A Doll’s House Essay Example for Free

A dames House EssayThe play, A Dolls House, by Henrik Ibsen, typefaces a conventional brotherhood of a middle class couple in the blue(a) Era. The marriages in the late nineteenth century were severely confining the womans post was to be nurturing and a custody sufficient, while the mans was to be powerful in some(prenominal) his work and municipal life sentence. Similarly to these traditional matrimonies, the marriage of the protagonists, Nora and Torvald, emphasizes the implausibility of individuals to two meet the nines expectations and achieve individualized happiness. Hence, Ibsen exhibited this principle and inadvertently shocked society by exhibiting what most people believed to be a engaging of godless(prenominal)(prenominal) androgyny wo manpower, such as the rebellious Nora, in refusing to be compliant, are refusing to be women (Templeton 13). Since men and women in the patriarchal society are conditi 1d to simply accept women as daughters, wives, and female parents, both Nora and Torvald are submissive to societys impart and so Torvald perpetuates this societal attitude without recognizing its in sightlyice while Nora ch wholeenges it, thus reversing their traditional berths in society.Initially, the protagonist in A Dolls House, Nora, is portrayed as an immature and tasteless woman. Meanwhile, her married man, Torvald, is characterized as an intelligent and generous man. However, as the plot unfolds, evidence suggests that their dispositions are actually in reverse, collect to their preoccupation with fitting into the molds that society has created for them to fit into. In reality, non only are their in-personities opposite, precisely their positions in the household are as unscathedsome. Consequently, Nora plays the part of the childish married woman and Torvald plays the part of the dominating economise, entirely ultimately, Nora is authorize whereas Torvald is horr prohibitous to re pile up control.Additionally , because society forever reinforces the mans supremacy and the womans subordinacy in a relationship, both Nora and Torvald uphold the pretense of having an ideal marriage however, they are animate an illusion. Initially, both Torvald and Nora sorb care to highly value appearances however, obeying societal rules regarding appearance does not give either of thempowera reality that unaccompanied Nora is able to comprehend. Unaware that he is living in a household that is ground on lies, Torvald treats his wife the carriage that society has taught him, because he seeks authority not only in his professional life, yet in his person-to-person life as well. He believes that womens purposes only include housekeeping and amusement, so he wants his wifes appearance, and thus his public front, to be immaculate. Accordingly, Torvald gives Nora m nonpareily so that she can buy new garments and presents for herself and their children, subsequently beautifying his family.Also, Torvald affectionately calls Nora his skylark and squirrel, and is amused by her immaturity. He enjoys her unfitness to think for herself, so he doesnt wish her anything but just what she is, his sweet little lark (Ibsen 46). In revise for him to constantly feel powerful, Torvald does not want his child-wife to mature, but instead go fors that Nora remains dependent on his gui leap and wealth. Further to a greater extent, by calling her by animal nicknames, he dehumanizes her and derives it easier for himself to not ack straightledge her as an actual person who ask his emotional, rather than pecuniary support. hitherto Nora realizes that when she is no longer so attractive Torvald will fill in her less than now and will stop enjoying her dancing and dressing up and reciting for him (Ibsen 55), illustrating that although Nora realizes that Torvald does not appreciate her intelligence, rather than utter up active her objectification, she desires to ignore it for the time creation. On the other hand, while Torvald is objectifying Nora in install to represent his authority, he is being manipulated even more than she is. Because society has taught him that appearances are more valuable than emotional substance, Torvald with his sensibility has such sharp distaste for anything ugly (Ibsen 81). However, he is unable to recognize impurities beneath the surface, such as his wifes dis naivey. Contrarily, because Nora cares more about her familys emotional wellbeing than Torvald does, she recognizes the lies that are present indoors her and Torvalds marriage and chooses to block them out of her estimation, while he is oblivious to them.In addition, Torvald ensures that society flocks women as being incapable of dealing with important matters, so he chastises Nora for getting involved in financial and work related issues, since they put his authority at risk.Although he enjoys invoking Noras excitement by swelled her money to spend, he does not take duty for h er frivolous spending habits. For instance, when Nora comes home with newly purchased items he asks her, Has the little spendthrift been out throwe money around again? (Ibsen 44) He then continues to patronize her by saying, Nora, Nora, how like a woman (Ibsen 44), demonstrating his touch sensation that women are incapable of dealing with serious matters and that they are mens burdens. More all everyplace, Torvald berates Nora about the importance of money when he tells her No debts Never borrow Something of freedoms lostand something of beauty, toofrom a home thats founded on borrowing and debt (Ibsen 44), displaying the importance he places on not owing anything to others and thus, not being subservient.Through his controlling behavior towards Nora, such as appeasing Nora with money afterwards she begs him for it, Torvald demonstrates his dis mental picture that these qualities should not pertain to women. Also, not only does he want to preserve his familys appearance, but he also desires to preserve his own at work. Similarly to his domestic status, his professional one is based on the amount of power that he holds, which is demonstrated by his ability to command others. For this reason, Torvald feels threatened when Krogstad acts more friendly than professionally towards him.Also, when Nora later beseeches him to not terminate Krogstads job, Torvald is afraid about itbeing rumored around that he is vetoed by his wife and inadvertently handing himself ridiculous in front of the whole office (Ibsen 78), since being easily influenced by a woman, a supposedly inferior being, would cause Torvald to lose the respect of his coworkers. Therefore, the necessity of moneyits crucial continuative to respect figures importantly in A Dolls House (Templeton 7), since wealth is the foundation of the genial hierarchy, which consists of domineering men at the top and submissive women, who are not even able to make purchases or take out loanwords without their hubb ys consents, at the bottom.Even though Nora subtly rebels against her husband and the patriarchal society as a whole, she still attempts to conserve her appearance as a submissive wife. In order to maintain a shred of dignity as a child-wife, Nora disobeys Torvalds and societys rules by taking on mens attitudes andduties. For example, she asks Dr. Rank if he wants a little macaroon, because he cannot peradventure know that Torvald had forbidden them, and she also has one, in an attempt to reject Torvalds control over her. Next, at that place is just one last thing in the worldly concern that she has such a consuming desire to say so Torvald could hear. This desire of hers is to say, to hell and be damned (Ibsen 59), since cursing is considered an unladylike act. Later, another one of Noras secrets is revealed during her conversation with her childhood friend, Mrs. Linde.Firstly, Nora wants them to only discuss her happiness with Torvald, which displays that Nora acts self-center ed at times such(prenominal) like men who were solely focused on their own problems, not womens in the tight-laced Era. Plus, Mrs. Linde thinks that Nora is incapable of anything serious however, Noras secret, which is her joy and pride (Ibsen 55), affirms otherwise. non wanting to humiliate Torvald, but also not wanting her power to be limited by him if he were to find out and stop her actions, Nora secretly make unnecessaryd his life when he was sick once, by borrowing money from Krogstad in order for Torvald to fulfill medical help, rooting in Nora needing to earn money in order to pay her debt to Krogstad. Her criminality is thus both a consequent and a defiance of her exclusion.Nora, who as a married woman cannot borrow without her husbands consent, is forced to go outside the law.To acquire money on her own is to reject her depressed status as well as a sexist law, for it gist operating in the world (Durbach 140), an activity that society only allows a woman to do w ith her husbands guidance. Unfortunately, though, Nora had no prize but to forge her fathers signature in the go. Not only had Nora committed this detestation in order to shelter Torvald from feeling indebted to her, and consequently, to allow him to maintain his masculine pride, but she enjoyed the process of it because it was wonderful fun, sitting and working like that, earning money. It was almost like being a man (Ibsen 55).Although one may argue that her decision to break the law is an act of selflessness, in reality, her desire to attain the qualities that men are supposed to possess demonstrates that Noras main motivation to help her husband was not love, since she realizes that she is being oppressed, but the prospect of attaining more power, even if it is unploughed secret for the time being. In addition, her responsible actions showcase that people including Torvald and Noras friend, Mrs.Linde, underestimate Noras maturity, since although Nora exhibits the stereotypi cal female qualities of being immature, as demonstrated by her inability to empathize with Mrs. Linde, she is also hardworking a presumed quality of men exclusively.Moreover, because in the traditional Victorian society the oppression that she faces is seen as acceptable for women, Nora attempts to deny her restrictions for as long as possible. By get new clothes for Iver a sword and a horse and a trumpet for Bob, and a hiss and a dames bed here for Emmy (Ibsen 45), Nora is passing down the knowledge of gender stereotypes to her children. Also, Noras definition of freedom is to know youre carefree to be able to play with the children, and to keep up a fair, charming home, illustrating that Nora attempts to ignore the injustice of her only purpose in society being to take care of domestic duties and making everything just the way Torvald likes it (Ibsen 56). Plus, this depicts that Nora does not even watch the freedom to make her own decisions about how the house should be arran ged. Also, Nora transforms the tree fantastically until it begins to radiate an appalling sense of absurd and mis take oning gaiety, becoming an emblem of the deceptive values generated in the shuttlecocks house, since she hides her intelligence and rebellions slow her girly vulnerability and pretty purchases (Durbach 54).Thus, her adornment of the tree showcases her masquerade and duplicity, since the tinkering with the tree is clearly emblematic of Noras assumption of a disguise in a manic attempt to shore up a house on the verge of collapse (Durbach 54). Plus, during her conversation with Mrs. Linde, Nora is shocked to discover that her old friend is happy without a husband, and hence learns that some women indeed, do not love their husbands (Durbach 102).As a result, Nora begins to empathize that women are not oblige to constantly rely on men for support and that it is possible for women to achieve happiness for themselves, not solely for their husbands. When Nora realiz es this,the truth require cushioning from the horribly implicationsthe instability of domestic values, the shattering of the roles that fork up given her status, purpose, and subroutine in the razzs house (Durbach 102), because all of the former values that society has implemented into her mindhave suddenly move obliterated. Her strategy, therefore, is to maintain appearances even if it means living a lie. But she will not go along with this subterfuge forever. Timing is all (Durbach 102), suggesting that although Nora realizes that the society is deceiving her by instilling the belief that a womans only option in life is to adhere to her husbands demands, Nora is betraying Torvald in the same way, since he does not question her honesty.Meanwhile, Nora also understands that her only means of attaining authority as a woman is by manipulating men with her knowledgeableity however, she comes to realize that her power hurts others as well as herself. In order to receive what she desires from men, such as Dr. Rank and Torvald, Nora seduces them and pretends to be a stereotypically helpless woman. Not only does Nora flirt with Dr. Rank in order to attain money to pay off her loan to Krogstad, but also to prove to herself and to society that she is able to have power over men. She has learnt to coax her husband into giving her what she asks by playing all sorts of pretty tricks. Now she naturally takes the same line with her husbands friend (Shaw 226).After Dr. Rank explains to Nora that he believes that a terrible occurrence is imminent and then continues to explain that he is sick and will die soon, Nora is visibly relieved because he is not referring to the likeliness of Krogstad show her nuisance to Torvald. Instead of being sympathetic towards Dr. Ranks plight, Nora then flaunts her flesh colour in stockings and asks Dr. Rank, Arent they lovely? (Ibsen 82) She treats Dr. Rank not as a dearly loved and respected friend, but as the cliche of her fantasi esa male doll, whom she is able to control for her own benefit (Durbach 49). Her illusion of the male doll is as humiliating as the doll role she has trained herself to play (Durbach 49), and her manipulative behavior exhibits her inability to not do onto others what both society and Torvald have done onto her treat her like a quash being.In addition, it is ironic that the only way for Nora to feel powerful within her marriage is to act childishly in front of Torvald and to use her feminine sexuality. For instance, while preparing to perform a dance, Nora attempts to distract Torvald with her helplessness, because she does notwant him to open a letter from Krogstad, which outlines her forgery. She then proclaims to Torvald, Ive forgotten the whole dance completely.Yes, take care of me, Torvald, amuse (Ibsen 91), demonstrating that Nora knowingly abuses her sexual power by promoting her vulnerabilitya quality of hers that she knows Torvald is infatuated by. Plus, she lets him dress her up in a fancy dress from Capri that he had bought for her. It is all sex and sexuality, a device that transforms Nora into the kind of ethnic doll (Durbach 45) that one can purchase and then use for his own enjoyment.The costume represents her role as a living sexual fantasy in the bourgeois bedroom, since she does not even dress herself, but instead dresses up in order to be a suitable plaything for Torvald (Durbach 45). Her marriage, thus far, has shown her that in order to get others to listen to her and do things for her, she needs to use her sexuality and female characteristic of fragility, so Nora acts the sexual doll, even to the extent of allowing Torvald to choose the costume and the tarantella dance (Durbach 45), thus causing him to think that he has proficient control of her, while in actually, she is the schemer who has the greater control in their relationship.Because of her subservience to males, Nora faces outcomes at the manpower of both Dr. Rank and Torval d that eventually lead to her awakening to her lack of free will. Although Nora has succeeded in manipulating Dr. Rank, she realizes that what she has done is persecute and then decides against asking him for a favor. Dr. Rank tells Nora that Torvald is not the only one who would give up his life for her (Ibsen 84), suggesting that he loves Nora. Because she now has the knowledge that his body and soul are at her command (Ibsen 84), as a result of her seduction of Dr. Rank, Nora feels inculpative for giving him false hope of her reciprocating his feelings, especially because Nora is married and still feels loyal towards Torvald. Also, Nora last abandons her plan of manipulation because she does not wish to hurt a man who, as a result of his affection for her, seems weaker than most men, such as Torvald. Nora now becomes aware of her own tendency to reduce living substance to the empty forms of perverse fantasy (Durbach 49).Furthermore, the tarantella dance, which represents Nora and Torvalds power struggle, between not only each other, but also each of them individually and society, causes Nora to visibly rebel against Torvald, rendering him desperate to gain back his control. Noras rampant dancing is a discernible rebellion against Torvald, thus rendering him desperate to gain back his control over her. As her dancing becomes increasingly crazed, Torvald yells to her, Slow down.Not so violent, Nora No, no, that wont do it at all (Ibsen 91-92). Her refusal to abide by his commands reveals the hoydenish mistress beneath the saint in the house (Durbach 45), since for the first time, Nora is disobeying Torvald while he is aware of her defiance. Overall, the tarantella represents the dance of the victim of the tarantella spider, and the delirious attempt of the body to rid itself of the poison. (Durbach 52).In this case, Nora and Torvald are both the victims and society is the metaphorical spider that sp evinces its venom through their marriage, causing them to fight for their freedoma concept that Nora grasps better than Torvald does. As a result, Nora fights with Torvald for the presumedly powerful role of the man in their relationship. Later, Torvald takes on Noras previous role of seduction, because he believes that he has the right to looking for at his dearest possession in an objectifying way, because all of her loveliness is his alone (Ibsen 100). Torvald sees that the freeness of the tarantella is still in Noras blood and it makes her even more enticing. (Ibsen 100).Plus, he finds Noras trembling attractive because as a man, it gives him an chance to protect her from harm, and it also demonstrates her vulnerability, which society has taught men to be infatuated with (Ibsen 100). However, when Nora tells Torvald that she does not want to see him at this moment, he is shocked. Torvald does not understand what Nora means, and thinks that Nora is teasing him (Ibsen 101) because as her husband he thinks that he is entitled to hav e control over her body. This sexual attitude is learned by a determination to see Nora as a dancing, singing, and reciting doll, created for his leisure moments, the maintenance of his household economy, and the convenience of his bed (Durbach 53).Noras encounters with Mrs. Linde, Krogstad, Dr. Rank, and finally withToravald all lead to her disillusionment, and incidentally, Torvalds as well. Her encounter with Krogstad, a lawyer and Torvalds coleague, because he is a window into Noras future, in which she is ostracized because of the crime that she has committed Mrs. Linde because she helped Nora realize her potential to break female stereotypes, and Dr. Rank because he is an honest man whom Nora regretted hurting. In particular, the tarantella dance is the turning point in Nora and Torvalds relationship. Once Torvald commands her to dance in a more proper manner, Nora more fully comprehends that her freedom of expression as well as her right to have control over her own body is being oppressed. For this reason, she decides to allow Torvald to read the letter from Krogstad about her crime, as she is no longer controlled by her fear of how society will view her. Although Nora realizes that the illusion of her utopian family will shatter after Torvald finds out about her secret, she does not expect him to respond as angrily as he does.While Nora understands her oppression more clearly after revealing her forgery to her husband and later decides to abandon her family, Torvald has also been rendered powerless and is unable to comprehend his wifes decision to leave their household. While Nora had earlier decided to act selflessly in order to save her husbands reputation, Torvald responds to the revelation of her forgery by attempting to preserve his authority and reputation for societal reasons. Even though Nora is cunning at times, society has constantly reinforced the quality of selflessness to females, so she believes that because she is voluntary to sacrifi ce herself for her husband, Torvald should be willing to do the same. Since as a wife, Nora realizes that it is her duty to unconditionally love her husband, if anything awful were to happen, then it just wouldnt matter if she has debt or not (Ibsen 44), because the wellbeing of her husband is more important to her than riches and societal status.Initially, Nora fools herself into believing that Torvald loves her beyond words (Ibsen 75). She does not acknowledge the warning signs of his over-protectiveness, such as the fact that he is extremely jealous at times and would like to keep Nora all to himself (Ibsen 75). Moreover, also to her relationship with her father, Noras marriage is characterized by a need to meet societys standardized of happiness, not her internal one. For instance,Nora believes that she loved Papa most (Ibsen 85). However, she does not believe that love leads to happiness, since she al ways public opinion it was so much fun when she could sneak down to the maids quarters, because they never tried to improve me. And with Torvald its just the same as with Papa (Ibsen 85), demonstrating that Nora and Torvalds marriage is based on attaining necessities, like a beautiful family appearance, from one another, not true love or friendship.However, Nora still expects that because she has saved Torvalds life he would do the same for her a belief that had earlier made her willing to sacrifice herself for his reputation. When Krogstad threatened to fracture her criminality, such a certainty filled hershe was utterly sure that Torvald would say to Krogstad go on, tell your tale to the whole wide world. And when hed done that.Torvald would step forward and say I am the guilty one (Ibsen 112). Nora had solely desired that Torvald would offer to sacrifice his reputation for hers, since she even had the courage (Ibsen 87) to commit self-destruction in order to free Torvald from the responsibility that she presumed he would take for her forgery. Nora believed that she must die because her death would have been determinate proof of her blame, conclusive evidence in the face of Torvalds miraculous assumption of responsibility of her example delinquency. (Shaw 226), illustrating that she would do anything that is necessary in order to ensure that her husbands reputation is conserved.In reality, after finding out about Noras crime, Torvald wants to protect the familys appearance as well as protect his children from the criminal, whom he perceives his wife to be. Although Torvald wants Nora to be his helpless wife, when her life is truly in danger, he is grudging to give up his pride to protect her. For example, forwards finding out about Noras crime he tells her that time and again he has wished that she was in some terrible danger, just so he could stake his life and soul, for her sake (Ibsen 104). However, once that terrible danger occurs, he is unwilling to protect his wife if a consequence of aiding her is losing his reputa tion as a powerful man.Thus, he wants everything between them to be just as it wasto the outside world, that is (Ibsen 106). He wantsNora to go right on living in thei house, (Ibsen 106) since he does not wish to approbate his personal misfortunes to become public knowledge, since societys perception of himself and his family is more important than the family members relations with each other. From now on, happiness does not matter to him all that matters is saving the bits and pieces, the appearance (Ibsen 106), because society has instilled the necessity of materialistic items, not feelings of love in most men.In addition to wanting to keep up appearances, Torvald wants to protect his children from the criminal whom he believes Nora to be, since he has been taught by society that parents flaws are passed down to their children. For this reason, he believes that Nora cannot be allowed to bring up the children he does not take for granted trust her with them (Ibsen 106). Like man y people during the Victorian period, he believes that moral attributes as well as disabilities or illnesses are hereditary. For instance, Torvald believes that the reason that Dr. Rank suffers from tuberculosis is that his father was a disgusting thing who kept mistresses (Ibsen 74). Hence, because Torvald thinks lowly of Noras father, he believes that Nora broke the law because her fathers flimsy values have come out in her (Ibsen 105). Also, since he thinks that It is usually the mothers influence that is dominant (Ibsen 70) in the household, he does not want Noras criminality to influence their childrens morality and health in the future.However, once he learns that his familys reputation is no longer in danger, Torvald wants Nora to continue to be his doll-wife, but she decides to leave him thus abruptly shattering his illusion of having a perfect marriage. Because Torvald has never truly understand Nora, he is initially unable to comprehend Noras decision to leave their see mingly happy doll-house, which is wherefore Nora has decided to leave him in the first place. Similarly to how Nora earlier attempted to deny her oppression, Torvald wants to pretend that his marriage is not in ruins. Firstly, Torvald proclaims that this ugliness all has to go, and he wants the whole thing to fade like a ambitiousness (Ibsen 107), showcasing that he does not understand the negative consequences, such as a furthering of Noras disillusionment, that hisinability to protect her in her time of need has had on their marriage.Next, he tells Nora, You dont seem to realizeits over (Ibsen 107), yet while he believes that a tremendous hardship has terminated, in Noras point of view, an end to their marriage is imminent. When Nora gives him a frozen look, Torvald thinks that she cannot believe that he has forgiven her and that she should just lean on him (Ibsen 107) however, Nora has learned to not expect him to aid her when she is in trouble. Contrarily, Torvald believes tha t forgiving Nora for a crime that she committed primarily for his benefit is a noble act. Additionally, her seemingly feminine helplessness makes her twice as attractive to him because he can now keep her like a hunted dove that he has rescued out of a gears claws (Ibsen 108), thus again comparing Noras vulnerability to that of an animal. Also, it is as if she belongs to him in two ways now in a sense hes given her fresh into the world again, and she has become his wife and his child as well (Ibsen 108), thus allowing Torvald to hold even more power in their relationship.On the other hand, Nora is finally willing to admit that Torvald has never truly loved her, so she is able to leave the doll house. Because Torvald wants their marriage to continue as it has previously, except with her in an increasingly subservient role, Nora realizes that Torvald does not understand her and she never understood him eitheruntil tonight. (Ibsen 109), demonstrating that they have never taken the ti me to talk about anything serious and that both of their lives have been governed by decisions that they made in order to fit the set characteristics of their genders. Overall, Nora has been wronged greatly,first by her father, and then by Torvald, who thought it fun to be in love with her (Ibsen 109), yet did not care enough about her to take care of her, since she mainly cared for them.Essentially, Nora sees that her and Torvalds whole family life is a fictiontheir home a mere dolls house in which they have been playing at ideal husband and father, wife and mother (Shaw 225), and not discovering who they truly are as individuals. Plus, although some may think that the woman with her children, her presents, her nicknames, her extravagance, her pleasure in the thought of heaps of moneycan be a suitable candidate for liberation(Hardwick 240), since Nora possesses all of the luxuries that many women desire. However, although Nora has been able to achieve many of the qualities that wo men are expected to have, she is yet to discover the characteristics that she wants to acquire for her own wellbeing.Further, in addition to never truly knowing Torvald, Nora has yet to understand who she is as well, thus leave her children and embarking on a journey to mature and become an independent woman, but not without hurting Torvald in the process. In a society in which happiness relies on outward appearances, Torvald is unable to comprehend why Nora is willing to sacrifice her seemingly perfect family life. Primarily, he thinks that there is no one who gives up mention for love (Ibsen 113), so he is confused as to how Nora could have expected him to take the blame for her crime. However, Noras self sacrifices assert that millions of women have done just that (Ibsen 113).Also, Torvald thinks that by desiring to leave his household, Nora is acting unfair and ungrateful (Ibsen 109-110). Because their home has been nothing but a playpen (Ibsen 109-110), Torvald expects Nor a to be contented. Most importantly, he does not understand how Noras Conscience permits her to run out on her most sacred duties, which are to her husband and children, since before all else, she is a wife and a mother (Ibsen 111). While Torvald severely oppresses Nora, he is unaware of alternate(a) actions to take. Thus, unlike Noras gradual awakening to the problems of the society, Torvald is given no time to process them, nor his wifes unhappiness, which renders him a powerless doll as well.Next, in order not to pass on the belief of female stereotypes to her children and to educate herself, Nora fearlessly leaves the doll house, thus taking on the male role of defend her family, while Torvald desperately wants her to stay. She begins to perceive that the happy way in which she plays with the children and the care she takes to dress them nicely, are not sufficient to constitute her a fit person to train them (Shaw 226), so Nora figures that abandoning her household is advanta geous for both her own wellbeing, as well as her childrens. Most importantly, Nora has other duties equally as sacred as being a wife and a mother duties toherself.Before all else, she is a human being, no less than Torvald (Ibsen 111).As a human being, she has to try to understand (Ibsen 111) more about society and decide for herself which conditioned morals she wants to implement into her future journey. Thus, Nora famously slams the door as she leaves the home. This action caused shock waves throughout the world, for it challenged steadfastly held ideas, such as the sanctity of marriage and the absolute authority of the man in the home (Saether). Torvald attempts to urge Nora to stay, even proposing that they engage in a brother-and-sister-like relationship, revealing his desperation and ultimately, his lack of complete control over Noras decisions, which has been constantly prevalent within their marriage.In the end, Nora and Torvalds illusions of each other collapse, along wi th their metaphorical dollhouse. Therefore, their positions in society are in reverse Nora is free to discover who she is while Torvald is abandoned and assumes the responsibility of raising his and Noras children. In addition, Nora has a better knowledge about the causes of their separation, while Torvald still needs time to completely understand why Nora has left his household. Moreover, Nora believes that a miracle needs to occur for them to ever reunite. Mainly, Nora means that Torvald would need to be less objectifying and more understanding towards her. However, Nora does not recognize that the larger and far more unlikely miracle that would have to occur would be society loosening its control over the positions of both genders.