A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen

 Background of “A Doll’s House” - 19th Century Historical/Cultural

Context

In the case of A Doll’s House, both the world of the play and the world Ibsen
lived in are the same. Ibsen wrote A Doll’s House in Norway in 1879, and the
play presumably took place sometime in the same decade. Set in an upper-
middle class home, the play demonstrates the importance of social class in late-
19th century Norway. Born into the upper-middle class himself, Ibsen not only
understood the importance of social class, but also the expectations placed on its
members. Likewise, A Doll’s House tells the story of Nora and Torvald: a
married couple living in a society where to keep your social standing, you have
to abide by its strict, and at times, suffocating standards. Nora and Torvald are
living proof that upper-middle class life can be a comfortable one–if you fit into
its narrow margins.

The growth and prosperity of Norway’s upper-middle class began in 1843, with
a great economic boom (Larson). This boom lasted until approximately 1875,
meaning that Nora and Torvald were still reaping its effects (Larson). This
boom can mainly be attributed to Norway’s success in foreign trade, mining
and growth in agricultural productivity. Additionally, Norway––which only
became an independent nation in 1814––was becoming more industrialized, and
therefore bringing more money into the country as well as creating more jobs
and opportunities (Hagemann 417-418). As a result, the upper-middle class
became larger. Before this class existed, most of the people with wealth were a
part of the aristocracy, and therefore born into money (Larson). Now, people
could work their way up, and enter into the upper-middle class through hard
work and education (Larson).

While this economic boom brought prosperity, it also brought an obsession

with, and an over-awareness of money (Hagemann 417-419). This is evident in
the plot of A Doll’s House. Nora owes Krogstad money, which causes her
immense stress. Torvald is obsessed with staying out of debt. Nora and
Torvald are thrilled are at the prospect that Torvald might get a raise at the
bank, which would mean more money for the entire family. However, Torvald’s
tight grip around the families funds lead Nora to lie about what she uses their
money for, creating tension and dishonesty in their marriage and, ultimately,
influencing Nora’s decision to leave the house.

Furthermore, expectations about being upper-middle class were also forming

during this time in Norway. Commonly referred to as “bourgeois
respectability,” expectations of the upper middle-class included financial
success without any debt, good morals (or at least making it appear that’s the
case), and a stable, patriarchal family (Willcoxon) (Hagemann 417-419). A
 A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen

woman’s main responsibility centered around being a housewife, whose most

prominent task was to serve her husband and children (Hagemann 417-419).
The audience sees this patriarchal structure at work when Nora lets Torvald call
her his “little skylark,” who she does whatever her husband says (Ibsen 2).
Torvald is the strong male figure who makes and manages the money, as well as
controlling the household. Clearly aware of the subordination of women in late-
19th century Norwegian society, Ibsen wrote in his notes for A Doll’s House in
1878, “A woman cannot be herself in contemporary society, it is an exclusively
male society with laws drafted by men, and with counsel and judges who judge
feminine conduct from the male point of view” (Ibsen/McFarlane 90).

This is why Nora’s proclamation that she also had “a duty to herself” shocked
audiences of the time (Ibsen 82). Not only was the patriarchal structure a social
tradition and something expected of the upper middle class, but there were also
laws that correlated with its ideology. For example, women were not allowed to
borrow money without their husbands’ consent or vote. Again, Nora goes
against the social norms when she borrows from and repays money to Krogstad
behind Torvald’s back. Perhaps the only thing about the world of the play that
differs from the world of Ibsen is that Nora’s behavior was completely
unprecedented in the 1870’s.

 “Understanding who holds power and who is powerless helps to reveal

the cultural context in the text”.

“A Doll’s House” is set in the Bourgeois society of late 19th century Norway, a
place wherein respectability and status were valued above all else. In stark
contrast, “The Plough and The Stars” takes place in a Dublin tenement around
the period of the 1916 rising. The characters face utter destitution. “I’m not
Scared” is set in a rural town in Southern Italy, 1978. The inhabitants of the town
are not destitute, but they are certainly struggling with poverty and isolation.
When it comes to the social and economic landscapes of the texts, we are
presented with three very different scenarios, and the distribution of power
indicates where the characters stand socially and financially. In “A Doll’s
House”, Helmer has secured a promotion as a bank manager, and therefore holds
power over Krogstad, a lowly bank employee. He is very insulted when Krogstad
calls him by his first name, “I assure you, it is extremely painful for me”, and he
has the power to act on this annoyance and dismiss Krogstad. Helmer’s power in
“A Doll’s House” reveals his influential position, status and wealth and therefore,
sheds light upon the affluent lifestyle of the family.

 Literary Devices
 A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen

 Symbolism

New Years Day

Something glorious is going to happen.
In the beginning of the play, New Years Day symbolizes the idea of a New
beginning with no debts, as Torvald is getting a promotion to which Nora could
pay off her debts, she is in much anticipation of this. In the end of the play, it
resembles new beginnings as almost all the characters are starting new lives,
Nora and Torvald separately, while Christine and Krogstad together.

Christmas Tree
the christmas tree symbolizes Nora's role in her household. She is only a
decoration to be looked at. As Nora yearns for more freedom, lifting her out of
the "decoration" phase, there are stage directions that the tree is more uneven.

Setting
The play is set in Europe around 1857, it is assumed that they are in
Norway, however there are no references to anything specially Norwegian. This
assumption is made because that is where Ibsen was born and raised. It takes
place in the Helmers home who are middle-class citizens.

The Title
The title of this play has caused much controversy, as scholars translate it
differently. As the play was originally written in Norwegian, some scholars
claim the title is "A Doll's House" while others debate it is "A Doll House". The
first title implies the doll has possession over the house, the second is more of a
descriptive measure of the house itself. Many scholars argue it is the second
because all the characters are some what doll like. Other's state only Nora is
truly doll-like and state that it is her being possessive over her house, grasping
on for one bit longer until she cannot take it anymore and leaves.

Irony
Situational Irony is present when Nora is discussing Krogstad’s
forgery with her husband in Act 1. Minutes before this conversation,
Krogstad approached Nora about her own forgery of her father’s
signature.
 A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen

 Some figures of speech used:

Personification - “consumption of the spine” (Ibsen 20) The spine
cannot consume itself.
Anaphora - “you are my best and truest friend” (Ibsen 26)
Nora can rarely be taken seriously. Although she says this, her actions
throughout the play prove that she would rather be alone than confined
to a friend.
Oxymoron – “the miracle of miracles would have to happen” (Ibsen
45)
This example suggests an oxymoron, because saying that there would
need to be a double miracle is equivalent to saying that the proposed
idea will never come true.
Metaphor – “how much it costs a man to keep such a little bird as
you” (Ibsen 3)
At this point Torvald is comparing Nora to a bird by saying that
people would not expect her to spend as much money as she does. The
Bird reference is saying that birds are typically low maintenance, but
Nora is not.

Husbandly Endearments

Torvald, Nora's husband, couches virtually all references to her in figurative terms
that reveal his true feelings. He calls her "featherhead," "squirrel" and "skylark"
and invariably adds "sweet" and "little" as adjectives to diminish Nora's
sensibilities. He insists she perform "our Tarantella"; this light, quick and teasingly
stylized Italian folk dance is meant to be seductive but becomes instead a metaphor
for her desperate attempts to please. By Act Three, Torvald's metaphors have
become icily unsympathetic: Nora is a "hunted dove ... saved from hawk's claws,"
helplessness personified. When she leaves him, he calls her a "heedless child."

Wifely Response

Nora, for the play's first two acts, matches her husband's figurative jibes by
expanding them as if endorsing her own degradation: "Your little squirrel would ...
do all her tricks if you would be nice," she begs, adding, "Your skylark would
chirp about every room." Dancing the Tarantella--a supposed flirtation to please
him--she reinforces the marital metaphor when he insists on slow moves and she
replies, "I can't do it any other way." This represents her first defiance: a small but
 A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen

crucial act of self-will. He insists, "That is not a bit right"; figuratively, their
marital dancing is incompatible.

Metaphors of Morality

When the plot, which involves Nora's forgery of a signature to gain money for
Torvald, comes to a climax, Ibsen injects a metaphor for morality and illness into
his drama, indicating that his figurative canvas has broadened to include the
corrupted society that is partly responsible for destroying the couple. Nora's
blackmailer, Krogstad, is labeled "morally diseased"; the incriminating forged
bond he holds, destined for the fire, becomes a metaphor for Nora's desire to
preserve her marriage even as both her husband and outside forces combine to
ensure the relationship's destruction.

Metaphors for Departure

By Act Three, Torvald has degraded Nora beyond reason for her forgery; it is clear
she must leave him. Ibsen's metaphors become emblematic bo th of Nora's need for
liberation and the lack of human sympathy in her marriage. Leaving her "doll's
house," she takes off her "fancy dress"--her front of normalcy--and announces that
like a trained animal, she has only existed "to perform tricks." She lea ves Torvald
because she "cannot spend the night in a strange man's room"; her husband's
unsympathetic fury has made him alien to her.