Nora Essay -- essays research papers fc

NoraNora Helmer, Ibsens strong-willed heroine is far from being a typical dupe of male domination. She is master of the domestic world, dedicated adequate to nurse her husband through illness, courageous enough to forge a signature and confident enough to pay back all her debts even in the impudence of enormous difficulties. But that is not what exactly sets her apart from conventionneither the energy or the initiative she exudes throughout, nor her decision to shatter her notions of marriage and seek independence. Rather, it is the intention or the motivation with which she carries herself throughout the text and more importantly the sub-text of the play that makes her different. Nora, despite her disillusion and climactic decision, comes across as a less than innocent woman ambivalently portrayed, incredibly adept at manipulation and who does not, in the end, deserve the full benignity that the thrust of the dominant narrative demands.She walks into a comfortably and tastefull y furnished room, as soon as the play begins, with a bunch of parcels and immediately asks for the Christmas direct to be hidden carefully, pops a few macaroons into her mouth and then cautiously goes to her husbands door and listens, eventually remarking Yes he is in.The reason for such cautious behaviour seems quite uncertain as her husbands presence inside the room is immaterial to her secretive actions (that of eating macaroons) as he is clearly out of sight, which makes us conjecture that perhaps such stealth is part of her normal behaviour. When Torvald does appear however, something that becomes very noticeable is the way Nora uses her movement, repetitively, like an application, to take over Torvalds argumentative tone.For example, when her husband vehemently opposes the idea of borrowing,Helmer and we will go on the same way for the short time longer that there privation be any struggle.Nora (moving towards the stove) As you please, Torvald.Helemer (following her) Come , come, my little skylark must not droop her wings. What is this Is my little skylark out of temper? (Taking out his purse.) Nora, what do you look at I have got here?Nora MoneyNora deliberately moves away from him, making Torvald uneasy of the emptiness, which results in his softening down and taking out the purse. Noras irritation suddenly changes on seeing the bag. Remarkably, she repeats t... ...g could never happen which is also why she was so terrified of it.She left blaming Torvald for something he wasnt aware of, though he readily agreed to change himself for Nora, she left her children who loved playing hide and seek with her and took lodging at Mrs. Lindes for the night.Ironically, Nora is the one who asked Mrs. Linde,Tell me, is it really professedly that you did not love your husband? Why did you marry him? Nora therefore proves herself to be ambiguous and very unreliable and even though forfeiting her family and a decision to face the world seems quite a large step for a dependent woman like her, Noras motivations remain deceptive as she is forever caught surrounded by the world of pretense and reality.Perhaps Nora realizes that, and when she does talk about change at the end of the play, she refers to herself being removed from the mask she is used to wearing.BibliographyClaridge, Laura. Tess A Less than fresh Woman.Havel, Vaclav. Writing for the Stage, 1986.Ibsen, Henrik. A Dolls House. trans. Farquharson Sharp. Bantam, 1958Ingham, Patricia Fallen Woman as SignMiller, Arthur On Social Plays, 1955.