A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen

This is a play by Henrik Ibsen.

Synopsis:

This is a play by Henrik Ibsen. Nora Helmer is the wife of Torvald and the mother of three children and feels stuck and unhappy in her marriage. Torvald is a bank manager who believes himself to be and claims that he is in love with Nora.

However, he calls Nora dishonest and immoral and tells her she is not fit to raise their children and that their marriage will from that day on be not real and just for appearances. Torvald tells Nora that he regrets what he said to her and forgives her, but Nora realizes at this point that Torvald does not truly love her but wants her fully dependent on him. She tells him she cannot be a good mother and wife until she learns more about herself and stand alone.

Nora leaves her husband because she feels like he treats her not as an equal but as a child and wants to learn how to stand on her own and make her own decisions. She no longer loves her husband and feels like they are strangers.

Review:

I enjoyed this play and liked the character of Nora and found the theme of questioning the traditional roles of men and women in marriage to be significant. However, I did have an issue with Nora abandoning her husband and children, and I believe that if the play was written recently, that Nora would discuss her issues with her husband before making such a radical decision.

“I have been your doll-wife, just as at home I was papa’s doll-child; and here the children have been my dolls.” “I thought it was great fun when you played with me, just as they found it great fun when I played with them.” “That is what our marriage has been.”

“I must try and educate myself- you are not the man to help me in that. I must do that for myself. And that is why I am going to leave you now.”

“I must stand alone, if I am to understand myself and everything about me. It is for that reason I cannot remain with you any longer.”

“I believe that above all else I am a reasonable human being, just as you are- at all events, that I must try and become one.”