The reasons women change

              Do you really know what you are doing now is right? People tend to think and act what the society expects; however, sometimes they realize that they were totally wrong and have to do something else. In A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen describes a dynamic change of a woman, Nora She has had an ordinary life with a husband and children in the society where women’s independences are still not common. Through the play, she realizes that the way of her living has been wrong and she leaves family to be independent to find a new way. This decision has been made by three major reasons: desire for independence, disappointment for the husband, and lack of confidence.

              One reason of her decision is her desire for independence. The beginning of the drama, she was very dependent on her husband. In their relationship, Torvald, her husband, treats her as a doll or a pet and she accepts this way. For example, when Torvald says, “Is that my lark twittering there?”(137), she answers, “Yes, it is”(137). She hasn’t had any question of this relationship, however, through the dreadful experience of a threatening letter, she realizes that she has been playing a doll for Torvald and she wants to be treated as a human being, an independent person. Therefore she says, “I think that before all else I am a human being”(206). In addition, two facts support her idea. First, The fact that Christina, her friend, has lived by herself shows that a woman can live independent. Second, the fact that Dr. Rank has talked to her on terms of equality, as he even says, “You’re deeper than I thought”(175), shows a woman can have equal relationship to a man.

              In addition to independence, the disappointment for the husband is the significant source of her decision. She has been waiting a miracle that Torvald saves her with sacrificing his honor; however, it never happens even in the best timing. Torvald only blames her, as he says “Wretched woman! What have you done?”(200). She was very disappointed with his attitude because she has been thinking her suicide in contrary to him. In brief, she requires men to have equal determination of sacrifice as women do. When Torvald says, “no man sacrifices his honor”(208), she replies “Millions of women have done so”(208). Through this experience, she realizes he is not a person she had expected. Therefore, she says, “You were not the man I had taken you for”(207) and “I have never understood you – till to-night”(203). She was really shocked by the fact that she hasn’t known her husband since she had married.

              The lack of her confidence is another reason of her decision. At the beginning of the play, she has confidence that she has saved Torvald’s life, as she says, “I, too, have something to be proud of and glad of. I saved Torvald’s life”(147). However, when she hears from Torvald that lying corrupt family and children (164), she feels guilty and immediately avoids children so that she doesn’t corrupt her children. Moreover, when Torvald blamed her about what she has done, she becomes quite unsure if what she has done is right. Then, she completely loses her confidence and thinks she isn’t fit to educate her children, as she says, “That problem [, education of children,] is beyond me”(205). So she passes that problem to Anne, children’s nurse whom she believes better than herself. Thus, the lack of her confidence becomes one of reasons which make Nora leave her family.

              There must be many reasons which change people drastically, and usually their decision is not made by only one reason. Similarly, in Nora’s case, her decision is supported by desire for independence, disappointment for the husband, and lack of her confidence. If you are not sure if what you are doing now is right, please take a look at her case, and you will not waste you life.