A Doll’s House Analysis

In 1879 Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen wrote a famous play “A Doll’s House” about women of 19th century and their role in that society. In this play women are depicted as inferior figures, while the men, as the opposing force, are considered as superior human class. The main character in Ibsen’s play is the desperate young woman Nora, who behaves like a child thorough the whole story.

As it is not difficult to understand, the surrounding people treat her relatively. With a help of character’s development, setting and clear symbolism people can see the main idea of the play: the relations between the men and women, the women’s position in the men’s society, and especially the women’s inability to influence somehow on this situation.

Doll’s House Analysis: A Doll’s House Character Analysis

• Nora. The protagonist of the story and Torvald Helmer’s wife. She is a materialist and emotional person. However, these traits she uses during the every-day speaking with superior men, and these aspects are hidden deep inside of the play’s conception. Nora shows the quality of absolute woman independence and refuses as the own marriage’s groundlessness as the motherhood’s burden;
• Torvald. As any gentlemen, he considers himself as the main financial family sponsor and as a shadow and sentinel of his wife. The issue of morality has always the primary meaning for him. In addition, viewer can apprehend him like a rough and antipathetic boor. However, we can see his real fullness of feelings to his lovely wife in the last act of Doll’s House;
• Dr. Rank. Quite shady and ambiguous character: instead of his moral merit’s demonstration, he comes across as negative person and usually destructs the moral basis of others. Dr. Rank is sick from spine’s consumption due to his father's sexual harassments. In the second act of the play the Doctor does not hide his instinctive desire for Nora. However, in the third act he leaves her and passed away. To show his life is no more as essential thing, he also leaves a black cross that symbolize the end of his life-being;
• Mrs. Linde. The living symbol of falseness and insincerity of matriarchate. There is some kind of possible and logical comparison between her relations with Krogstad and Nora and Torvald’s union;
• Krogstad. Some years ago he was involved in a working scandal. Thereby his reputation has been blurred and his career stalled relatively.
• Ivar, Bob, and Emmy. Children of Nora. They were raised by Anne, the nurse who fostered Nora during her childhood. The children’s parents usually spend little time with their kids. Sometimes Nora plays with them in a role of playmate. However, they do not have clear individualistic profiles. They are just "Three Children" and that is all. Their thoughts and words are expressed with a help of their mother, because often they do not participate in the play.
• Annei. The nurse of Nora’s family. She raised Nora, who and help her to cope with mother’s lost. When Nora has had the children Anne helped to raise them too. Nora trusts Anne and often leave the children with faithful nurse;
• Helen. A house maker. Helmers are her employers;
• Porter. Just a porter who usually delivers the Christmas every winter.