions for herself, instead deferring to his authority. Additionally, the fact that she is ‘afraid’ reinforces the power dynamic between them as she is scared of him and his reaction.
Another way Ibsen shows us the unequal relationship between Nora and Torvald is through their dialogue. For example, when Nora says ‘I am living here quite alone now’, the word ‘alone’ suggests that she feels isolated and alone in her marriage as her husband does not see her as an equal partner. Additionally, the fact that she has to say that she is ‘living’ in the house suggests that she does not feel at home or comfortable, which could be a result of the lack of communication and intimacy in their relationship.
Ibsen also uses stage directions to reflect the unequal relationship between Nora and Torvald. For example, when Nora is talking to Mrs. Linde, she is standing while Mrs. Linde is sitting, this reflects the power dynamic between them as Nora is in a position of dominance. Additionally, when Nora is talking to Torvald, she is often described as being ‘nervous’ or ‘anxious’, which suggests that she feels uncomfortable around him and is scared of his reaction.
Overall, Ibsen uses a variety of techniques to show us the unequal relationship between Nora and Torvald. This is significant as it reflects the reality of many marriages at the time, where women were not seen as equal partners and were often controlled by their husbands. Additionally, the fact that Ibsen highlights this issue would have been controversial at the time and would have made people question the role of women in society.
Ibsen formulates the idea that Nora is merely a decoration in Torvald’s household by referred to her as a pet. He states, “My pretty little pet is very sweet but it runs away with an awful lot of money.” To him, she is only an object rather than a human being. Furthermore, Torvald calls Nora by diminutive names and speaks condescendingly to her because he believes that she does not have the capacity to think for herself.
He does not listen to her opinions and he regularly interrupts her. Nora is always trying to please Torvald and make him happy, but she is never good enough for him. He criticises her for everything that she does. Nora is a victim of domestic violence and she is trapped in an abusive relationship with Torvald. The only way that she can escape from this situation is by leaving him and starting a new life on her own.
When he senses that she may be about to express an opinion, Torvald immediately drops the pet-names and insults her as a woman with remarks such as “worries that you couldn’t possibly help me with,” and “Nora, Nora, like a woman.”(1565) In his culture, Torvald is just another husband. He refused Nora the freedom to think and act however she pleased. He demanded that she behave stupidly and supported every decision he made.
In A Doll’s House, Nora is a victim of male oppression. Nora Helmer is the main character in A Doll’s House. A Doll’s House is a domestic tragedy written by Henrik Ibsen in 1879. It caused an uproar because of its controversial depiction of marriage and gender roles. The play centers around Nora’s relationship with her husband Torvald.
Torvald treats Nora like a child; he calls her childish names, such as his “little skylark” and “squirrel.” He also frequently compares her to animals, such as when he says that she is “restless as a little bird” (1565). Nora is not allowed to have any opinions of her own; instead, she is expected to agree with whatever her husband says. This is a clear example of male oppression, as Nora is not allowed to think or act for herself.
The relationship between Nora and Torvald is one that is fraught with tension and conflict. Nora is constantly trying to please her husband and make him happy, but she often feels stifled by his overbearing nature. There are several moments in the play where Nora stands up to Torvald and asserts her own autonomy, but ultimately she always goes back to him.
This may be because she feels she has no other choice, or because she truly loves him despite his flaws. Either way, the relationship between Nora and Torvald is an interesting one that provides a window into the power dynamics of marriage in the late 19th century.
