Claiming Self-Independence

Claiming Self-Independence

In the 1879 play “A Doll’s House”, the author Henrik Ibsen displays that in a marriage it’s important to have certain factors such as respect, equality, trust and communication. However the main characters, Nora and Torvald did not posses these characteristics. Nora Helmer fought for her husbands life to the extent of forgery. When Torvald -- the man of the house -- found out he disapproved greatly against her actions. This forced Nora to realize that she wasn’t in a real marriage, and she needed to find out who she really is. In the end Nora made the right choice of leaving her children and husband in favor of exploring the world and educating herself.

In the beginning, Nora was a child-like possession that belonged to Torvald. She’d be played with and asked to dress and act certain ways. As a women, she really wasn’t sure how to act as one on her own. She’d constantly ask for help and say “I can’t do a thing unless you help me” (658). Nora acted like a child because, she didn’t know how to be independent on her own and care for herself, which is demonstrated well in the play. A famous author, Mary Wollstonecraft was very familiar with female self- independence which is why she said “I do not wish them [women] to have power over men; but over themselves.” When Nora sneaked in macaroons -- even though she wasn’t allowed to have them anymore -- it shows that she resembles a child stealing a cookie from the cookie jar. She did not wish to obey the rules at the time, but hide it from her husband. Nora needed to learn how to be an adult and depend on herself other than her husband.

The image that Torvald and Nora’s father had put into her head was to stay dependent on men -- which had dehumanized her. Since she was taught at a young age to act like the image that men wanted her to, she never learned how to become a women. Torvald could say or ask Nora to do anything and she’d do it. He was shaping her into the image that he wished her to be, even going as far