THEMES IN A DOLL'S HOUSE: Love and marriage ( DOWNLOAD TO SCORE A)

Love and marriage in A doll’s House A doll’s House has successfully explored love and marriage, detailing the idea of a perfect marriage and if it exists. The first marriage presented in the pl ay is the marriage between Nora and Torvald. As the play begins, they are very happy as we see that Nora highly speaks about her husband, and on the other hand, Torvald shares the same feeling because he even calls her different pet names. Ideally, this is a good marriage because there is mutual affection between the partners. However, this marriage is governed by society's expectations, where Nora has to submit and follow the guidance of her husband. On the other hand, Torvald has to be the breadwinner and provider of the family, and this means that he has to have a reputable career. When Nora goes against the rules of society and gets a loan to save her husband, she is afraid that her long-kept secret might put Torvald in trouble, as he might take the fall for her. Nora deeply believes that Torvald loves her as much she loves him, but this is not the case because it is revealed that Torvald would not take the blame. Torvald would rather protect his reputation than defend his wife, and this shows that this marriage is not as perfect as the couple tries to display. At the end of the play, their marriage is a failure. The second marriage presented in the play is between Mrs. Linde and Krogstad, and it is very different from Nora and Torvald. Mrs. Linde and Krogstad are together for necessity and not love and seem to be unhappy together. Mrs. Linde is the breadwinner in her marriage, and because she earns money, she has the opportunity to have a life outside her home. Mrs. Linde is free to express her views to her husband, and this allows them to have meaningful conversations. Through this, they can communicate their mistakes openly, which makes them stay in their marriage peacefully. They even see each other as equal people, two shipwrecked people who have come to join forces so that they can nurture a family. Marriage gives them an opportunity to grow, learn and become better in the union, and this is because they do not allow society rules to dictate to them what to do. From the two marriages, it is evident that social pressure to follow the rules about marriage will result in a failed marriage. Nora and Torvald end up in a failed marriage because rules hold them down, and this makes communication difficult. She even comes to realize that Torvald never loved her, and this shows that the rules set by this society do not allow people to fall in love with each, rather it makes them play the roles prescribed to them. Mrs. Linde and Krogstad are able to tolerate each other, and Norah even admires her marriage. However, even Mrs. Linde wishes that she could find someone that she genuinely loves and experience that kind of love. Show Less