Introduction
The play entitled A Doll’s House, written by Henrik Ibsen, shows a few days of the life of one married couple: Nora and Torvald Helmer. Several themes can be identified in this play, including love and marriage, deceit, gender roles, reputation, and money. This paper will focus on the theme of money, as it is present throughout the play. It will be argued that the use of such elements of drama as role and character, tension, and relationships between characters, Ibsen introduces this theme and conveys the message that money is power.
Plot Summary
On Christmas Eve, Nora comes home with gifts, but her husband gently reprimands her for being a spendthrift. The couple celebrates Torvald’s recent promotion in the bank and expects their financial position to improve. Then, Dr. Rank and Mrs. Linde arrive at their house, and Nora has a conversation with Mrs. Linde. Nora confesses that she borrowed a large sum of money to take her husband to Italy when he was ill. She believes that, by doing so, she saved her husband because doctors told her that he needed to live in the south to recover.
Later that evening, Nils Krogstad comes to Helmers’ place, and it becomes clear that he is the person Nora borrowed money from. Krogstad threatens Nora that he will reveal her secret to her husband unless she convinces Torvald not to fire Krogstad. Nora fails to do so and fears her fate so much that she starts to think of suicide. Torvald finds a letter from Krogstad revealing Nora’s secret in his mailbox and is furious. Later, he receives a note from Krogstad saying that he will no longer blackmail Nora, which calms Torvald down. He is ready to forgive Nora, but she leaves him: she has realized that he is a stranger to her.
Literary Analysis
The theme of money in the play starts with introducing the character of Torvald. Torvald is highly concerned about money; upon seeing gifts bought by his wife, he wonders: “Has my little spendthrift been wasting money again?” (Ibsen 2). This quote implies that he values money over the joy that can be received from gifts. Further, the audience learns that Torvald strongly disapproves of debt as he says, “No debt, no borrowing. There can be no freedom or beauty about a home life that depends on borrowing and debt” (Ibsen 3). Such Torvald’s attitudes to debt and money lay the beginning of a conflict that unfolds later in the play.
Further, the author develops the theme of money using tension, which makes the audience anticipate a conflict between characters. Tension emerges when Nora reveals that she borrowed much money behind Torvald’s back. From Nora’s perspective, her actions are justified: she genuinely believes that she “saved Torvald’s life” (Ibsen 14). However, from Torvald’s point of view, debt is unacceptable, which is why he would never approve of his wife’s actions. The tension is further intensified by Mrs. Linde’s disapproval of Nora’s deceit: upon learning of Nora’s secret, Mrs. Linde calls her “imprudent” (Ibsen 15). Hence, the characters’ different values and attitudes toward money and debt are the basis of the conflict in the play.
Using the relationships between different characters, the author illustrates the idea that money is power. The relationship between Nora and Torvald is one such example. Nora needs money to pay off her debt and to run the household, but Torvald reluctantly gives her money because she “never know[s] where it has gone” (Ibsen 5). Nora’s financial dependence on Torvald makes her agree to his terms until she realizes that it does not have to be so. When she leaves her husband at the end of the play, she takes only her belongings with her, saying to Torvald, “I will take nothing from you, either now or later” (Ibsen 91). By refusing to take anything from Torvald, she shows her independence from him, and she can finally have full control over her life.
Another example of the theme of money as power is the relationship between Nora and Krogstad, her lender. By lending money to Nora, Krogstad got power over her, and he took advantage of it by blackmailing her. Once, when discussing the debt with Nora, Krogstad said, “If you stood there with ever so much money in your hand, I would never part with your bond” (Ibsen 59). This quote shows that, for Krogstad, money is not valuable in itself; what he values about it is the power it gives. Finally, the theme of money is evident in the relationships between Krogstad and Mrs. Linde, who used to be in love with each other. Mrs. Linde broke up with Krogstad and married a well-off man whom she did not love. The reason for her deed was the need for money: “You must not forget that I had a helpless mother and two little brothers. We couldn’t wait for you, Nils; your prospects seemed hopeless then” (Ibsen 70). Hence, the play shows that money gives power to those having it and deprives of independence those lacking it.
Conclusion
To sum up, the theme of money is prominent in A Doll’s House. The author’s statement of this theme is created through such elements of drama as characters, tension, and the relationships between characters. The play conveys the message that money is the power since characters who possess money have control over those with no or little money. Moreover, the character of Krogstad shows that for some people, the power resulting from the possession of money can be more valuable than the money itself.
Work Cited
Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll’s House. Dodo Press, 2005.