In the play, The Doll’s House, the author Henrik Ibsen establishes a sense with the reader that Nora and her lifestyle symbolize a doll or dollhouse. During this era of a Victorian society, women were expected to love and obey their husbands, work at home, and take care of their children. It is evident throughout the story that Laura’s husband, Torvald, treats her like a “doll”. The author does an effective job in portraying this through Torvald’s character, and how he treats his wife.
Nora’s every day life symbolizes that of a doll. She rarely leaves, the house, and is therefore controlled by her husband. She wants to take control of her life, yet during the nineteenth century, women had no power. This is similar to a way a doll exists. They are stuck in a house, and are never able to get out in the “real world.” Nora’s family and the rest of society would look down on Nora if she left because they believe she would not fit in. For example, this would be similar to a child taking a doll out of a dollhouse and including it with his or her action figures. It is just not custom.
The author uses the character Kristine to represent what Nora is not. Kristine is living on her own, and not controlled by anyone. Despite her idea to pursue marriage, and Nora’s willingness to run from it, the author presents Kristine in a way that she is confident and happy to settle down and get married. In Drama for Students, critic Sheri Metzger writes, “Kristine is clearly a non-doll to Nora’s doll. She has been the freedom that Nora now seeks”. Therefore, because Kristen is not a doll, she is not controlled by anyone and has had the freedom to explore and experience the real world, unlike Nora.
Another example of how the author symbolizes Nora as a doll is the character he creates in Torvald. According to critic Sheri Metzger in Drama for Students, the author creates Torvald to be the “superior being, holding the economic reins and thereby concentrating in his hands all power and responsibility in the household, making the woman his slave.” It is evident that Torvald considers Nora to be his plaything, in the way he speaks to her and uses her to dance the tarantella for his entertainment. One example is how he refers to Nora after she does her dance. Torvald says, “Remarkably lovely, isn’t she? And that’s what everybody at the dance thought, too.
But this sweet little thing’s dreadfully obstinate. What are we to do with her? You’d hardly believe it, but I practically had to use force to get her away. The way He talks about his wife is similar to the way an adult would treat a child. He disregards Nora’s feelings, and shows numerous times throughout the play that he only cares about himself. Another example of Torvald’s doll like treatment of Nora is when he says to her, “And I wouldn’t want you to be any different from what you are”. Clearly, from a quote like this, and Torvalds constant referring of Nora to his “skylark” or “song bird”, shows how Torvald fails to treat her like a mature adult, but rather like a child, similar to the way a child might act or talk to a doll.
In the play “A Doll’s House” the author Henrik Isben does a very effective job throughout the story relating Nora’s lifestyle to a dollhouse. Her subordinate position and lack of freedom keep her locked up in the house. The way Torvald treats his wife is similar, presenting a relationship between them that represents a child and a doll. The only way for Nora to escape her dollhouse lifestyle is to get out in the real world and explore her feelings and desires.
