Although we are not at the end of the book yet we are still able to see major changes in Nora’s actions. Even before the book tells us, we are aware of Nora and Trovald’s awkward marriage. Their marriage is said to be held up by only lies and hatefully passive words and actions. Yet after Nora’s strokes with Krogstad we began to see derogation from her subordination of Trovald. In the first lines of the book we can clearly read that Nora is a subordinate of Trovald,
“Helmer. ‘Has my spendthrift been wasting money again?’…
Nora. ‘Yes, Trovald, we may be a wee bit more reckless now, mayn’t we? Just a tiny wee bit!” (4)
This quotes shows that Trovald does not trust Nora with money because she will spend it. Even though it is Christmas time. Also that Nora asks very carefully if they may spend just “a tiny we bit” more.
After Nora is blackmailed by Krogstad he relationship with Trovald is pushed to a new level. Now it is not just keeping him happy and socially represented, but also defending him from her unlawful actions and such repercussions that may result. Later in Act I when Nora is decorating the tree she is seen sarcastically speaking about this, “I will do everything I can think of to please you, Trovald! –I will sing for you, dance for you…” (25) So here we see that Nora begins to falter after hearing of Krogstad’s blackmail. She kind of cast off the fact that Korgstad has just threatened her and her family and claims that she will do everything a good wife does.
Then in Act II we begin to witness Nora’s “friendship” with Dr. Rank. During one of her meetings with him she deliberately shows him her stocking, “Flesh-colored. Aren’t they lovely… oh well, you may have leave to look at the legs too.”(39) Today such an action would not seem so out of place as it is in the book. Nora shares her feet and even legs with Rank as if he was her husband. This evidence of her growing relationship with Rank and her increasing independence.
3 responses so far ↓
1 Mike // Feb 7, 2007 at 9:04 pm
HoneyMan,
After reading your response to the play we have recently finished, i cant help but completely agree with your character analysis of Nora. After reading this far into the book, it was evident to me also, that Nora’s reltationship with Torvald was becoming more and more estranged with the turn of every page. I also found it very interesting, how because of Krogstad, Nora was pushed away from her husband in a time of peril, instead of closer to. This fact alone shows the limits of their relationship. It was interesting also, watching how Nora blatantly flirted with Dr. Rank, when the news of her deciet was about to ruin her relationship with Torvald. As you stated in your response, Nora’s character became more dependent of Torvald through this encounter with Krogstad. She attempted to conceal what she had done and in doing so, became self-sufficient for the first time in her life. I was very happy to see that we both recognized the strong shift in Nora’s character througout the play. In reading your response my opinions were only strengthened through your excently use of quotes, and proof.
- Mike Lewis
2 jamalumpberger // Feb 9, 2007 at 12:04 am
First I would like to say how you divided Nora’s growth as a character into three parts: the fragile relationship between the couple that is subtly represented in the beginning, Krogstad’s blackmailing of Nora, and then the relationship between Nora and Dr. Rank. Regarding the former part, I agree with what you say about Torvald’s lack of trust. Even with spending he doesn’t trust her and later we can see that there is also no trust concerning business. He obviously doesn’t want her to see the mail since he always keeps the key which also displays the male dominance. Second, following Krogstad’s blackmailing with the incriminating letter, Nora does indeed begin to falter. She is clearly distressed that her life could be on the line because of one letter in their mail box. Her actions appear very strange: she begins to act much friendlier with Torvald but of course this is only to distract him from the letter and from her underlying feelings. Finally there is the case of the exposed affair between Dr. Rank and Nora. I do agree with the fact that it does symbolize her newly found independence because she realizes that she shouldn’t be under Torvald’s strict control. However I don’t believe that the symbol goes any deeper. At the time she was only attempting to get Dr. Rank’s aid and thus acted very friendly with him. She was very surprised when Rank professed his love. The entire complex may have worked as a trigger but at the end when Nora explains why she is leaving, there is no mention of the relationship with the dying Rank.
3 eskaalen // Feb 14, 2007 at 12:37 pm
Based on Hunnicult’s post and the related comments, I am starting to see Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” as play focused on a love pentagon. Perhaps audiences focus too much on the individual character’s lines, rather than their intertwined relationships. Between Nora, Torvald, Dr. Rank, Krogstad, and Mrs. Linde, no one character would be his or her true self without his or her love and hate relationships with the others.
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