Who is the Doll Ibsen Refers to?
A Doll’s House is a notable literary work by Henrik Ibsen. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of A Doll’s House.
Answer
Who is the doll Ibsen refers to? [NU: 2018] ★★★
Henrik Ibsen’s (1828–1906) “A Doll’s House” (1879) is a play about truth, lies, and freedom. The “doll” in the title is Nora Helmer. She is controlled, decorated, and used like a toy in her own home.
Nora as a Doll-Wife: From the beginning, Nora is treated like a doll. Torvald calls her “my little lark” and “my squirrel.” These are pet names, not words of respect. Nora eats macaroons secretly, like a child hiding from her parent. She dances the tarantella wildly to please Torvald. She lives not as a real partner but as a doll-wife. The Helmer home is not a true marriage. It is only a doll’s house.
Nora’s Secret Loan and Doll’s Prison: Nora secretly borrows money from Krogstad to save Torvald’s life. She says,
“It was I who saved Torvald’s life.”
But she must forge her father’s name because society treats her as a doll, not as an adult. Her secret makes her afraid. The letter-box becomes a prison. Nora sees she has no power in her own house. She is trapped like a doll locked in a toy house.
Nora’s Awakening and the Door Slam: The truth comes in Act III. Torvald reads Krogstad’s letter and cries,
“You have destroyed all my happiness.”
He calls her unfit for children. Nora realizes she is only a doll in his hands. She says,
“I must try and educate myself.”
She leaves her husband and children. She slams the door. The sound breaks the doll’s house. The doll Ibsen refers to is Nora, who awakens and walks out.
The doll is Nora Helmer. She is first a doll-wife, then a doll-prisoner, and finally a free woman. Ibsen shows how society reduces women to dolls, but also how one woman finds the courage to leave the toy house.