On Personalities of Torvald and His Attitude Changes in A Doll’s House

Chen Xueying

【Abstract】A Dolls House is one of the well-known plays of Henrik Ibsens that brought him the international fame. The essay aims to analyze the major personalities and attitude changes of Torvald Helmer throughout the play so as to understand the thoughts and art of Ibsen.

【Keywords】A Dolls House；Personality；Attitude Changes；Torvald Helmer

1. Introduction

A Dolls House， a prestigious social problem play， is written by the well-known Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. Throughout the play， what is repeatedly highlighted turns out to be the problem of womens right， especially at the very time in Norway. With the discrimination against the female considered as the major theme， the essay is about to probe into the real personality of the antagonist， Torvald Helmer.

2.On the Personalities of Torvald

There is no denying the fact that Torvald is indeed a successful bank manager in his career. However， he is by no means a man fashioned with perfect， or at least satisfying personalities and suitable virtue.

Torvald is a man ignorant of what love actually is. Marrying Nora for several years with three children born， Torvalds seeming love for Nora is hardly detected by anybody within the play except the readers and spectators as outsiders. Naming her wife Nora “squirrel rustling”， “little songbird” and “little spendthrift” and “skylark”， to list but only a few， Torvald acts as if he is playing with a doll by giving it what nicknames he adores and settling what requirements he regards necessary. He makes his wife beautiful and pays more attention to her appearances in and out the house. Never does he care about Nora for what she really longs for or what she extremely desires to do. Instead， he only focuses on whether she is charming and attractive enough in order to please his own eyes and the others in society. Moreover， how Torvald behaves is definitely the proof that he deems his way of rigging Nora is the demonstration of love. But he is actually an idiot of love. Therefore， it is safe to conclude that in Torvalds mind what true love signifies is more appearance than reciprocal understanding.

3.On the attitude of Torvald

All above， Torvald seems to be like a man without any merits. He is selfish for he never thinks of the profits of Nora； he is arrogant for he account that he is the only one who Nora can resorts to； and he is hypocritical for he takes advantages of Noras appearance to realize his own ambition and vanity. He wants to fire Krogstad as soon as he come to the position of bank manager only because Krogstad is his classmate who ever called him the nickname. Then when he discovers the fraud Nora made and reprimands Nora for her foolishness.

“Helmer： Oh， what a dreadful awakening！ For eight whole years - she who was my joy and pride - a hypocrite， a liar - worse， worse - a criminal！ Oh， the hideousness of it！ Shame on you， shame！”（Ibsen， 1965：91）

Torvald considers that it is Nora that at the moment destroys his happiness and ruins his bright future. Nora and her kindness to him means nothing. Trapped in dangerous conditions， what Torvald thinks of is his future and the condemnation of his beloved wife. The so-called love， as Nora believes in， is meaningless. But the moment Torvald reads the second sent from Krogstad， his relieved facial expression demonstrates his hypocrisy to the full content：

He still believes that he is the one that can guard Nora， but in fact， it is Nora that makes great contribution when in difficulties. As what said by Engels， “A mans rule in marriage is a simple result of his rule in economy.”（1972：70） Torvald is too self-conceited to focus on the true love beside himself.

At last， Nora can not bear the life with Torvald and makes her mind to seek for independence alone. And Helmer becomes conscious of his strength to change， however， Nora replies that “I am no wife for you，”（Ibsen， 1965：100）， “Perhaps - if your doll is taken from you”（101）. She feels that she has been living with a stranger for a long period without any relationship established despite her once sacrifice. In fact， Torvald has altered his attitude toward Nora and their relation then. Not until Nora leaves the house does he realize the importance of a wife and the true love. “Empty！ Shes gone！ The miracle of miracles - ？”（Ibsen， 1965：102）. Nora has no alternative but to leave， as Luxun said “To fall， or to come back”（1973：145） and she deems that only the miracle of miracles appears can they get together again and Torvald is looking for the way of changing and to make the miracle of miracles come true. At the moment， he is different. He is not the original ignorant Torvald Helmer， but a reborn Torvald getting to understand what the true love is.

4.Conclusion

Torvald Helmer is true once a man of hypocrisy and vanity. Without knowing what the real love is to Nora and to himself， he is aware of his faults during the course of the story as the play goes on. He tries to change so as to find the miracle of miracles cast away by Nora.

References：

[1]Ibsen，Henrik.A Dolls House.Translated by Micheal Meyer.London： Eyre Methuen，1965.