Comparison and Contrast Essay on Ibsen's "A Doll's House" Title: Two Old School Friends

Henrik Ibsen's "A Doll's House" shows how two women who went to school together many years previous have led totally different lives. Nora is married, has three children and everything she wants or needs. Her husband Torvald treats her like a doll, indulging her every whim and calling her pet names, such as "singing lark", "little squirrel" and "little spendthrift". He pats her on the head much as one would a small child. Nora is sensible and completely unaware of her own worth until the last act of the play. In contrast, Mrs. Linde is a widow who married her husband for money and has no children. Since her husbands death she has had to work to take care of her sickly mother and two small brothers. Her mother has since died and her brothers are grown up and have made good lives for themselves. Mrs. Linde now has only herself to take care of.

The play also shows how Mrs. Linde has matured and Nora has not. Nora initially appears flighty and excitable, her main concern seems to be charming her husband and being the perfect wife. It is Christmas eve and she is excited about showing Torvald what she has bought for gifts and decorating the Christmas tree. Mrs. Linde, on the other hand, has arrived in town looking for a job (and Mr. Krogstad)and makes no mention of Christmas. She and Nora reminisce about their days as school girls and she is very interested when she hears the news that Torvald is going to be manager of a bank, hoping that he will give her a position there.

Nora is secretive and hides her thoughts and actions from her husband even when there is no real benefit in doing so. Deception appears to be almost a habit for her, as she hides the fact that she is eating macaroons, which Torvald has forbidden her to do. Nora's biggest secret, that she has borrowed money, in the name of love, is the hardest to keep hidden. In contrast, Mrs. Linde meets with Mr. Krogstad, initially to ask him to take back the damning letter he wrote to Torvald telling him about the money Nora has borrowed from him. But, after much thought about Nora and Torvalds marriage she decides against it. "Helmer must know all about it...impossible with all this concealment...". She tries to make him understand why she had to break with him in the past and makes it clear to him she understands why he acted as he has in the past. They reach an understanding about their future together.

After reading "A Doll's House", I can conclude that there is both a parallel and a contrast structure in the characters of Mrs. Linde and Nora. The differences are not shown in the characters themselves, but the role that they play in their marriages. These women have different relationships with their husbands. Torvald and Nora have a relationship where there is no equality. To Torvald, Nora is an object, so she plays the submissive role in a society where the lady plays the passive role. Her most important obligation is to please Torvald, making her role similar to a slave. He too considers himself superior to her. As for Mrs. Linde and Mr. Krogstad, their relationship is much more open to us. It is apparent that if Mrs. Linde and he were to engage in an argument, it is more likely that they would come to a compromise.

A strong sign that Mrs. Linde brings us a better understanding of Nora is their parallel in characters. Both are willing to sacrifice themselves for values dear to their lives. This act of aiding significant loved ones gives us a better understanding of Nora. Mrs. Linde shows her loyalty to her family when she did not think that she "had a right" to refuse her husband's marriage proposal. After taking into consideration her sick mother, her brothers, and Mr. Krogstad having no money, she married for the welfare of her family. Which means that in this society family is top priority. To the women in this era, loyalty to their loved ones is highly expected.

Then, we have Nora, who on the same token saves her husband's life, which shows again, the trend of women sacrificing for their families. Both Nora and Mrs. Linde express their feeling of pride in helping their significant others by sacrificing themselves.

Mrs. Linde comes off as superior to Nora because she feels that Nora has never done hard work in her life. Mrs. Linde is referring to the sacrifice she has made. She makes a remark about Nora still being a child. As if to say that she was inexperienced. At the end of the play Nora agrees that it is "true", she does not know much about the world and that if she is to learn, then she will have to experience that for herself. This remark tetlls us that Nora is capable of choosing herself over her husband, and that she has to be herself before she can be a wife or mother for that matter. Which leads her to leave Torvald and her children to live by herself. In a surprising twist, Mrs. Linde ends up marrying Mr. Krogstad.