To what extent is the alteration in Nora’s relationship with Torvald evident in the way she speaks over the course of the play?
The drastic change in Nora’s relationship with Torvald that occurs during the course of the play is made quite evident by what she says and the way she delivers her speech. At the beginning of the play Nora seems completely happy with her doll-like relationship with Torvald. She responds affectionately to Torvald’s teasing and plays along with him – “if you only knew what expenses we skylarks and squirrels have, Torvald”. She is quite happy to be Torvald’s “little featherbrain”. However, as the play continues, Nora starts to realise that her marriage has been a performance and that she needs her own freedom. She becomes more rebellious, starts to use the imperative with Torvald and somewhat abandons her childlike language. As the play reaches its end, Nora becomes totally independent from Torvald and talks to him from equal to equal, not daughter to father.
At the beginning of the play, Nora’s relationship with Torvald seems that of a child with her father. She is patronised, called a “little squirrel”, a “skylark” and accused of being a “spendthrift” because she can’t save money although she seems quite happy to be called so as she doesn’t complain about it and even plays along - when Torvald says “scampering about like a little squirrel?” she just answers “yes” instead of complaining about being treated like a little girl. When Torvald asks her “what do they call little birds who are always making money fly?” she answers “yes, I know, spendthrifts” as if she had been taught that lesson many times because she is so childish that she keeps on making the same mistake. She never contradicts her husband – “very well, Torvald, if you say so” – asks for his approval like a child would – “now, that’s very sensible, isn’t it?”- and “wouldn’t do anything that [Torvald didn’t] like”. Nora shows how girlish she is by using language often used by young children such as “heaps” and repeating “it’s wonderful” again and again. She also shows her childish character and girlish happiness with Torvald by using exclamations frequently, saying “Oh!”, getting excited about the money Torvald gives her – “money!” – and counting it to see how much she has been given – “ten, twenty, thirty, forty” – just like a child would. She also uses it to plead with Torvald to do things for her – “please, please do!”- very much like children do to get their parents to do something for them. She sometimes says things “squealing” because of her excitement about the surprise she is going to give to Torvald, like little children do. What she does while she speaks shows as well how childish she is. She says things “clapping her hands” and “nodding and smiling happily” when she is happy and when she doesn’t dare say to Torvald that she wants money she says it “in a rush”, “not looking at him – playing with his waistcoat buttons” as if saying it faster or distracting him would make it easier for him to accept, which is often done by children. Torvald also says things such as “my little songbird mustn’t ever do that again” “wagging a finger at her” as if she were his pet that he had to educate.
