Nora the Doll

596 Words3 Pages
The extent to which the characters of A Doll’s House are alienated from one another can be seen in the marriage of Nora and Torvald. Due to the demands of their society, both Nora and Torvald are forced to adopt social personas which determine the nature of their interactions. This is seen in their relationship’s internal power dynamics. Torvald’s treatment of Nora as a sort of second-class, economic dependent—or, in his own words, an “expensive pet”—is consistent with the broader structure of patriarchy which dominates the society in which he lives (Ibsen 1322). In her own way, Nora enables and contributes to this power imbalance through the consistently playful and flirtatious manner in which she greets Torvald’s patronising behaviour. Despite her air of subservience and complacency, Nora articulates a desire to explore her own abilities, remarking—in one her earliest conversations with Ms. Linde—that she would have loved to “have done something to be proud and happy about” (1326). The discrepancy between Nora’s outward behaviour and her internal ambition highlights the extent to which the social persona which she employs is inconsistent with her genuine personality. This discrepancy between outward social conduct and internal self contributes to the sense of alienation which exists between the play’s characters. The characters of A Doll’s House react to their sense of mutual alienation through the creation of elaborate social conventions. These conventions, if broken, can evoke a dramatic and hostile response from the community. The treatment of Krogstad is a good example of this phenomenon. Krogstad, who had previously been a well-respected member of his society, sees his social position vanish after having been found guilty of financial fraud. By failing to maintain an image of social respectability, Krogstad is abandoned by his community and
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