"a doll’s house” by ibsen essay

Modern drama tends to combine faith of the character and reality in one play. There are many plays where tragic heroes manage to survive, but they fail to cope with their inner passions and ego. I think that this idea is central to Henrik Ibsen’s “ A Doll’s House”, especially to Nora’s character.

The crisis in the novel is the changing nature of Nora stressing that relations with her husband have resulted in miscommunication and misunderstanding. Nora is dramatic hero despite the fact she is able to enact toward her own fate. Ibsen allows Nora to leave dull life with Helmer.

Nora doesn’t feel strong and confident when she lives with Helmer and she realizes that she is morally obligated to herself and the existing universe to change her life. Nora decides to escape from life of common housewife in order to explore real, yet unknown world. Ibsen shows dramatic myriad of Nora’s changes on her path to independence and freedom. Nora has to be considered a dramatic hero as she realizes that she has to change her life herself and not to wait for someone’s help.

Moreover, she doesn’t become upset about her chances or circumstances in contrast to Torvald. Ibsen, in such a way, should be treated as optimistic writer. Nora seeks for new life, to express her true identity and personality, to express her emotions and feelings. She doesn’t want to fulfill her husband’s wishes and desires any more. However, Helmer can’t understand why Nora decides to leave him.

Helmer is presented as truly egotistical character whose selfish nature refuses to allow his wife to leave him for any reason and in this thought his tragedy is revealed. In modern drama the lesson is how to make a free choice, not how to escape from reality. And Nora shows that every person is able to make his choices. The most dramatic scene in the play is when Nora decides to leave her life. Ibsen is honest in his writing, and he depicts dramatic standards in his play as everyone has his own Achilles heel.