A Doll’s House represents an imagery about the status of women in society (during the 19th century) which was highly male-dominated and the lack of identity and personal freedom for every woman who victimized by the patriarchal society. It represents the emancipation of women and a message of women empowerment. Nora is shown as a childish woman, dominated, controlled, and patronized by her husband, Torvald. The role of Nora is like a doll in a doll’s house who is treated by her husband as subordinate to him and an object of his desire, a decorative item meant to beautify the house. It can be seen when Torvald call Nora with some names, such as ‘little skylark’ and ‘little squirrel’.
The main story of this literature is Nora’s crime of forgery towards Krogstad. Nora makes a lie that she borrowed money for her father, when actually she has actually taken her own loan to help her husband out of his illness. Nora may need masked this truth because the thought of a lady handling loans, especially without her husband’s permission, was inconceivable for society at that time. This action shows what she is actually capable to be the same with man. It also represents her ultimate freedom from the shackles of her husband’s domination. She figures out a hard work to save her family. By this story, we can infer that women’s position isn't determined from biological aspects, they will have an equivalent status as men in terms of society. Both of them have a same right to develop themselves.
Nora is restricted from being her true self, from having or expressing her own opinions and from taking her own decisions. According to Torvald, the ‘most sacred duties’ of a woman are her duties towards her husband, children, and father. Torvald dictates terms to Nora with respect to what she should or should not do. For example, she is not disallowed from eating macaroons, although she often breaks this rule without her husband’s knowledge. She is a victim of Torvald’s masculine pride and sense of superiority; Nora’s thoughts are often contaminated with self-doubt.
After Torvald knows the truth and says something bad towards her, she finally realizes that her husband and her father have done a tremendous fault towards her. She finally decides to go away from Torvald and the children. She decides to find some experiences, to develop her eccentric personality, and to fulfil her needs towards herself. Nora represents every stressed woman and her true identity. When Nora plays as the role of Torvald’s doll, she is shown as submissive, incompetent, immature, childish, and unintelligent. However, it's when she forsakes this role and decides to go away from a man that strongly dominated her, Nora is shown as a fiercely independent woman. Due to their condition, women struggle to get their rights by rebelling against patriarchal society. Nora seems to be an imagery of feminist fighter who fights against the stigma that woman is usually weak, dependent to men and incapable to try to get their dreams. Nora breaks the stigma of women’s position, role, right, and participation which are categorized by patriarchal society.
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