Phoebe​ ​Rose​ ​Black-Toby

Objective​ ​Paper​ ​-​ ​A​ ​Doll’s​ ​House

Nora​’s​ ​super​ ​objective​ ​in​ ​the​ ​play​ ​A​ ​Doll’s​ ​House​ ​is​ ​to​ ​be​ ​her​ ​own,​ ​independant​ ​woman.

She​ ​rebels​ ​from​ ​the​ ​societal​ ​norms​ ​expected​ ​of​ ​her​ ​in​ ​the​ ​typical​ ​1800’s​ ​household,​ ​through​ ​her

actions​ ​throughout​ ​the​ ​play.

We​ ​see​ ​Nora’s​ ​rebellious​ ​side​ ​right​ ​off​ ​the​ ​bat,​ ​when​ ​she​ ​overpays​ ​the​ ​porter.​ ​She​ ​knows,

judging​ ​by​ ​Torvald’s​ ​actions​ ​in​ ​the​ ​play,​ ​that​ ​her​ ​husband​ ​is​ ​extremely​ ​stingy​ ​with​ ​money.​ ​But

still,​ ​she​ ​grossly​ ​over​ ​tips​ ​the​ ​porter​ ​for​ ​bringing​ ​in​ ​a​ ​Christmas​ ​tree.​ ​Then,​ ​within​ ​the​ ​same​ ​first

scene,​ ​we​ ​see​ ​Nora​ ​hide​ ​the​ ​Macaroons​ ​from​ ​Torvald,​ ​another​ ​symbol​ ​of​ ​her​ ​rebellion.​ ​She

doesn’t​ ​seem​ ​very​ ​scared​ ​however,​ ​that​ ​her​ ​husband​ ​will​ ​found​ ​out.​ ​She​ ​asks​ ​him​ ​to​ ​come​ ​into

the​ ​room​ ​as​ ​she​ ​is​ ​putting​ ​the​ ​macaroons​ ​away,​ ​and​ ​doesn’t​ ​seem​ ​at​ ​all​ ​worried​ ​about​ ​it,​ ​even

given​ ​how​ ​strict​ ​Torvald​ ​acts​ ​about​ ​the​ ​cookies.

In​ ​another​ ​scene​ ​in​ ​the​ ​first​ ​act,​ ​Nor​ ​asks​ ​Mrs.​ ​Linde,​ ​“Tell​ ​me,​ ​is​ ​it​ ​really​ ​true​ ​that​ ​you

did​ ​not​ ​love​ ​your​ ​husband?​ ​Why​ ​did​ ​you​ ​marry​ ​him?”​ ​She​ ​asks​ ​this​ ​question​ ​as​ ​if​ ​it​ ​is​ ​the​ ​first

time​ ​she’s​ ​thinking​ ​about​ ​her​ ​relationship​ ​with​ ​her​ ​own​ ​husband.​ ​Nora​ ​is​ ​slightly​ ​self-absorbed,

and​ ​so​ ​you​ ​know​ ​that​ ​everything​ ​she​ ​asks​ ​to​ ​find​ ​out​ ​about​ ​Mrs.​ ​Linde​ ​somehow​ ​relates​ ​back​ ​to

herself.

While​ ​Nora​ ​would​ ​like​ ​to​ ​believe​ ​she​ ​saved​ ​Torvald’s​ ​life​ ​out​ ​of​ ​love,​ ​a​ ​very​ ​big​ ​reason

she​ ​did​ ​what​ ​she​ ​did​ ​(borrowing​ ​money)​ ​was​ ​to​ ​gain​ ​even​ ​more​ ​independence​ ​by​ ​having​ ​a​ ​secret

she​ ​could​ ​keep​ ​from​ ​him.​ ​By​ ​making​ ​her​ ​own​ ​monetary​ ​transaction,​ ​Nora​ ​was​ ​able​ ​to​ ​make​ ​a

choice​ ​outside​ ​of​ ​Torvald,​ ​for​ ​once​ ​in​ ​her​ ​life.​ ​I’m​ ​sure​ ​she​ ​also​ ​felt,​ ​at​ ​least​ ​a​ ​little,​ ​that​ ​this​ ​was

an​ ​act​ ​of​ ​love,​ ​something​ ​Torvald​ ​was​ ​incapable​ ​of.

 In​ ​the​ ​second​ ​act,​ ​Dr.​ ​Rank​ ​says​ ​to​ ​Nora,​ ​“Those​ ​who​ ​are​ ​gone​ ​are​ ​soon​ ​forgotten.”​ ​and

in​ ​the​ ​stage​ ​directions​ ​it​ ​says,​ ​“(Nora​ ​looks​ ​at​ ​him​ ​anxiously),”​ ​and​ ​then​ ​“Do​ ​you​ ​believe​ ​that?”

To​ ​me,​ ​in​ ​this​ ​exchange,​ ​Nora​ ​is​ ​thinking​ ​only​ ​of​ ​herself​ ​(not​ ​of​ ​Dr.​ ​Rank’s​ ​impending​ ​death),

and​ ​the​ ​idea​ ​that​ ​her​ ​children​ ​may​ ​forget​ ​her​ ​if​ ​she​ ​leaves​ ​them.​ ​This​ ​stage​ ​direction​ ​can​ ​provide

some​ ​proof​ ​that​ ​Nora​ ​started​ ​thinking​ ​about​ ​leaving​ ​a​ ​while​ ​ago.

In​ ​the​ ​same​ ​scene,​ ​Dr.​ ​Rank​ ​confesses​ ​his​ ​love​ ​for​ ​Nora.​ ​He​ ​asks​ ​her​ ​if​ ​she,​ ​“thinks

[Torvald]​ ​the​ ​only​ ​one...who​ ​would​ ​gladly​ ​give​ ​his​ ​life​ ​for​ ​[her]​ ​sake?”​ ​Perhaps​ ​if​ ​he​ ​had​ ​worded

it​ ​differently​ ​his​ ​confession​ ​would​ ​have​ ​yielded​ ​better​ ​results,​ ​and​ ​yet​ ​he​ ​worded​ ​it​ ​in​ ​a​ ​way​ ​that

just​ ​gave​ ​Nora​ ​another​ ​man​ ​who​ ​felt​ ​like​ ​he​ ​had​ ​to​ ​take​ ​care​ ​of​ ​her,​ ​when​ ​all​ ​she​ ​wanted​ ​was​ ​to

take​ ​care​ ​of​ ​herself.

The​ ​play​ ​finally​ ​ends​ ​with​ ​Nora​ ​making​ ​the​ ​grand​ ​discovery​ ​that​ ​Torvald​ ​does​ ​not

actually​ ​love​ ​her,​ ​and​ ​that​ ​the​ ​“wonderful​ ​thing”​ ​may​ ​never​ ​happen​ ​for​ ​her.​ ​She​ ​ends​ ​up

achieving​ ​her​ ​super​ ​objective​ ​after​ ​she​ ​packs​ ​up​ ​and​ ​leaves​ ​her​ ​house,​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​find​ ​out​ ​who

she​ ​is​ ​alone,​ ​and​ ​take​ ​care​ ​of​ ​her​ ​own​ ​self​ ​for​ ​once.