Nora's Transformation (From child to woman)

             The play entitled "A Doll's House", by Henrik Ibsen, deals with the issue of a woman's role in society. More specifically, the subordinate role women play in comparison to that of their husbands. Women, at that time, were mainly given the impression that one should support her husband through whatever decisions he chooses to make. As well, women should be sympathetic, comforting, and obedient towards their husbands. During act one, the main character, Nora Helmer, possesses theses qualities as a woman, a wife, a mother, and a companion. She later opens her eyes to the world; seeing her life in a completely different light and becomes curious, as she sets goals for herself, trying to seek purpose in life. In a sense, Nora goes from being an oblivious, innocent child, transformed into a curious woman. She comes to the realization that she needs to experience and learn things for herself and can no longer depend on others (namely men) to spoon feed her whatever information they see is needed to know by a woman.
             The concept of Nora having a rather childlike air about her at the beginning of the play is supported through her acts of disobedience and indecisiveness. Like a child, Nora is told by her husband that she is forbidden to eat macaroons. After commenting on how Nora looks rather "uneasy today", he then demands for her to look him straight in the face and proceeds to badger her into responding as to whether or not she has been going against his rules and had eaten a macaroon. "Hasn't Miss Sweet Tooth been breaking rules in town today?"(4) What could have shown signs of a 'strong' and independent woman, would have been if she had been completely honest with Torvald, her husband, and admitted to having eaten a sweet. But rather, not only is she disobedient, Nora also lies to her husband, attempting to cover up the 'bad thing' she has done. Just as a child would do i...

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Nora's Transformation (From child to woman). (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 07:34, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/78856.html