A Dolls House Defending Noras Exit - 1112 Words

Elizabeth Horner THE 2300.A02 â€Å"A Doll’s House† Henrik Ibsen The door slam at the end of Henrik Ibsen’s â€Å"A Doll’s House† had been said to echo around the world. Nora leaving her husband was practically unheard of when this play was written in 1879, and it can be argued that this was a catalyst for the women’s rights movement. â€Å"A woman cannot be herself in the society of present day, which is an exclusively masculine society, with laws framed by men and with a judicial system that judges feminine conduct from a masculine point of view.† (Ibsen. 426) This was quite a progressive observation from Ibsen himself, it actually sounds more like a quote from the 1960s than the late 1870s. At that time it was more socially accepted†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Yes, so terribly frightened. Let me practice right now; there’s still time before dinner. Oh, sit down and play for me Torvald. Direct me. Teach me, the way you always have.† (Ibsen. 416) Nora does manipulate Helmer to get what she wants. She uses her power over her husband subtly, as women had to do in throughout time. Only recently have women been able to overtly vocalize what they want out of a relationship or marriage, or chose to marry for themselves. I don’t believe that Nora could not think for herself. She took a loan to help pay for a trip for her and her sick husband. She knew to forge her recently deceased father’s signature to obtain the loan. And she worked in secret from her husband to pay the loan back. She was naà ¯ve to think forgery was not a crime because it was done out of love for her husband, but she did it without thinking she would get caught. She would not have gotten caught if Krogstad didn’t get in his own trouble and proceed to blackmail her. So it makes sense that when she has her anagnorisis and realizes that her husband won’t give her the â€Å"miracle† of forgiving her and that she doesn’t even love him, that she chooses to leave him. The only part that does not make sense to me was that she left her husband and her children. As a mother I would never leave my child. But I was fortunate not to have my daughter until I was 28 years old, and had lived and experien ced much, and had plenty of time for self-discovery and selfishness. I