Nora

’s Neurosis: A Doll’s House Essay, Research Paper


Nora?s Neurosis


Act I of Ibsen?s A Doll House sets the scene for a disturbing commentary on the


woman?s place in society at the time. Nora?s psychological makeup is one of an


oppressive, emotionally depriving and possibly abusive father and an absent, neglectful


mother. Her flighty actions are the ones of a child because as a child, that is probably the


only way she got attention, and she was never taught any other way. Nora is suffering


from a neurotic personality disorder.


The Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia, (1996), defines neurosis as ?a slightly less


impaired state than that of the psychotic, wherein the individual has lost touch with


reality.? Because of her being mistreated by men for so many years, by her father and in


turn her husband, Nora has developed a strange sense of right and wrong, and which is


which.


The first scene in which Nora brings in the presents already exemplifies her


strange reasoning. Although we know that she should be saving every penny, and she


even says later on to Mrs Linde that she tries to make some money of her own by


copying, and attempts to save by wearing ?the simplest, cheapest outfits,? (p 643), here


she contradicts herself by insisting to Torvald that ?…we can squander a little now. Can?t


we?? (p 638) This strange, often moody temperament is a well known characteristic of a


neurotic.


The way Torvald treats Nora in the very first scene also is tell-tale of Nora?s


mental problems. She li

es to her husband about eating macaroons. Although wives were


perhaps more submissive to their husbands? desires 120 years ago, I certainly doubt that


most of them would have accepted being treated like a child with rules regarding whether


they could snakc on a macaroon or not. Her desire to please is also characteristic of a


neurotic, as they cannot often handle rejection. As one might suspect and as we learn


throughout and at at the end of the play, Nora and Torvald?s relationship really never


went beyond simple flirting, and they never really talked about anything. One who


would continue in a relationship in this manner obviously has a disconnection with


reality.


During her conversation with Mrs. Linde, (pgs 640-644), Nora doesn?t seem to be


aware that the forgery of her father?s signature was illegal. Although she has been


sheltered her whole life, I find it nearly impossible to accept that she has never heard that


it is wrong to fake someone else?s signature. This again is a reflection of her difficulty


realizing what is right and wrong ans the difference between the two.


Nora?s mental state affects every character in the play, as she interacts with


everyone. There is more to her than just her neurosis, but that is a pivotal part of her


character. Were she not to be portrayed as neurotic, this would be a very different, and


potentially more boring play.


Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll House. The Bedford Introduction to Drama, 3rd ed. Ed. Lee A.


Jacobus, University of Conneticut. Boston: Bedford Books, 1997.

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