Introduction
What are human desires and how do they differ from person to person? Aiming to answer this question, the playwright Henrik Ibsen depicts in ‘A Doll’s House’ what can be seen as a typical Norwegian family life at the end of the nineteenth century. During a busy Christmas time, the characters exchange their first wishes concerning their presents and preferences for the festive night.
As the story progresses, the true reasons behind certain preferences are disclosed, the old wishes are reassessed, and the new desires are revealed. Both male and female characters struggle to find their authentic values in a world, where society dictates the appropriate behavior for each gender. In the end, many of the characters’ desires are shaped by social norms that are imposed on them, and while some characters choose to go along with society’s expectations of them, others revolt and seek their path. Some desires, however, remain universal despite all differences between the characters.
Desires Connected to the Material Wealth
The play begins in media res, and material wealth is the first desire that is mentioned by Nora Helmer, who timidly asks her husband Torvald for some money as a Christmas gift. The heroine proceeds to discuss the matters of money and her husband’s career success with her friend Mrs. Linde, creating the false impression that wealth is her primary desire. It is later revealed that the only reason Nora is concerned with money is that she needs to repay the bond she once used to obtain money for the trip that “saved Torvald’s life” (Ibsen 31).
Similarly, Christine Linde appears to be motivated by money, as once she has sacrificed her love for one man to marry another rich man. Nevertheless, Mrs. Linde admits that she only did it to provide for her ill mother and two younger brothers. Furthermore, after her husband’s death, Christine came to the town, where the action is set, to rekindle her relationship with her old love. These two examples show how Ibsen plays with the notion of women in need of financial security, leading readers to believe that due to their lack of power, female characters value wealth above all and then debunking this initial impression.
Relational Desires
Material desires in the play are closely connected with family values. All characters crave some sort of relationship, be it the full of illusions of marriage between Nora and Torvald, the budding second-chance relationship of Mrs. Linde and Nils Krogstad, or the unrequited love of Dr. Rank.
The Helmers’ marriage is the most prominent example of mismatched desires in the play. While Torvald patronizes his wife and tells her what and how to do, Nora succumbs to his wishes, because she believes that her husband loves her and would sacrifice everything for her. In contrast, the only time Torvald explicitly acknowledges Nora’s wish by agreeing to correct her dancing is when he remains in the control position.
Conditioned by society to believe that a woman should obey her husband, the characters are satisfied with their marriage until a crisis leads Torvald to admit that “no man can be expected to sacrifice his honor, even for the person he loves” (Ibsen 102). Disillusioned, Nora reassesses her values and chooses her freedom over her marriage. The heroine sets out to find her path in life, smashing the door and leaving her confused husband behind.
Desires Connected to Maintaining High Morals
The male characters of the play are repeatedly concerned with morality issues. Torvald judges others based on their moral qualities and feels obliged to set an example of honorable behavior, Krogstad attempts to clear his reputation after committing misdeeds, and Dr. Rank’s illness is believed to be a punishment for his father’s sins. Notably, the heroes often fail to act in accordance with their noble desires. Helmer, for instance, emphasizes his masculinity by saying: “Do you know, Nora, often I wish some terrible danger might threaten you so that I could offer my life and my blood, everything, for your sake” (Ibsen 92).
However, when the occasion arises, the character is less than willing to protect his wife and instead reproaches her. Moreover, it becomes clear that Helmer is more concerned with his reputation than true morality. In a similar vein, Krogstad tries to retain his job at the bank to enhance his reputation, yet, once he is unable to do so, the hero resorts to blackmailing and immoral behavior to achieve his goals. In leading the characters to failure, Ibsen demonstrates that society’s role expectations are not aligned with the heroes’ true desires.
The Case of Dr. Rank
The main desires of the dying Dr. Rank are to live and to love, but at the beginning of the play, he has already given up on his life, understanding that none of his wishes are realizable. Nevertheless, after the darkening of the scene encourages him to confess his feelings to Nora, the doctor returns to life again and tries to seize all the remaining opportunities to enjoy his last days, as seen in the third act of the play. His cheerful attitude eventually confuses other characters, who are not aware that Dr. Rank is dying.
The ambiguity of the situation climaxes in the exchange of goodnight wishes between Nora and the doctor, where the phrase “sleep well” (Ibsen 90) can refer to both the nocturnal and the internal sleep. The possible double meaning is underlined by Dr. Rank’s surprised reaction to Nora’s request for the same wish from him: “You? Very well – since you ask” (Ibsen 90). Overall, the doctor is the only male character in the play who comes close to bringing his desires to life, which indicates that his wishes are genuine and unaffected by society.
Conclusion
In “A Doll’s House”, Ibsen describes a complex system of human desires that evolve with time and gain experience. The author stresses the influence of social context on the things that people want and need: The characters’ desires are affected by social expectations, and they do not always realize that. At some point, the female characters of the play begin to question their previously held beliefs and desires, which leads them to challenge social norms by means of following their inner wishes.
At the same time, the male characters of the play are more reluctant to free themselves from the prescribed roles, and therefore, sometimes miss the opportunity to pursue their true desires. Still, Ibsen reminds his readers that some values are universal to all people. Despite the traditional differences in gender roles, all characters in “A Doll’s House” have the same desire for human relationships, even if it is not immediately clear to them.
Work Cited
Ibsen, Henrik. “A Doll’s House.” Ibsen Plays: Two, translated and introduced by Michael Meyer, Bloomsbury, 2014.