Blog Post 4- A Doll's House

Toby Egbuna

Blog Post 4- A Doll’s House

            Regardless of whether the year is 1879 or 2014, there is a single most important trait in a strong marriage. Is it trust, or love, or intimacy? In A Doll’s House, the relationship between Nora and Torvald, especially when compared to the bond between Krogstad and Mrs. Linde, supports another trait. Henrik Ibsen’s central position on marriage is that freedom, contrary to popular belief, is the most important piece to a successful marriage. This trait encompasses several different parts of marriage, including openness in speech, public relations, and responsibility.

            The most glaring deficiency in Nora and Torvald’s marriage is Nora’s lack of freedom of speech. From the very beginning of the play, she is hesitant to ask for money for Christmas presents because she thinks it will upset Torvald. One of Nora’s biggest complaints during her final rant before she leaves Torvald is that the two have never had a serious conversation in eight years of marriage. As explained by Nora in Act 3, “[Torvald] arranged everything according to your own taste, and so I got the same tastes as you, or else I pretended to…” Nora is saying that Torvald has controlled everything about their relationship, and her lack of freedom stems from her inability to voice any dissenting opinion. What is interesting to analyze from this quote is the use of the word “arranged.” This makes it seem as if Nora was just a piece of Torvald’s play set, and he was able to place her wherever or make her do whatever he wanted, similar to a doll; hence the title, A Doll’s House.

            Torvald’s primary flaw is his unwillingness to display what he views as weakness. The entire reason Nora does not want anyone to know about the money she borrowed is because she cannot imagine how “painful and humiliating it would be for Torvald to know that he owed me anything! (Act 1, Line 197)" Torvald would not be able to handle people thinking that he was not the dominating figure in his family. To him, his pride is more important than his own physical health. A more subtle aspect of the play is the fact that Nora is the only major character that never leaves the house. This may be because she is involved in nearly every scene, but it could also be to prove a point that she belongs in the house, which is exactly where Torvald wants her. To the outside world, it appears that Torvald is working hard to earn for his family, while Nora plays with her children and spends her husband’s money.
            Nora’s primary complaint expressed before she leaves Torvald is the inequity of responsibility between the two. In their last argument Torvald claims that Nora’s duties are first to her husband and then to her children. This almost seems like a logical fallacy, because in order to best take care of others, one must take care of herself first. The fact that Nora never leaves the house comes into play here as well, as it is clear that Torvald’s designated responsibility is to provide for his family, while Nora’s is to be a housekeeper and look good for her husband. With a sense of freedom comes autonomy, which would give Nora some greater responsibility in her marriage. It is helpful to compare Nora and Torvald’s failed delegation of responsibilities to that of Mrs. Linde and Krogstand. Although their relationship is only hinted at until Act III, it is clear that the two work well together. The statements “We two need each other (Act 3, Line 58)” and “Nils, a woman who has once sold herself for another’s sake, doesn’t do it a second time. (Act 3, line 72)”by Mrs. Linde show that the two have matured from any previous relationship they had, and are ready to take on equal levels of responsibility for the betterment of their connection.

            Although A Doll’s House, was written during the late 1800’s and was based on a marriage from that time period, it is still very much applicable in the 21^st century. During a time with a 50 percent divorce rate, it is extremely important that both halves of a marriage have a sense of freedom and shared accountability. The negative effects of a lack of freedom are portrayed in Henrik Ibsen’s work.