By Sonakshi Bhatnagar
Understanding Nora’s complex character is a journey which is adventurous in its own right. Nora isn’t constructed as a character, with whom one falls in love with at first sight. We, as readers, notice the revolutionary and prominent change in her character, throughout the course of the play. This change, is what ties us emotionally to the character that Ibsen has created; the audience feels as if they’ve grown with her, uniting the two as one. Hot and cold, is what describes her personality, at a glance.
In regards to the initial act, she comes across as a character with a very fluctuating temperament. The answer to the question—till what extent did she hold responsibility for the way she was treated— requires the audience to have established a connection with the character, as well as have sound knowledge of the context it is set in. When we look at her character, it is very we must be cognisant of the times the play was set in, and how women in that time were treated and functioned.
During the Victorian era, a woman like Nora would’ve been an ideal example to display, albeit the secret she held. Her rights, as a human being, or rather as a woman were limited to something as close to nothing. There was no room for intellectual, or professional growth for women during that period, for they were thought to lose their naïveté; a core quality required in women. Women were seen as a child, a toy, an object, one which could be manipulated to fit the likings of what their husbands desired. We often noticed a plethora of characters to treat Nora as a child, not just Torvald. The causation for this can be established to be Nora’s lack of retaliation. With the exception of Mrs. Linde, to whom Nora gave away her secret, the rest of the characters remained oblivious to her true self, because she limited what they saw. In this right, she is a powerful and clever character. Her actions were a slave to the role the society desired her to play.
To conclude, I personally feel, that we, as individuals will always hold control over the way we are treated, because it is us, who permits that behaviour to persevere. However, the responsibility isn't on just a sole being, but also upon us collectively to ensue appropriate behaviour. We must take into account any extenuating circumstances which may lead us to blur the lines between society and us as an individual. What permits us to act mindfully with a degree of self respect, is the fact that we are aware of our rights. When narrowing down onto Nora and her situation, her being cognisant of said rights; be it societal or personal, was missing due to the overbearing boundaries of the time. So, I would say, that she as a character isn't one to blame, but the blame is held largely by the society.
Understanding Nora’s complex character is a journey which is adventurous in its own right. Nora isn’t constructed as a character, with whom one falls in love with at first sight. We, as readers, notice the revolutionary and prominent change in her character, throughout the course of the play. This change, is what ties us emotionally to the character that Ibsen has created; the audience feels as if they’ve grown with her, uniting the two as one. Hot and cold, is what describes her personality, at a glance.
In regards to the initial act, she comes across as a character with a very fluctuating temperament. The answer to the question—till what extent did she hold responsibility for the way she was treated— requires the audience to have established a connection with the character, as well as have sound knowledge of the context it is set in. When we look at her character, it is very we must be cognisant of the times the play was set in, and how women in that time were treated and functioned.
During the Victorian era, a woman like Nora would’ve been an ideal example to display, albeit the secret she held. Her rights, as a human being, or rather as a woman were limited to something as close to nothing. There was no room for intellectual, or professional growth for women during that period, for they were thought to lose their naïveté; a core quality required in women. Women were seen as a child, a toy, an object, one which could be manipulated to fit the likings of what their husbands desired. We often noticed a plethora of characters to treat Nora as a child, not just Torvald. The causation for this can be established to be Nora’s lack of retaliation. With the exception of Mrs. Linde, to whom Nora gave away her secret, the rest of the characters remained oblivious to her true self, because she limited what they saw. In this right, she is a powerful and clever character. Her actions were a slave to the role the society desired her to play.
To conclude, I personally feel, that we, as individuals will always hold control over the way we are treated, because it is us, who permits that behaviour to persevere. However, the responsibility isn't on just a sole being, but also upon us collectively to ensue appropriate behaviour. We must take into account any extenuating circumstances which may lead us to blur the lines between society and us as an individual. What permits us to act mindfully with a degree of self respect, is the fact that we are aware of our rights. When narrowing down onto Nora and her situation, her being cognisant of said rights; be it societal or personal, was missing due to the overbearing boundaries of the time. So, I would say, that she as a character isn't one to blame, but the blame is held largely by the society.
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