Deception lies at the very core of A Doll’s House. It also is one of the fundamental pillars of Victorian life. The façade of individuality was deeply embedded in the Victorian concept of economics. A married woman had virtually no power over the economic state of the family, and had absolutely no claim to the family’s assets without at the very least, her husband’s consent. Nora, in rejecting her marriage, makes a very bold step and knowingly resigns herself to an uncertain fate. She not only rejects her marriage, but the bourgeois middle class values and the comfortable, stable lifestyle she has become accustomed to. In embracing this uncertainty rather than seeking refuge in the economic guarantee of her husband’s protection, Ibsen shows that ultimately, the very basic and sustaining element in society is in fact individualism, an element, though not predominantly prevalent, is strong at heart. Indeed, strong enough to dethrone the bourgeois family as the central institution of society. Nora’s courageous rebellion at the end of the play is an integral part of this revolution; it closes the door on a limited and constricted past and opens it to a free, boundless future. The topic of women’s rights and gender equality is a significant aspect of A Doll’s House. In the illustrated life of Nora, Ibsen illuminates the golden cage that women of the time lived in. Striking a true equality between sexes necessitates fundamental changes in society. Thus, in embracing women’s equality in A Doll’s House, Ibsen is also in actuality arguing for social justice as well. As mentioned above, in having Nora “slam the door” on her previous life, Ibsen is showing his support the protection of women’s property in a marriage and various other issues concerning equality in a marriage. The strong willed heroine that Nora eventually develops into is the embodiment of the feminist female that Ibsen openly accepted and that Victorian society rejected with a vengeance. The fact that Nora is able to leave her husband is a criticism of the helpless Victorian female figure. However, the added show of complacency towards the vengeance shows indifference for societal views, which is a complete and utter rejection of Victorian society as a whole.
Nora undergoes a great transformation in Act III. Nora’s childlike response to Torvald in Act I in which she states “I would never dream of doing anything you didn’t want me to” and “I never get anywhere without your help” contrasts sharply with the reality of her situation as we find out later in play, in which the roles have almost been reversed, unbeknownst to Torvald of course. Not only has she forged a signature and saved her husband’s life, but she has displayed the ability of earning the money to repay the loan. If anything, she is the poster girl that refutes the helpless female that Victorian society propagated. Thus, Nora’s submissiveness, though less obvious, is as much a part of the deception as the other elements of Nora’s personality. Nora's repeated exclamations of how happy she is in Act I and her out-of-control practice of the tarantella dance are indicative of a woman bordering on hysteria, and not only displays some hidden aspects of her personality, but foreshadows things to come and the emergence of those aspects of her personality. This hysteria further demonstrates that Nora is a more complicated woman than the child-like doll introduced at the beginning of Act I. Ibsen once stated that "it is the women who are to solve the social problem. As mothers they are to do it. And only as such can they do it." Rather than refute the point that women are suited only for motherhood, or escape from the fact women are indeed needed for a child to be raised, he viewed motherhood as a profession that women perform best in when offered as a choice. This can be paralleled with the fact that no human being, man or woman, adult or child, likes being forced into anything. When Nora states that she must leave to find her identity because she is of no use to her children as she is, she substantiating Ibsen's premise: Nora must have the right to choose motherhood over something else and she cannot do that until she has the freedom to choose, something she will only gain once she has liberated herself from her marriage with Torvald. .
Most would see Nora as having committed an unnatural offense unworthy of even an animal; separation from one’s child is always a very painful experience, but a willing separation is something unheard of. The fact that Nora left without seemingly feeling but a pang of guilt within her only compounds the disbelief most would feel when looking upon the scene. However, what she did can also be described not as an offense but as a display of strength. Rather than relegating herself to the easy path, she reads beyond the obvious and realizes that in fact to be a good mother requires more than her presence at home; she simply cannot be a model for her children, most especially her daughter, if she cannot claim her identity as an individual. Rather than preside over them as a negative influence, she has opted to at least attempt reform. This symbolic gesture indicates that Ibsen is not content with the fact that Nora has been able to free herself of the shackles placed upon her by society, but rather wishes to portray that additionally, Nora is freeing her daughter from such circumstances in the future, providing hope for revolution, and that change for the good is in process.
Ibsen has made it clear that the prevailing view in the Victorian era was that women had little worth when their usefulness as mothers had ended and this is clearly shown in Torvald's repudiation of Nora when he discovers her deception; she can be of no use to her children if her reputation is stained. That he wants her to remain under his roof; though separate from the family; defines his own need to protect his reputation within the community. If Nora wants to define her worth, she can only do so by turning away from her children and husband. In the end, it is Torvald who is the epitome of a Victorian citizen, and it is Nora who embodies all that Ibsen hopes of for the future. It is in their relationship that the struggle between the conventional Victorian and the promising future takes place, showing how divorced the two ideas can be. Finally, the fact that Nora ultimately presides over Torvald is a testament to Ibsen’s way of thought that freedom will ultimately preside over constriction.
Bibliography
Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll’s House. Los Angeles: Kline Cooper Publications, 1993.
Tincoff, John. Customs of the Victorian Era. San Francisco: Golden Gate Publishers, 1986.
Dash, Sonali and DeVries, Elizabeth. Portraits of great playwrights. New York: Yellow Cab Inc., 1992.
John Tincoff, Customs of the Victorian Era, pages 134-137.
Sonali Dash and Elizabeth DeVries, Portraits of great playwrights, page 67.
