Ibsen`s A Doll`s House

Henrik Ibsen 's A Doll 's House

Pg .1

Henrik Ibsen 's A Doll 's house was written in (1879 . He was inspired by

the 1848 revolution in Europe and is credited as the first to challenge the literary

romantic tradition with realism . The most important and best-known concept of the play

is the message of feminism . Ibsen 's created Nora Helmer to represent the revolutionary

spirit as well as the coming of modernism . He chose Nora to attack the middle class and

their restrictions

The theme in

A Doll 's House ' is focused on Nora the housewife and

mother . Nora represents how woman are seen in 1879 , society in the role as a wife and

mother . Her husband Torvald represents a negative view of Nora 's true existence

Torvald is a good man with high moral views , who is very honest and believes women 's

true role in life is to be a good wife and mother . He is passionately devoted to Nora and

and believes that she should be the morality ' ruler for their children . In other words

Torvald loves and adores Nora but only sees her as a child , helpless and disconnected

with all reality or moral forces

Nora is trapped inside her domestic bliss . She never leaves because Tovald

brings everything she needs to her . Nora believes herself as fortunate and that Torvald is

her hero and he will save her whenever she is in trouble . So , when Torvald life is

threatened Nora does not think twice to help in forging her father 's name to borrow 800

cronen . She needs this money to take her sick husband to Italy . Nora wants to shield Torvald from trouble , and thinks nothing of the

legal aspects . She works hard and believes she will pay back the money she borrowed

on the forged check with her pin money . Nora 's purpose in life reflects the times when a

Ibsen 's A Doll House

Pg .2

woman 's role was to sing and dance and be happy for her husband and children

Her true personality and character comes into bloom when she forges her father 's name

on a check to help her husband

Nora Helmer borrows the money from Nils Krogstad , a man with a

shady past as seen by moralists , Torvald Helmer . Torvald becomes director of the bank

and threatens to fire Krogstad . Krogstad fights back by blackmailing Nora . He tells her

that if she doesn 't help him he will tell Torvald that she forged her father 's name on a

check . Nora thinks of only her husband and not herself when confronted by this threat by

Krogstad . Nora begins a fight for her husband and children 's lives . She will do anything

she can to protect them from Krogstad poison and tells Torvald about her crime

Torvald 's great anger over Nora 's crime is then lifted when he learns

that it didn 't generate any publicity that may have besmirched Torvald 's name . Nora

learns...