Nora

Nora

Nora Helmer, Ibsen's strong-willed heroine is far from being a typical victim of male domination. She is master of the domestic world, dedicated enough to nurse her husband through illness, courageous enough to forge a signature and confident enough to pay back all her debts even in the face of enormous difficulties.

But that is not what exactly sets her apart from convention--neither the energy or the initiative she exudes throughout, nor her decision to shatter her notions of marriage and seek independence. Rather, it is the intention or the motivation with which she carries herself throughout the text and more importantly the sub-text of the play that makes her different. Nora, despite her disenchantment and climactic decision, comes across as a less than innocent woman ambivalently portrayed, incredibly adept at manipulation and who does not, in the end, deserve the full sympathy that the thrust of the dominant narrative demands.

She walks into a comfortably and tastefully furnished room, as soon as the play begins, with a bunch of parcels and immediately asks for the Christmas Tree to be hidden "carefully", pops a few macaroons into her mouth and then cautiously goes to her husband's door and listens, eventually remarking

"Yes he is in."

The reason for such cautious behaviour seems quite uncertain as her husband's presence inside the room is immaterial to her secretive actions (that of eating macaroons) as he is clearly out of sight, which makes us conjecture that perhaps such stealth is part of her normal behaviour. When Torvald does appear however, something that becomes very noticeable is the way Nora uses her movement, repetitively, like an application, to alleviate Torvald's argumentative tone.

For example, when her husband vehemently opposes the idea of borrowing,

Helmer: ... and we will go on the same way for the short time longer that there need be any struggle.

Nora: (moving towards the stove) As you please, Torvald.

Helemer: (following her) Come, come, my little skylark must not droop her wings. What is this! Is my little skylark out of temper? (Taking out his purse.) Nora, what do you think I have got here?

Nora: Money!

Nora deliberately moves away from him, making Torvald uneasy of the emptiness, which results in his softening down and taking out the purse. Nora's mood suddenly changes on seeing the bag. Remarkably, she repeats the same technique when Torvald, quite accurately, begins suspecting her of eating macaroons. She moves away, creates a space and Torvald follows her to fill up the imagined void, alleviating his suspicions in the process.

Nora (going to the table on the right.) I should not think of going against your wishes.

Helmer: No, I am sure of that; besides you gave me your word--(going up to her)

Manipulations, or more specifically, efforts at manipulation is quite effectively scattered in the text almost making the relationship between Nora and Torvald very predictable at times. Like a circus ring master and his trained animal which jumps through the ring everytime. Nora is indeed part of a larger circus and a very effective ring master. Though ironically or perhaps uncannily she identifies herself with little, delicate and helpless animals when in conversation with Torvald or rather when asking for a favour.

"You haven't any idea how many expenses we skylarks and squirrels have, Torvald"

or

"If your little squirrel were to ask you for something very, very prettily--?"

"Your squirrel would run about and do her tricks..."

"Your Skylark would chirp about in every room..."

She also engages in presenting herself as a woman of child-like and nimble sensibilities.

Nora: (after a short pause, during which she busies herself with the Christmas Tree) Torvald!

Helmer: Yes.

Nora: I am looking forward tremendously to the fancy-dress ball at the Stenborgs' the day after tomorrow.

She cleverly engages in light conversation and narrows down to her motive after obviously calling herself 'silly' and 'insignificant' in the process,

"Are you very busy, Torvald?"

acts as if she's made a revelation,

"then that was why this poor Krogstad--"

decides to present her vulnerability again,

"Yes, Torvald, I can't get along a bit without your help."

takes a short pause and eventually asks him the question that required such an elaborate performance.

"How pretty the red flowers look--. But, tell me, was it really something very bad that this Krogstad was guilty of?"

The question remains, why?

Why does Nora Helmer perform in front of Torvald Helmer?

The fact that she is performing is beyond doubt and quite apparent as the way she handles her household, money matters and the several acts of deception (from eating macaroons to locking herself in a room to work all night in the guise of Christmas decorations) is quite contradictory to how she potrays herself to Torvald.

The interesting factor is that she knows she is performing.

"When I was at home with papa, he told me his opinion about everything... and if I differed from him I concealed the fact, because he would not have liked it. He called me his doll child...... I was simply transferred from papa's hands into yours."

Hence, one realizes that Nora is completely aware of her status as a doll, in the relationship, and uses this idea of a doll that she finds herself potraying completely and rather usefully. But she never tried to dissolve this image. On the contrary Nora