iscuss About the Miracle in a Dolls House

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Discuss about the Miracle in A Dolls House

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2013 6 6
Abstract
This article focuses on the miracle Nora mentions in Act Three of A
Dolls House. The miracle Nora hopes for in terror and hope is for
her husband to change and accept responsibility. But Torvalds
initial reaction towards her sacrifice is panic, then
incomprehension. This makes Nora realize that she is only a doll
dependent on man. The miracle she has always been waiting for
never comes. However, I think the fact that Nora decides to leave
and live independently itself is a miracle in that social and historical
context. Some people doubt about whether Nora will succeed in
becoming independent. Judging from her personality and what she
has done, I believe she will. This miracle then spread to the whole
Europe, China and other countries, which greatly affected the
feminist movement.
Key WordsA Dolls House, miracle, Nora, feminist movement

Discuss about the Miracle in A Dolls House

1. Introduction
As A Dolls House opens, Torvald and Nora are at a point of
financial success after years of hard work. But during the early
years of their marriage, unknown to Torvald, Nora borrowed money
to pay for his medical treatment. This involved forging her fathers
signature because women were not allowed to borrow money.
Nora did this out of love and imagined that if Torvald ever found out
he would be proud of her. However, when Torvald learns that her
criminal act of forgery might be revealed to public and ruin his
future, his initial reaction is panic, then incomprehension. Ironically,
this becomes a decisive moment for Nora - when she recognizes
the role which has been authoritatively imposed upon her, she
decides to leave Torvald.
The portrait of Nora has been considered symbolic for the initiation
of feminist literature in the 19th century and is extensively
discussed in the European literature. In Act Three of this play, Nora
says That was the miracle I was waiting for, in terror and hope,
and this is one of the most discussed and analyzed sentence in
Ibsens work. The essay relates to Noras idea of a miracle.
2. About Noras miracle
2.1 The meaning of miracle
The Norwegian word for miracle, det vidunderlige, literally means
the most wonderful thing, and it is the core of Noras world
throughout the play. In Act Two, Nora mentions it in a conversation
with Mrs. Linde when she realizes that her felony might be
revealed. She tells Mrs. Linde that now she has no choice but to

wait the miracle to happen, yet refuses to tell what the miracle
entails.
The meaning of this miracle is revealed at the plays climax in Act
Three where the peripety takes place. Nora says that she hoped
that when Krogstads letter was discovered, Torvald would tell
Krogstad go on, tell your tale to the whole world, take the blame
on himself and say I am the guilty one. That was the miracle for
her. Nora expected her husband to stand on her side instead of the
social constructs of right and wrong, and sacrifice himself for their
love. Surely, she would never accept such a sacrifice, but the fact
that Torvald would make that sacrifice was significant to her belief
in their marriage.
Unfortunately, the miracle never occurs. It is extremely ironical
that Torvald reacts exactly the opposite to what Nora wished, and
his reaction is devastating for her. She finally realizes that she is
no more than a squirrel, little songbird and little lark to Torvald.
And she has always been a doll confined to home who remains
dependent on an autonomous man. Their home has been nothing
but a playroom, where she plays the character of a doll-wife.
Noras hopes for the future of the marriage no longer exist, and
there is no reason for her to stay with Torvald any more unless the
miracle of miracles happens.
2.2 Why in terror and hope?
The miracle has always been a significant factor for Nora. When
she first mentions it to Mrs. Linde, she calls it awful and exclaims
that it must not take place, not for anything in the world (Act Two).
However, she still refers to it as a miracle, which shows that
despite her reluctance, she still expects it to happen and it is
obvious that the miracle represents Noras hope.
To Nora, this hope is like a bubble, beautiful but unrealistic. It has
been the power of her life, which supports her to overlook all the
misfortunes and stay positive and vigorous. For eight long years,
Nora keeps the secret about the debt to herself and shoulders all
the pressure on her own. Her family life has been seemingly
simple and carefree, but the truth is cruel. Before her departure,
Nora never has a serious conversation with Torvald, and she has

been living there like a poor woman, performing tricks for her
husband. She is completely a doll.
Deep down in her heart, Nora has always been aware of the
existence of this potential crisis. On the one hand, she is awaiting
the miracle in hope, because as long as it happens, her
expectation about their marriage will come true. On the other hand,
she is afraid of the arrival of the truth. Thats why she is waiting for
the miracle in terror and hope.
Torvalds reaction acts like an alarm call. Shaken awake by his
selfish words, Nora has no choice but to face the reality.
Eventually, the beautiful bubble breaks, which prompts Nora to
abandon this home and live an independent life.
3. The real miracle
3.1 After Noras departure
To Nora, the miracle she has been expecting for years broke, but
another miracle arises. The very fact that Nora decides to leave
her family and live independently itself is a marvelous miracle in
that historical context and social environment. Some people raise
doubt about whether Nora will succeed in being independent. Lu
Xun, the famous Chinese author and revolutionist, predicted in one
of his public speeches that Noras decision to leave would
eventually end up in failure. He insisted that since Nora had no
access to money, she would never be able to become
economically independent, which might lead to two possibilities.
One possibility is that Nora will degenerate from a spoiled woman
into a prostitute for money. Another is that Nora will choose to go
back to Torvalds house. Most people are pessimist about Noras
future and insist that she is doomed to fail.
However, I disagree with Lu Xuns idea and believe that Nora will
succeed in living independently for two main reasons.
The first reason is that judging from Noras personality and
experiences, she has the ability to earn a living on her own. She is
resentful at the way she has been treated by Torvald and long to
be regarded as an equal. Ever since she borrowed money eight
years ago to pay for Torvalds medical treatment, she has been

struggling to pay it back. She saves more than half of the money
Torvald gives her for new dresses and does a lot of copying in
order to earn money. Therefore, I am confident that after Noras
departure from home, she can rent a house by herself, do some
simple job like copying to make money. Gradually she will be able
to become economically independent.
Another reason is that Ibsen has provided an answer about Noras
future through the character of Mrs. Linde. In fact, the tough,
world-wise Mrs. Linde used to be a doll-like woman, too. In her
younger days, she had to sacrifice love for the sake of her family.
Rather than marrying the dashing young Krogstad, she married a
businessman in order to support her sick mother and two younger
brothers. Now with her brothers grown up and her mother and
husband passed away, Mrs. Linde decides to reunite with
Krogstad. Unlike the Helmers, Mrs. Linde and Krogstad are
entering into the relationship as equals. Their union is Ibsens
example of a real wedlock, and becomes an answer for Noras
future.
Judging from the reasons mentioned above, Noras decision to
leave will not end up as a tragedy like Lu Xuns prediction. Instead,
this miracle is likely to develop into a successful example of
womens struggle towards independence.
3.2 The impact of Noras departure
Noras resolution to leave her family and start a brand-new life is
not only a miracle of her own. Instead, it is a miracle of the whole
Europe and all women. The sound of a door slamming is heard
from below. (Act Three) marked the true departure of Nora and
her official split-up with the old life. This sound criticizes the
traditional roles of men and women in 19th-century marriage. To
many 19th-century Europeans, this was scandalous. Nothing was
considered more holy than the covenant of marriage, and to
portray it in such a way was completely unacceptable. Ibsen was
even forced to write an alternative ending for it to be considered
acceptable. However, a few open-minded critics such as the Irish
playwright George Bernard Shaw found Ibsens willingness to
examine society without prejudice exhilarating. Because of the
radical departure from traditional behavior involved in Noras

leaving home, her act of slamming the door has come to represent
the play itself. One critic noted, That slammed door reverberated
across the roof of the world.
The impact of Noras departure has gone far beyond Europe and it
has become an indispensable element of the feminist movement.
For instance, Ibsens A Dolls House holds a unique position in
Chinese literature of the early 20th century. As years progressed,
Nora and her story were appropriated by writers who explored her
possible fate in the Chinese context. These authors, largely
members of the intellectual elite, constructed the Chinese Nora
who reflected womens newfound liberties and Chinese societys
modernization. In Lu Xuns Regret for the Past and Mao Duns
Creation, characters of liberated and modern women were
created, which affected womens position in Chinese society
significantly.
The miracle continues to spread. Thousands of Noras appeared
in different countries all over the world. Nowadays, we live in a
society where men and women are treated equally. It seems
unimaginable that a hundred years ago, women were still confined
to their families. Their lives were centered around their husbands
and children, and they were not allowed to have control over their
own fates. In the process of feminist movement, The Dolls House
contributed to provoking women to rise and fight for their legitimate
rights. As far as I am concerned, this is the real miracle of A Dolls
House.
4. Conclusion
The unexamined life is not worth living. This paraphrase to
Socrates aphorism applies to Nora. She stops to look at her
marriage and doesnt like what she witnesses. Therefore, she
steps out of her old persona and into a new one, and then walks
into an uncertain future. She has begun examining her life.
I must educate myself - you are not the man to help me in that. I
must do that for myself. And that is why I am leaving you. I must
stand on my own feet if I am ever to understand myself and my
surroundings. When Nora is uttering these words, the actual
miracle is happening. One should not place expectations on others
and wait for the miracle to take place. Instead, its much wiser to

depend on oneself and make the miracle happen. A Dolls House is

not just about Nora. Its a story written for anyone who is waiting
for miracles to happen.
Works cited
[1] Henrick Ibsen, A Dolls House [M]. Nick Hern Books, 1994.
[2] William L. Urban, Parallels in A Dolls House. Monmouth
College, Monmouth, Illinois, 1997.
[3] Pamela Sue Anderson, Autonomy, Vulnerability and Gender [J].
Feminist Theory, Vol. 4(2): 149-164
[4] Marvin Rosenberg and Joan Templeton, Ibsens Nora[J].
Modern Language Association, Vol. 104: 894-896
[5] Christine M. Bird and Arthur Ganz, Hedda Gabler and Nora
Helmer[J]. Modern Language Association, Vol. 95: 105-107
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