Torvald Helmer's affections towards his wife can be confused as genuine love. However, hidden deep within the feelings of love is a classical male chauvinist.
The play, A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen presents various characters with different perceptions of what is expected of in society. Such characters have deeply embedded moral standing that determines how they relate with other members of the society and how they conduct themselves as society men. Among such characters is Torvald Helmer. In order to fit into a modern self-righteous society, Helmer displays impeccable civility and mannerisms that reward him as a bank manager.
In order to keep certain respectability around him, Helmer decides to cut off any unsavory characters around him. Krogstad becomes the unfortunate victim of Helmer's plan. However, Krogstad cannot go down without a fight. Apparently, Krogstad, as it happens, had connived with Helmer's wife, Norah in a ploy that could destroy Helmer's outstanding reputation. Norah had forged her father's signature in order to secure a loan. The money was meant for Helmer's treatment. Helmer did not learn about the forgery since Nora lied to him that it was her inheritance from her ailing father.
When Krogstad decides to pull the plug, Norah realizes that her life could come to an end. She knew her husband to be a man of society and she knew how a scandal such forgery could dent her husband pious image. Norah tries to convince her husband not to fire Krogstad unsuccessfully. However, she can rest assured that her husband has plans to hire her long term friend Mrs. Linde who desperately needs a job.
The above speaks more about the conflict within A Doll's House. However, speaking about Helmer, we need to look at his relationship with his wife Norah. Helmer and Norah's relationship could easily pass out as a model family kind of association. The man loves the wife and the wife is submissive to the husband. Nothing could go wrong. In fact, the husband is willing to make the wife happy by providing for her.
Although Helmer views Norah as a spendthrift, he still showers her with money. In her defense, Norah says that running household affairs requires a lot of money. Furthermore, being Christmas season, they can afford to be spendthrifts. Indeed, she points out that in the coming year the husband will be making more money because of the promotion.
It is imperative however that we pay keen attention to the mannerisms and the way Helmer addresses Norah. If keenly observed, he is teasingly condescending as if he is talking to a child. secondly, he is playfully reprimanding as he cautions against Norah's obsession with Macaroons among other nifty details that could be ignored by a more level-headed individual. Once we poke horns into this seemingly harmless cuckolding, we learn Helmer to be a classic chauvinist. He hides his chauvinism within his charisma and affectations. We also see Norah's naivete.
The eye-opener comes sooner rather than later when Helmer learns about Norah's forgery and subsequent deceit. It is Helmer's reactions that tells Norah that she was just but a child in Helmer's house. Although Krogstad later rescinds from taking action against the Helmers, the behavior of Helmer breaks his family apart.
Norah decides to walk away from her 8-year marriage so that she can go and reinvent herself. What motivated Norah's change? Norah had observed that the men in her life, that is her father and husband, had treated her as a person without an opinion. Also, she had been treated as an unformed adult without a sense of maturity or alternative views about society. Her world was governed by the decisions of the two males in her life and their opinions towered above her very own. That is why she had to go and reinvent herself.
It is very hard to tell the difference between a loving, caring man and a cold-hearted chauvinist. I know of many women who live happily in relationships where the man is a controlling chauvinist with a soft heart. Maybe they will grow up to demand opinion in matters dear to them.
The play, A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen presents various characters with different perceptions of what is expected of in society. Such characters have deeply embedded moral standing that determines how they relate with other members of the society and how they conduct themselves as society men. Among such characters is Torvald Helmer. In order to fit into a modern self-righteous society, Helmer displays impeccable civility and mannerisms that reward him as a bank manager.
In order to keep certain respectability around him, Helmer decides to cut off any unsavory characters around him. Krogstad becomes the unfortunate victim of Helmer's plan. However, Krogstad cannot go down without a fight. Apparently, Krogstad, as it happens, had connived with Helmer's wife, Norah in a ploy that could destroy Helmer's outstanding reputation. Norah had forged her father's signature in order to secure a loan. The money was meant for Helmer's treatment. Helmer did not learn about the forgery since Nora lied to him that it was her inheritance from her ailing father.
When Krogstad decides to pull the plug, Norah realizes that her life could come to an end. She knew her husband to be a man of society and she knew how a scandal such forgery could dent her husband pious image. Norah tries to convince her husband not to fire Krogstad unsuccessfully. However, she can rest assured that her husband has plans to hire her long term friend Mrs. Linde who desperately needs a job.
The above speaks more about the conflict within A Doll's House. However, speaking about Helmer, we need to look at his relationship with his wife Norah. Helmer and Norah's relationship could easily pass out as a model family kind of association. The man loves the wife and the wife is submissive to the husband. Nothing could go wrong. In fact, the husband is willing to make the wife happy by providing for her.
Although Helmer views Norah as a spendthrift, he still showers her with money. In her defense, Norah says that running household affairs requires a lot of money. Furthermore, being Christmas season, they can afford to be spendthrifts. Indeed, she points out that in the coming year the husband will be making more money because of the promotion.
It is imperative however that we pay keen attention to the mannerisms and the way Helmer addresses Norah. If keenly observed, he is teasingly condescending as if he is talking to a child. secondly, he is playfully reprimanding as he cautions against Norah's obsession with Macaroons among other nifty details that could be ignored by a more level-headed individual. Once we poke horns into this seemingly harmless cuckolding, we learn Helmer to be a classic chauvinist. He hides his chauvinism within his charisma and affectations. We also see Norah's naivete.
The eye-opener comes sooner rather than later when Helmer learns about Norah's forgery and subsequent deceit. It is Helmer's reactions that tells Norah that she was just but a child in Helmer's house. Although Krogstad later rescinds from taking action against the Helmers, the behavior of Helmer breaks his family apart.
Norah decides to walk away from her 8-year marriage so that she can go and reinvent herself. What motivated Norah's change? Norah had observed that the men in her life, that is her father and husband, had treated her as a person without an opinion. Also, she had been treated as an unformed adult without a sense of maturity or alternative views about society. Her world was governed by the decisions of the two males in her life and their opinions towered above her very own. That is why she had to go and reinvent herself.
It is very hard to tell the difference between a loving, caring man and a cold-hearted chauvinist. I know of many women who live happily in relationships where the man is a controlling chauvinist with a soft heart. Maybe they will grow up to demand opinion in matters dear to them.
This has been So useful . Thank you so much.
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