Nora Essay Example

Nora Essay Nora Helmer is one of the most interesting characters in Henrik Ibsens play A Dolls House.She is the mother of three and the wife to Torvald Helmer.Helmer, just as any man in his time period, is basically the owner of his wife.He shows love and affection for her but at the same time belittles her.Throughout the play Nora grows to be a powerful woman and to stand up for her and what she believes in. In the beginning of A Dolls House, Nora allows herself to follow social conformity and yield to every wish or whim of Helmer.For example, she is eating macaroons and as soon as Helmer walks into the room she will hide them so he doesnt know (2).At times she can be a giddy and submissive girl.When Nora finds out that Christine is a widow she says Poor thing, how you must have suffered.And he left you nothing?She is referring to the fact that Christine has nothing without a husband.No money and no children.It seems as though she feels that that is the only thing one can get out of marriage ( 6).Also within Act I we get to see Noras freedom with her children as she hides under a table to play with them (18).Krogstad comes to visit her and she fears him that he would talk about her debt to him (19).Even though he doesnt even come to speak with her about the money she fears him.It is amazing how just after seeing her freedom she can suddenly shift to these new feelings.A little later in this act we experience yet another side to Nora.She realizes that she needs to be scared of her husband because he might find out about this debt she illegally has.She fears that it will ruin her family (28). Act II opens to show Nora absolutely paranoid.She is pacing around her living room and showing nervousness that Krogstad might come over and ruin her.On pages 30 and 31, Nora hides these feelings from Christine because she cannot know her fear of Krogstad.As soon as H