Monday, March 21, 2016
Nora's Questioning Mind
In the play A Doll House, there are many questions to be raised about the main character Nora. At the beginning of the play she seems to be dependent on her husband for most things. For example, she uses his money to purchase the Christmas presents, the Christmas tree and items for herself. She is also very happy that Torvald has become the new manager at the bank, for it means he will be making a bigger salary. All she seems to care about is money. As the play continues we find out that she has not depended on him for everything. Nora states, “Papa didn’t give us a pin. I was the one who raised the money” (A Doll House 53). She worked small jobs on the side in order to raise money to save her husband's life, but in the end she had to borrow the money. Now, without her husband knowing, she has been paying the money back. Throughout the play she is worried that her husband will find out the truth, so she has Mrs. Linde help her keep this secret. This does not work and when Torvald finds out the truth he is furious. At this point in the play, Nora’s attitude changes drastically. She becomes calm and suddenly knowledgeable about the circumstance of her life. How could her thoughts on her life have changed in a matter of minutes? After Torvald says he forgives her she tells him that she is leaving in order to educate herself. She realizes that she does not love him and what they have is not marriage. Is it possible to suddenly realize that the life you have been living is not one of truth? How can one be content with leaving their husband and children behind for selfish reasons?
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Hey Sara, you brought up many good points. When I first realized Nora borrowed money and her husband did not know I was a little bit shocked. I did predict the outcome that she would eventually want to leave him because of the fact that she did not love him anymore. She loved the idea of him not finding out about the money she borrowed. Noras relationship with him was a lie since she was never one hundred percent completely honest with him. I think it is possible to suddenly realize that you do not love the person you are living with. Nora was paranoid the whole time she was married. She was constantly in worry about whether her husband would find out the truth or not. Marriage is suppose to be about trust and love. Nora was on always on edge around her husband trying to keep her secret safe. That is not what love is suppose to be about.
ReplyDeleteHey Sara, you brought up many good points. When I first realized Nora borrowed money and her husband did not know I was a little bit shocked. I did predict the outcome that she would eventually want to leave him because of the fact that she did not love him anymore. She loved the idea of him not finding out about the money she borrowed. Noras relationship with him was a lie since she was never one hundred percent completely honest with him. I think it is possible to suddenly realize that you do not love the person you are living with. Nora was paranoid the whole time she was married. She was constantly in worry about whether her husband would find out the truth or not. Marriage is suppose to be about trust and love. Nora was on always on edge around her husband trying to keep her secret safe. That is not what love is suppose to be about.
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