English 125 Reaction

A Doll’s House

LaKea Priestly

English/125

June 18, 2012

Instructor: Eric Drown

A Doll’s House

The play “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen is very interesting. It deals with real life decisions based on what society think is best. The play starts off with Torvald Helmer a Banker and is wife Nora preparing for Christmas. The author kept the readers interested by providing knowledge of Nora being dishonest to her husband to save his life. “Is it imprudent to save your husband’s life?” (p. 800)

Torvald treated Nora like a child never giving her the respect that a wife deserves. He referred to her as little and using names such, as spendthrift, squirrel, and skylark. “Come, come, my little skylark must not droop her wings. What is this! Is my little squirrel out of temper?” (p. 794) That seems very strange to me because husbands and wives usually refer to one another as honey, dear, and sweetheart to name a few. Torvald loved Nora he tried to show her most of the time, but he also treated her as society thought a woman should be treated and that is not being an equal to men. Torvold was a very proud man who would never take a handout, borrow or, create debt. “No debt no borrowing. There can be no freedom or beauty about a home life that depends on borrowing and dept.” (p. 794) The author wanted the reader’s to know how strongly Torvald felt about borrowing and what position he would be in if he did. This just does not make any sense because in real life situations always come up where someone needs a helping hand. Nora had received word from Torvald’s doctor telling her in order for her husband to live he needed to go South. Torvald was working long hours to make money every way he could, he worked early, and late. “He couldn’t stand it, and fell dreadfully ill.” (p. 798) The trip was more than Nora expected, and she did not have nowhere to turn so going against Torvald’s wishes she borrowed the money to save her husband’s life. Nora was destroying herself by...