Noras Decision to Leave in A Dolls House Essay - 1430 Words

Many women in modern society make life altering decisions on a daily basis. Women today have prestigious and powerful careers unlike in earlier eras. It is more common for women to be full time employees than homemakers. In 1879, when Henrik Ibsen wrote A Dolls House, there was great controversy over the out come of the play. Nora’s walking out on her husband and children was appalling to many audiences centuries ago. Divorce was unspoken, and a very uncommon occurrence. As years go by, society’s opinions on family situations change. No longer do women have a â€Å"housewife† reputation to live by and there are all types of family situations. After many years of emotional neglect, and overwhelming control, Nora finds herself leaving her†¦show more content†¦Obviously, Nora has been scolded for eating them before as is evident by her hiding the cookies. This appears to be the first hint of Nora making a stand for herself and doing something because she wa nts to. Torvald later says to Nora â€Å"†¦when Rank comes, just tell him where he can find me.† Then Nora disregards her husband and tells Dr Rank that he â€Å"mustn’t go in to see Torvald yet.† This is the second time Nora is seen as defying her husbands’ commands. For so long she has been living up to the standards of her husband. She has been doing what was expected of her. Nora is called a number of names by Torvald throughout the play. These include â€Å"little woman†, â€Å"little person†, â€Å"little songbird†, â€Å"little featherhead†, â€Å"little skylark†, â€Å"squirrel†, and â€Å"lark†. Torvald seems to always use the term little before the names he calls Nora. These are all usually preceded by Torvald stating my, which emphasizes Torvalds belief that Nora is his. Torvalds names for Nora show that he does not see her as an equal by any means. Nora is a play doll and at times an appeal ing and exotic pet all for Torvald. She is like a figurine in a glass display cabinet. Throughout Nora’s whole life she has been controlled by whomever she has been close to. She has never had to chance to have her own experiences, to think her own thoughts and to try to make something of her life. She knows nothing but what her and her father let her. Nora admits toShow MoreRelatedShakespeare s A Doll s House Essay1352 Words   |  6 PagesThe Performance of Gender in Ibsen’s A Doll’s House It can be said that the sound of Nora Helmer slamming the door behind her as she leaves her husband and children in pursuit of self-actualization is one of the most famous in theatre history. The journey the characters in A Doll’s House take in order to build to this powerful moment is a fascinating one. 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