A Doll House 3

A main character, Torvald, in the play A Doll House, by Henrik Ibsen could be viewed as a morally ambiguous character. He displays the character traits of a morally ambiguous person. Torvald’s personal consumption of appearances shows how he treats his wife and home and personal pride. Torvald’s wife Nora is the center of several of the traits that classify him as a morally ambiguous character. Nora is more like a possession to Torvald than a soul mate or wife. She is like a doll to him, something that he can control and shape into what he wants. Nora is treated like a child and as if she can not function a second without him to be there to tell her what to do. Her dependency on him is extremely important to him because that is what he feels is right for a wife to do. Nora in part though accepts this because she still acts like a child. She does not really have enough reason to be mature and to grow out of the stereotype that has be provided for her. With her focus on materialistic thoughts and money, she is happy with a rich controlling man like Torvald. The home is also another important possession to Torvald. Their home is very polished and proper. It is like a perfect stereotype of a home. There was a business man heading the family along with a polished wife and two well behaved children. The home was a major determinate of social status, which was very important to Torvald. Every appearance of the home was to be of upper class status. This shows when Nora explains to her friend Mrs. Linde that Torvald does not like to see sewing done in the house. Upper class families at that time were very proper and the woman was not to work. Their only responsibility was to keep a clean home, take care of the family, and appear very graceful and distinguished. The home and wife were like trophies and were flaunted for the rest of society to see often. Even though Torvald looks like a character who is so loving and proud, he is deceptive and morally