It has never been easy for me to come out with a thesis statement and five supporting details for my position papers. I always find the character of Nora interesting and engaging while reading Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House”, therefore, I have decided to write my position paper based on the character of Nora.
In “A Doll’s House”, Nora is portrayed as a doll to both her father and her husband. They both see Nora as someone who is attractive but always helpless and dependent. They treat her just like the way a child treats her doll. Her freedom is restrained in the household. Nora’s husband, Torvald intervenes in every aspect her life. The husband still disallows her to eat macaroons even when she is already mother of two.
However, my in-depth study of this play made me think the other way round regarding the character of Nora. Therefore, I come up with a thesis statement that sounds “Nora is not the doll that her husband perceives her to be”. Besides, I have also five supporting details to support my argument.
First of all, Nora is manipulative. She pretends to be innocent and helpless because Torvald likes her to be so, but it is not her actual self. She does this to satisfy Torvald’s male ego because Torvald likes people to look up to him. Besides, Nora uses her physical beauty as superficial manifestation to get what ever she wants. When she pleads and begs, Torvald will give in to her demands. This shows that Nora knows what methods work best with Torvald, and thus, influences him psychologically. Nora uses this method to ask for more money for herself.
Secondly, Nora is not the traditional woman of her time. Nora’s self-image is not the typical mother figure. She thinks herself as good as man because she too could earn money and support her family. In fact, working and earning money is her “pride and joy”. Rather than waiting passively for things to happen by themselves, Nora takes the initiatives to figure out ways to solve her problems.
Thirdly, Nora thinks ahead of time. She knows what would be the consequences if Torvald knows that she had forged a signature and committed a crime. She could no longer be happy with Torvald and her marriage would be ruined because Torvald wants only a perfect wife.
Fourthly, Nora is persistent in doing whatever she thinks is right. Nora has her own thinking regarding what is right or wrong. Most of the time she disregards what has been stated by the laws. She does not think that the action of forging the signature is a criminal act because the motives are good. She does this just to save her family and her husband.
Fifthly, Nora finally achieves the realisation that self-independence is her salvation but not her marriage. She realises she does not have a true marriage with Torvald because they do not love each other. Nora eventually leaves Torvald for the better good of herself. She wants to fulfil her duty to herself, not only as a mother and wife. She knows that only through self-independence would free her from her husband’s control and domination.
In conclusion, Nora is not the doll that her husband perceives her to be. She is manipulative and uses her physical beauty as her manifestation to get whatever she wants. Yet, Nora has some positive qualities also. She has her own mindsets and thoughts that distinguish her from the women of her era. Nora knows that she must exist as individual and be independent before she could be happy with her life. She would not let people determine her fate for her.
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