While there is nothing directly wrong with the marriage, because Torvald does not take Nora seriously, he does not feel that she can do anything without his help. This leads to an innate lack of trust between the two when Nora gets herself into trouble. While Nora is somewhat at fault for not taking a more active role in asserting her position and refusing to accept the consequences of some of her actions, the true problems in the marriage all lie with Torvald. He created the situation through his archaic views on marriage, views that Ibsen criticizes through the effect that they have on Nora. During the moment of truth, when Torvald reads Krogstad's letters, he spoils a chance to redeem his character by verbally berating Nora. His anger seems to stem less from the direness of the situation (Krogstad has already forgiven Nora by this point), than from her perceived attempt to undermine his authority as husband. Torvald calls Nora a liar and a hypocrite, conveniently forgetting that she did what she did in order to save his life. Nora is certainly not a perfect character in her own right. She is vain and often oblivious by modern standards, but as the play progresses the reader gains sympathy for her as they begin to see the situation that she is forced to deal with at home, a situation that is created by Torvald's attitude towards women and marriage.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Chekhov's Gun: Gender Roles in A Doll's House
While it is easy to dismiss the odd relationship between Torvald and Nora as a relic of 19th century European culture, it does play a central role in the story and deserves to be addressed. From the beginning of Act I, it is clear that Torvald and Nora have an idiosyncratic relationship even by the standards of the time. While it was seemingly common for the husband to have all the power in marriages at the time, the extent to which Torvald demeans and even dehumanizes Nora is truly staggering. Torvald treats Nora like property throughout the play, forcing her to have sex and smothering all of her attempts to assert herself. While he is not actively cruel to Nora throughout the play, this flawed relationship leads, either directly or indirectly, to all the conflicts in the play.
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6 comments:
*Bow* (this is how I would address you if I were to come up to you) because we are Jedi...and for that matter master jedi. Ms. Andrews and the interfaith club must be members of the galactic empire or sith lords themselves.
Chekhov's gun: was explained to me by Mr. Coon today in our class because he hadn't taught us his coined term yet.
I though you were going to talk about Krogstad and Kristine as the Chekhov's gun...but I liked your points about Torvald and Nora and the rise and fall of their relationships.
May the force be with you
I think I found your blog particularly enjoyable because I too decided to focus on the play's significance in terms of its commentary on gender roles. I'm curious to know what your concluding thoughts of Nora's character at the end of the play are.
Stephen,
You wrote a concise but meaty blog that was very interesting to read. You made some incredibly insightful comments about Torvald and Nora's behaviors that I completely agree with. It was clear to me that you really understood the characters well and you had empathy for them (minus Torvald), particularly for Nora.
I like how you suggest that Torvald crosses the line with the times gender roles. I completely agree. I also like how you said this led to a lack of trust in the relationship. Again, I think that is dead on. Great Job! I really enjoyed your blog!
My friend, this was quite the interesting blog to read. I always enjoy learning your astute points of view. I do have one puzzling question though: How do we know that "it is clear that Torvald and Nora have an idiosyncratic relationship even by the standards of the time?"
Good sir, it is always an honour to read your work.
-Matthew JP Tibi
P.S. Bonus points for the title. That will be an amazing band.
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