In the year of 1879, one of the greatest plays was born. This play was known as A Doll's House. As soon as it was complete it created a revolution over all of England and also America. The author of this extraordinary play was Henrik Ibsen. Ibsen is known as one of the four great Norwegian Playwrights. Ibsen wrote A Doll's House using quite a few themes. His main theme is alienation. According to S. L. Halleck, alienation comes from the values of one's society and family. Henrik Ibsen tries to illustrate alienation in almost the exact same way that Halleck does. Through the theme of Alienation in A Dolls House, Henrik Ibsen demonstrates how family, and the pressure and expectations presented by society are a determining factor in alienation.
Using family roles and relationships, Henrik Ibsen proves his theme of alienation throughout A Dolls House. The main family relationship and role in A Doll's House is that of Torvold and Nora. Torvold always treats Nora like a child as an alternative of an adult. He is always calling her childlike names, and not ever really regarding her as an adult. When Nora tries acting like an adult, Helmer just pretends she is joking around such as when Torvald says "Just listen!-little Nora talking about scientific investigations"(Ibsen 56). This is also the primary reason as to why Nora left Helmer. Nora was always doing what was best for Helmer and never what was best for herself. The only time that she actually did what was best for herself was at the very end when Nora says, "I must stand quite alone, if I am to understand myself and everything about me"(Ibsen 64). The importance of what Nora says here is that she has been alienated from even herself. The first time in her marriage that Nora finds out who she really is occurs when Nora really speaks her own mind for once. Nora also figures out that the eight years she had been married to Torvald, there was never any love between them, and it was completely artificial. Nora proves this when she says, "You have never loved me. You have only thought it pleasant to be in love with me"(Ibsen 63). In A Dolls House, Nora is the doll. She almost never comes out of her doll house, except when she needs to do something serious. When Nora has the first serious conversation that she has ever had with her husband she says," Nora: he called me his doll-child, and he played with me just as I used to play with me dolls. And [then] I came to live with you"(Ibsen 63). In this quote Nora is implying that her dad and Torvald treat her the same way, which is like a child and not as their equal. The only reason as to why Nora and Torvald have very different roles in their family happens because. Society has put men at a much higher level and far above women, therefore alienating men and women. Nora is obviously the first to realize that their marriage isn't so perfect as it seems in the beginning of A Doll's House. Nora first starts to understand what is really going on when she says, "we have been married now for eight years. Does it not occur to you that this is the first time we two, you and I, husband and wife, have had a serious conversation?" (Ibsen 63).
Using societal expectations, Henrik Ibsen illustrates his theme of alienation throughout A Dolls House. Societal expectations, pressures, and societal views are constantly changing the way that people think. Not only do they affect the way that people think, but also they affect the way that people act, and think. Nora saved her husbands life, although Helmer cares more about his honor and about what people will think about him than his own life. Helmer would rather be dead than lose his honor and keep on living. He is so obsessed with keeping up to societal views and expectations that he says, "No religion, no morality, no sense of duty. How am I punished for having winked at what he did! I did it for your sake, and this is how you repay me" (Ibsen 60). Helmer is torn apart when he reads Kragstad's first letter, because he thinks that the society will look at him the same way that it has looked at Kragstad. Helmer is also very deeply worried about his new job as manager at the bank. He thinks that he will lose it because of societal expectations. As soon as Helmer reads Kragstad's second letter, Helmer realizes that he won't lose his honor because Kragstad will not reveal that Nora forged her father's signature. The only problem is that Helmer realizes this fact a little to late, and Nora finds out that he would not sacrifice his honor for her, whereas Nora would sacrifice her honor for Helmer. The only reason this problem even came up is all because of the society, and how people view it and try to live up to its many expectations. Henrik Ibsen's theme of alienation is very apparent throughout A Dolls House, because of family roles, relationships, and societal views and expectations.
Henrik Ibsen wrote A Dolls House during an era when men had a much higher rank in society than women. He tried to show this difference when he wrote A Dolls House because in the end Nora leaves Helmer. The kind of ending that Ibsen used is very unique because it disproved the common societal views. It also showed that in the end society can alienate everyone. Henrik Ibsen's theme of alienation is very apparent throughout A Dolls House, because of family roles, relationships, and societal views and expectations.