A Doll's House

            
             In the play "A Doll House" by Henrik Ibsen, the author chooses two very unique characters to play Nora and Torvald. He sets them up in a marriage relationship, which is somewhat unrealistic in today's standards of marriage. Nora plays a weak wife in a relationship where her every action is dominated by her husband, yet she plays along to keep him happy. .
             Torvald is a wealthy man that controls his wife in everything that she does and in his .
             mind believes that she is truthful about everything with him. These two characters provide for .
             conflict although Nora stands for her husband's abuse until she can't take it anymore.
             Throughout the entire play, Torvald plays the role of the dominant character in his.
             marriage to Nora. Nora is a delicate character and she puts up with Torvald for eight years. However, when she finally realizes his insensitivity, she knows she must leave him. One example of Torvald's dominance over Nora, occurs when he forbids Nora to have any macaroons in the house, even though she really enjoyed them. Also, when they were going to the costume party he picked out her outfit in almost the same way a parent would treat a child. This demonstrates the one-sided nature of the marriage and household. Through everyday conversation, Nora and Torvald reveal that they have a relationship filled with meaningless talk .
             and games, such as "Is that my squirrel rummaging around?." Whenever Torvald seeks Nora she comes to him as a puppy would go to their master; she is his puppet. Their relationship is empty even though they act like a normal couple when they are around others. When they are alone Torvald dominates everything that happens. While from the outside the household may have the appearance of being socially acceptable, the marriage of Torvald and Nora was falling apart because of the lack of identity, love, and communication. Nora is a woman that relied on her husband, Torvald, for her identity, but everyone has a breaking point.