Oppressed, monopolized, and helpless, Nora Helmer went through everyday of her life like her husband's personal robot. In the play A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen, the old idea of men's "authority" over women is re-explored. At some point in everyone's life, they feel that they are being manipulated by another person in some way, shape, or form. These particular situations can escalate to the point that people feel like they have "strings attached to them" like a puppet or doll; they have no control over what they say or do. The title, A Doll's House, acts as a symbol of the play and Nora's life as a whole.
             Torvald Helmer's authority and control over his wife instills a sense of fear and urgency in his wife. For example, Nora fears her husband and what actions he might take upon finding out her "debt secret." This fear takes control over her; she will do almost anything to conceal her secret from her husband. In this case, Torvald indirectly has control over her. He is not aware of the secret, but it still aids in his authority over his wife. The relationship of Torvald and Nora can be described almost like that of how a child plays with a doll house. If not for the child or the "manipulator of the doll," the doll would not move. The child has complete control over the doll and makes it do whatever the child wishes. In reality, Nora is the "doll" and Torvald is the child who controls the doll. Nora doesn't know the first thing about herself because she always was told that she wasn't capable of thinking properly or living her own life. Also, Nora always felt that she had to make her husband happy as well. If this task was not accomplished, she had "failed" as a wife. Nora failed to realize that flaw in human beings: no one is perfect. The fear that Torvald's authority had on Nor
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