ABSTRACT

Ibsens A Doll's House uses elements of the problem play with intrigue and some melodrama to probe a marriage that is based on false premises. The image of a wife trapped in a marriage has had a resonant influence down through the decades. Nora's selfless act to aid her husband is greeted by his harsh and unremitting anger. On the basis of that reaction, Nora leaves Helmer and her children, with the famous slamming of the door, to seek a life in which she can be more than just a plaything. Nora's recognition speech brings to the surface all of her pent-up frustration and resentment. The scales drop from her eyes and she sees the truth for the first time. Her husband has kept her in domestic bondage and servitude. Her life has been inextricably linked to his, and has no independence apart from him.