The naturalistic three-act play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, A Doll’s House, depicts the "perfect" family situation, one that is secure and comfortable, and models the ideal doll wife, Nora. As a subsidiary role in her family, she enjoys her life in the house as a little woman. Nevertheless, being a typical wife, she has secrets hidden from her husband, Torvald Helmer. As we discover later in the play, Nora forged a signature to borrow money from the moral cripple, Nils Krogstad, to save her husband’s life, and later awakens from the illusion and decides to leave after identifying her husband's actual personality. Henrick Ibsen depicts the façade of the "flawless" house and gives insight into the gender roles of the Victorian era of her time.
Being a paradoxical character, Nora wanted to stay at the inferior level of family status, but controversially, she wasn’t so obedient in her heart. She behaved like a childish, naive, charming, and innocent young girl, believing that her husband is strong and the master of everything, and as a wife, she should be obedient and enjoy the love and protection given by Torvald. As depicted in the novel, Nora said that she ‘‘should not think of going against her husband’s wishes’’. Believing that her husband has strong opinions and manly independence, as a typical woman in the Victorian era would do, she belittles herself and thinks that she has silly and insignificant thoughts. The relationship between Nora and Torvald is not equal; Torvald called her pet names such as my little lark, my little squirrel, and "my little spendthrift, viewing her as his possession. Nora seems to be satisfied by this illusion of love and comfort, even calling herself by the nicknames given by Torvald, seeming to be lighthearted and optimistic. In Mrs. Linde’s description, Nora "knows so little of the burdens and troubles of life." She was well protected by her father and then by her husband; she experienced very little. Having to stay home and take care of the children, she was a "doll’’ trapped in her delusion of love. Nonetheless, although her main job was to please her husband and be a "good wife", she disobeyed some laws made by Torvald, such as eating macaroons and borrowing money.
Under the predicament of disobeying the law and forging a signature to save her husband, Torvald, or asking her father to help her when he is ill, Nora decided to forge the signature to borrow money from Krogstad and rescue her husband. By accomplishing the needs of both important men in her life, she is in danger of losing her reputation and going to jail. Nora earned money from small jobs such as copywriting and saved pocket money to pay the debt. As presented in this novel, Nora immolates her reputation to save her husband, then tries to commit suicide to take responsibility for the scandal when Krogstad blackmailed her. She felt that she was in the wrong and was terrified that her happy marriage would end because of her. She forfeited her ability to choose and think for her father and spouse. When both of their illnesses were severe, she gave up her father so she could care for her ill husband. She was anxious but, in the meantime, enjoyed sacrificing for her family. Nora is like a martyr who was willing to sacrifice almost everything to please others. As Nora disobeys the law, we can tell from her inner thoughts the importance of Torvald to her; moreover, her impetuous behavior shows us how she is naive and childish towards the world. She knew little about her responsibility toward the law.
To highlight Nora’s credulity and ignorance towards society and the law, Henrik Ibsen paints another character, Mrs. Linde. As a woman who experienced many tragedies, such as the loss of her father and the penurious condition of her family, she inevitably married a wealthy man to earn a living for her brothers and mother. Mrs. Linde was a pragmatic woman; she knew more about the world and her responsibility towards her family. She readily admitted that she married a man that she had not loved. Throughout the story, the sacrificial role of women is emphasized. Nora, a typical woman in the Victorian era, sacrificed almost everything to please her family, and Mrs. Linde sacrificed her marriage for her family. Another example of a sacrificial woman in this play is the maid who took care of Nora and her children when they were young, Anne-Marie. She gave up her children for the money and job at the Helmers' house. She forfeited the time she might have spent with her family to give them a better environment. As women sacrificed for their families and lives, men worked outside. Men were anticipated to be resilient and devoted to their families. They were responsible for providing a secure home and a means of subsistence. Krogstad ruined his reputation and lost his job, leading to the loss of his lover, Mrs. Linde; implying that a man was unable to give up their reputation for love since doing so would cause him to lose his career and family
The stereotypes of society prevented everyone from being their true selves. Women had to sacrifice everything to appease a man; they couldn't work outside or marry anyone they desired. Men had to become "perfect" spouses who conformed to social norms since they were unable to stay home. By delving extensively into Victorian society, the author uses Helmers' "perfect dollhouse" to illustrate the pressures in the world and how they affected both men and women. The drama emphasizes how little agency and freedom women had at the time, as well as the social pressures on men to support their families. Today's audiences still resonate with these issues, which serve as a reminder of the ongoing fight for gender equality.
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