Doll's House Henrik Ibsen's 'The Doll's House' Essay

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Doll's House"

Henrik Ibsen's 'The Doll's House' is one of the most widely appreciated classics that underscored the need of a woman to be liberated, to be a person before being a wife and a mother or a daughter. Ibsen's female lead, Nora, is a married woman and on the surface there is nothing wrong with her married life. She has a husband who appears to be caring and loving and her life is the source of envy for by many. Nora too feels she is lucky till it becomes evident how her husband had tried to manipulate things to his favor and that's when she decides to step out of her marriage to become her own person.

After reading the story, it becomes clear that Nora did the absolutely right thing when she left her husband in the end. In the beginning of the play, we see Helmer, Nora's husband, addressing her with names that appeared 'sweet' but sexist like 'my little lark' and 'my squirrel'. (Act 1) If an outsider saw their marriage and the sweet conversation between the two, he might assume that this is the happiest couple alive. But there is deep dark secret that Nora has buried in her heart and that is taking its toll on their marriage. The only person other than Nora who knows about this secret is Krogstad. Any years ago, Nora had forged her father's signature of a check to withdraw money from her father's bank account. She needed this money to save Helmer's life and since just two days before this her father had passed away, the only way she could get the money was by forging the signature. However Krogstad who a teller then, had realized this crime and threatened to inform Helmer if Nora didn't help him keep his job. "Your father died on the 29th of September.

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But, look here; your father has dated his signature the 2nd of October. It is a discrepancy, isn't it? …..But let me tell you this -- if I lose my position a second time, you shall lose yours with me."

Helmer refuses to oblige and turns down numerous requests by Nora. This results in an infuriated Krogstad writing a letter to Helmer, revealing Nora's secret. As luck would have it, as soon as the letter to Helmer is posted, Krogstad gets back with the love of his life and decides to withdraw the letter. However Kristine tells him not to do so since she wants the secret out so Nora could see for herself how her husband took the news convinced that "a woman who has once sold herself for another's sake, doesn't do it a second time" Kristine had seen that there was some tension between the two due to this little secret and she sincerely wanted them to get over with it and move on. She insists that letter be posted and this leads to the climax.

As the letter reaches Helmer, his reaction is both shocking and completely unbelievable for Nora. Though the audience and readers could almost tell that Helmer would behave this way, Nora who had hitherto considered herself blessed and lucky to have a husband like Helmer suddenly sees ground slipping from under her feet. The husband who had just minutes ago been calling her "precious little singing-bird" was now calling her "a liar," "hypocrite" and "criminal" completely forgetting that the money had been used to save his own life. That's when Nora realizes that she had always been a doll to Helmer, someone he could play with but someone he didn't really see as a human being or as a person. That realization coupled with the sudden….....

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"Doll's House Henrik Ibsen's 'The Doll's House'", 03 June 2011, Accessed.15 June. 2024,
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