Question 11.

Xin Phong

Period 8

Besides the fact that Nora and Helmer's marriage is traditional, with the wife being the domestic figure, and the husband going to work, it is also filled with secrets and conflict like a typical marriage. Nora keeps secrets such as borrowing money, and even trivial secrets like eating macaroons, in order to avoid conflict in her marriage with her husband. This in itself is an inner-conflict with Nora herself. Helmer's attitude toward Nora is typical of men who believe they are superior to women. Helmer describes Nora as a "helpless creature" (1225), underestimating her abilities as an individual. Another aspect that makes their marriage typical is the accommodation of one spouse to another. It is typical in marriages that one spouse often accommodates to the other and in this case, Nora is the one who accommodates to Helmer. She does this by dancing the tarantella at the party like he asks her to, and accepting the burden of borrowing money for his sickness. In their dysfunctional marriage, Nora gives up her own happiness for her husband by putting up a facade. Their marriage is also typical in the sense that it looks fine on the outside. They are well-off with parents who appear to be good parents, and a maid. It is a facade that is put up, like many marriages.