Essay - Ibsen's Doll House You can't Deny It, My Dear Little...

Ibsen's Doll House

You can't deny it, my dear little Nora. It's a sweet little spendthrift, but she uses up a deal of money. One would hardly believe how expensive such little persons are!" Toward the beginning of Henrik Ibsen's play "A *****'s House," Nora is portrayed as a ***** girl. Her husband Torvald belittles her through such patronizing phr*****es as "my little skylark must not droop ***** wings. What ***** this! Is ***** little squirrel out of temper?" (Act One, page 2). *****'s chauvinistic attitude overshadows Nora's innate heroism throughout much ***** the play. Moreover, Nora plays the part of helpless housewife by making subtly sarcastic remarks like "You haven't any idea how many expenses we skylarks and ********** have, Torvald." (Act One, page 2). In front of her husband, Nora acts timid, *****, and doll-like, pleasing ***** husb***** and fulfilling his image of her as a fr*****gile, dependent creature. However, lurking beneath *****'s innocent surface is a strong, level-headed, reasonable woman who places the needs and interests of others clearly above her own. Little does ***** know that it was Nora who went out of her way to borrow ***** then gradually pay back a loan from the creepy Krogstad. Therefore, By the end of "A Doll's *****," Nora reaches an epiphany about her life and for the first time, asserts ***** true character; ***** is the hero of the play, the character ***** matures ***** grows the most.

Before Nora reveals that she was the source of funding for Torvald's rec*****eration in Italy, ***** remains shrouded by her doll-like nature and frequently plays it up. For example, she teases Mrs. Linde when confiding in her: "Perhaps I got it from some o*****r admirers. When anyone is as attractive as ***** am..." (*****ct One, page 9). Nora realizes that others treat her as an incapable girl and thus fulfills their expectations. Mrs. Linde outright calls her a child: You ***** still very like a ***** in m*****ny things," (Act Two, page 3). Furt*****more, Nora dis***** remarkable self-awareness and honesty, as when she states, "You are just like the o*****rs. They all think that I ***** incapable of anything really serious," (Act One page 8). ***** the ***** of ***** play, ***** is ready ***** *****d her image as a l*****tle girl ***** assert herself as a m*****ture, capable, responsible woman.

Only when she finally tells *****. Linde that she had taken out a loan to help Torvald does the audience, and Mrs. Linde, become aware that there is more to Nora than meets the eye. Far from being a little girl, Nora proves to be one of the most mature characters in the *****. She forged her father's signature on the ***** completely cognizant of the implicati*****s of her actions. Her shame regard*****g ***** forgery and loan mirror her sense of conscience and morality. Nora's moral integrity contrasts sharply with the "********** sick" Krogstad and her self-centered and arrogant husb*****.

The main catalysts for Nora's growth as a