The Road To Independence

A detailed Summary of The Road To Independence

As an individual grows, he or she is molded by the actions of the parents or parental figure that is present in the home. In Henrick Ibsen's play A Doll's House Ibsen created Nora who is a victim of her upbringing and male dominance. What is responsible for Nora's attitude toward life and her acceptance of a commanding mate? Nora has been emotionally controlled her entire life, and she does not know true love. It is only natural for her to grasp for emotional freedom and rebel against all which stands in her way. Throughout her life, Nora's actions and attitudes portray her as a very unhappy woman. By analyzing Nora's treatment by her father, her marriage to Torvald, and the Victorian time period in which they lived, and process of events which lead to her final decision to leave the family may justify her supposed abandonment of her family.

Daughters have a special place in their life for their father. This is not different for Nora and her feelings toward her father. Nora's father is a very controlling parent. Growing up, she was restricted in her actions and dialog. As she grew to the age of marriage, because of her upbringing she knew nothing of the outside world. The only man she had

After Torvald's outburst, Nora begins to be more aware of his actions and behaviors, especially the similarities between the two men.

Nora put her whole self on the line when Torvald was ill and needed medical attention. The doctors advised her to take him to Italy, where the warm climate would help him heal. Nora borrows a large amount of money in order to save the life of her husband. She is not motivated to help Torvald by her intense love for him. Nora demonstrates how she does not know or love her husband when she claims she "can't spend the night in a strange man's bed" (Ibsen 432), but rather her drive originates from the social pressures of society. Social pressures kept her in a captive marriage, where there were "not merely social pressures that have kept her a captive marriage but the psychological division that has made her a willing collaborator in her own imprisonment" (Hurt 439). Although she claims to Mrs. Linde to be in the happiest eight years of her life with Torvald, she is lying.

have forseen it. All your father's recklessness and instability he has handed to you. No religion, no morals, no sense of duty! Oh, how I have been punished for closing my eyes to his faults! I did it for your sake..." (Ibsen 425).

Torvald convinced Nora her would not treat her as her father did. He claimed to be the complete opposite of her father. Throughout Nora and Torvald's relationship, Torvald remains confident that he is the complete opposite of Nora's father. Torvald is blind to his own actions and instead scolds Nora for being exactly like her father. Torvald explodes one day and shouts:

Torvald treats Nora as a child and wishes to keep her as an object rather than an equal mate. He uses the "lark and squirrel" games to keep himself sexually aroused over the years (Hurt 438). During Act 3, Torvald explain

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Approximate Word count = 1246
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

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