IbsenÆs A DollÆs House was a very controversial play when it was first written in 1879 because of the character, Nora, and how she abandons her husband and children at the end of the play (A DollÆs). Ibsen dealt with the problem of womenÆs rights, not as an activist, but as a facet of reality within his play. He wanted to bring the issue to light. The play established a new genre of modern drama because Ibsen elevated theater from a forum for entertainment to a forum for exposing social problems. He was given the title of ôthe father of modern dramaö for this work, because of how he ended the play with the character of Nora walking out on her life. The play broke away from the common romantic themes, and looked at the psychological concerns of the real world, especially the position of women in society. To explore the character of Nora, we first have to look briefly at what happens in the play, and who the main characters are, so that we can see why she acts the way she does at the end of the play.
A DollÆs House by Henrik Ibsen takes place over the Christmas-New years period and examines the lives of Nora Helmer and her husband, banker Torval Helmer (Ibsen, Act 1; SparkNotes;). It is Christmas Eve and Nora returns home loaded with Xmas gifts. Torval chides her for spending so much, recalling how they have had to be careful with money, but he has just been promoted and now they can afford a better lifestyle. The maid announces that a family friend, Dr Rank has arrived, and shortly thereafter, Mrs. Linde, an old school friend of NoraÆs arrives, saying her husband has died, leaving her with no money and she is hoping Torval can give her a job at the bank. Krogstad, a low-level worker at the bank, then arrives to talk with Torval. Mrs. Linde and Nora talk and Nora reveals that when they were first married and poor, Torval took ill and they had to go to Italy for him to recover. They needed money badly and she il...