The role of women in Ibsen`s play A Doll`s House is entirely visible. Regarding the two fictive characters Nora, the one who is at the center of the play and Mrs. Linde as a foil character to Nora, an old sympathetic friend, there are predominant pictures of abuse and exploitation and use of women as a commodity from society in order to have consistent power on them to make more money so that the rate of injustices and inequalities is exceeded. As a consequence, the industrial capitalism validates it`s precedence and power.
Ibsen is credited with creating a more intimate real confessional form of social relationships and costumes in his play, A Doll`s House. The two women of the play, two merchandises are developing in two different ways.
Nora`s character development initiates with the sound of a doorbell and continues with superficial events, then finishes roughly with the sound of the door shutting by standing against conventional clichés.
Nora: as soon as Christmas is over--(A bell rings in the hall.)--there`s the bell. (She tidies the room a little, There`s someone at the door.) What a nuisance! (The sound of a door shutting is heard from below).
(Act1, page10)
Nora's character development continues by approaching her unconscious with working, eating macaroons, borrowing money and using bandying words while talking to Helmer, all of which are against his husband's rules. Then, eventually, she leaves the house after their first serious long conversation.
NORA: Just now (puts the long of macaroons into her packet and wipes her mouth)
(Act 1, page 6)
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NORA: … (takes the packet from her pocket.) Doctor Rank, what do you say to a macaroon?
RANK: what, macaroons? I thought they were forbidden here.
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NORA: oh, well, don't be alarmed! You couldn't know that Torvald had forbidden them.
I must tell you that he is afraid they will spoil my teeth. But bah! – once in a way –That's so…
(Act 1, page 22)
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NORA: Yes, a champagne banquet till the small hours (calls out) and a few macaroons, Helen, lots just for once.
In these parts of play, at first Nora hides eating macaroons from Helmer but throughout the play she dares to call out for some macaroons, in front of Helmer.
Nora`s hesitation of living with such a priggish man and leaving house and her children impetuously presents kind of developing characters, in order to take vengeance neither from Hemer nor herself, but from the society. Thus this movement was more imprudent of her than staying to live. Because stepping in such a society and facing a lot of Helmers may cause serious difficulties in her future life.
NORA: Maybe. But you neither think nor talk like the man I could bind myself to. As soon as your fear was over-and it was not fear for what threatened me but for what might happen to you _ when the whole thing was past, as far as you were concerned it was exactly as if nothing at all had happened. Exactly as before, I was your little sky lark, your doll, which you would in future treat with doubly gentle care, because it was so brittle and fragile (Getting up) Torvald_ it was then it dawned upon me that for eight years I had been living here with strange man, and had borne him three children – Oh, I can't bear to think of it ! I could tear myself into little bits!
(Act 3, page 80)
On the other side, Mrs.Linde finds a new charter to isolates herself and develops by refracting compassionate lights, making spectacular colorful lights—in her own mind—to reflect on her dark heart and retrieves the wreck krogstad.
Mrs.Linde: … what a difference! What a difference! Some one to work for and live for – a home to bring comfort into. That I will do indeed, I wish they would be quick and come-…
(Act 3, page 63)
To put it another way, Nora, the center piece of the play endowed with beauty, in variegated charming fancy dress, bids to play delicately to fulfill the husband's prurience and passion. Being a woman who is treated like a puppet and disturbed as a commodity makes a hideous black and white conception of all human relationships in greater society out side on a large life mural.
A woman was taken captive with some romantic words like: little squirrel, skylark, little spendthrift, little feather head, little person. Society confines her by Helmer in house to have control on her, therefore, on her family.
Helmer: (calls out from his room) Is that my little lark twittering out there?)
Nora: yes it is.
Helmer: is it my little squirrel bustling about?
Nora: yes.
Helmer: when did my squirrel come home?
Nora: Just now.
( Act 1 , page 6)
Helmer: come, come, do not be so wild and nervous. Be my own little skylark, as you used.
Nora: yes, dear, I will …
(Act2, page 57)
Here Helmer invites her to be his own Nora but she refuses by being wild towards him.
Besides, Mrs.Linde has devoted herself to her mother and two younger brothers eminently and married pathetically for money. Then, after passing years of austerity becoming alone and returning with no heritage and no child, consists on marring again. Obviously her character is developing in far more different way from that of Nora`s, because Mrs.Linde seems to be a foil character of Nora.
Women are the most important visible symbols of the marionette, are the victims of the society, but the events through out history inclined them toward evolution by developing their characteristics trenchantly.
Farnaz Ghavami