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  Away from an Unspeakably Empty Life: Three Resistances Against Patriarchy in A Doll’s House

A Doll’s House is a play that depicts the change of mind of the protagonist, Nora, an ideal female who keeps domestic life, finally makes up her mind to leave the family in the Victorian era by Henrik Ibsen in 1879. In A Doll’s House, the Norwegian playwright and theater director portrays a woman who resists the society that men have absolute power and authority to control over the family, group, and even a woman's life. The resistance is so significant because she frees herself from the patriarchal society, makes her own choice, and decides to live her life. Nora, the protagonist who awakens from patriarchy, not only becomes independent-minded, but also has built a strong sisterhood with her friend, Mrs. Linde, to resist the financial, physical, and psychological control as a union. 

Ibsen draws attention to one of the most obvious patriarchal approaches to women, which is that men have the privilege to take over the family’s finances but Nora resists it with a strong, empowering sisterhood. The family is a small family with Mr. Helmer, the husband, Nora, the wife, and the three kids. When the life of Helmer is in danger and needs money for treatment, Nora tries to save him, and she has to ask other men’s permission to use the money and needs to tell what the usage of the money is, which shows that women do not have the right to use their money freely. Nora admitted the forgery that she does but there is no other way to escape from the problematic system. “It was impossible; papa was so ill. If I had asked him for his signature, I should have had to tell him what the money was to be used for; and when he was so ill himself I couldn’t tell him that my husband’s life was in danger—it was impossible” (Ibsen 31). Nora’s painful exclamation explains exactly how patriarchal society punishes a woman when she wants to gain autonomy in finance, and how she resists it in her way. In patriarchal society, women don't have the right to have autonomy in finance and always need to have men’s consent to use the money. When Helmer knows that Nora does the forgery, in which she uses her family’s money without the permission of men, he gets pissed off and blames her for using money even though that forgery is to save Helmer. Females getting involved in finances is criticized in a patriarchal society, however, Nora resisted by asking Mrs. Linde, who is also a woman who does not have power, for help and to get into a union. Nora asked Mrs. Linde for help by revealing the results of the forgery that she makes and they justify what Nora does. They value interpersonal relationships, which men do not appreciate in a patriarchal society, and solve the problem by two women only, who are powerless in a patriarchal society, to resist patriarchy. This is significant because it shows that patriarchal society controls the autonomy of women's right to use their money. But, the chance to get out is to unite together and become stronger in the women’s community as Nora and Mrs. Linde do. More importantly, it also reveals the truth that this kind of society is wrong and society tries to punish women for not being submissive and who has the courage to rebel. 

Moreover, Ibsen highlighted that men control women physically, but in the play, Nora shows the resistance of patriarchal society by a metaphor of dancing and revealing and expressing her true self. Although Mr. Helmer still attempts to drag Nora home and forces sex while she enjoys dancing herslef, Nora breaks from the cage of patriarchal society in an antsy, individualized way in Act III. That is, a passionate dance that reveals her desire for liberation and resists the physical control from patriarchy. Nora tries to ask Helmer to see her dance. She danced in a passionate, violent way, the very opposite of what Helmer was expecting in an ideal and domestic woman, and he resorts to violence to regain control in the relationship. The dance is a metaphor of a liberated mind because “NORA dances more and more wildly” (63). The way she dances is the only way to express her feelings against the patriarchal society, specifically the control from Helmer in the context. What’s more explicit in the work is when Nora shouts to Helmer, “I can’t do it any other way” and “This is the way”. She becomes self-aware, chooses her own path in life, and lets her true color shine. Nora’s dance is the metaphor of breaking free from obeying to a man, especially Helmer. This kind of resistance is significant because her dance shows her true self and expresses her rebellious feeling towards the patriarchal society with the following messages. First, she dances by herself,  it is showing that she dances by herself and not with Helmer but also, it depicts that she can do everything by herself without help from other people especially men in a patriarchal society. Second, her dance and her way of dancing seem to be "out of control". Nora dances passionately, violently, and frantically. Her dance shows her shouting from deep inside her about patriarchy and how she feels disappointed and wants to change her life. Also, her "out of control" dance shows that she regains control over herself and evolution of herself from under someone's control to become independent and self-determined. Lastly, she dances in public. In a patriarchal society, women are seen as ideal women who live domestic life and are always lady-like, calm, and graceful. However, by dancing in her way, she shows her resolution of coming out of domestic life and walking into the outside world. 

Lastly, Ibsen points out how the patriarchy oppresses women in a psychological way, especially in name calling. It also depicts how Nora resists it by confronting the ugly truth of systematic and problematic loop of patriarchy and the person who oppresses her in the family. Nora, a domestic female, was called by the name of small and adorable animals by Mr. Helmer to reinforce the idea that she is weak-minded, people-pleasing, and needs someone to take care of. For example, he called Nora “my little skylark” and “my little squirrel”. However, she does not give in to this kind of psychological control. Helmer tries to brainwash Nora to let her change her mind, however she reveals the fact that “No, only merry. And you have always been so kind to me. But our home has been nothing but a playroom. I have been your doll-wife, just as at home I was papa’s doll-child; and here the children have been my dolls. I thought it was great fun when you played with me, just as they thought it was great fun when I played with them. That is what our marriage has been, Torvald” (85). When Helmer begs Nora and tries to get back together with Nora, she reveals the disappointment and truth of patriarchal society to Torvald without being afraid of Helmer who has more power than Nora. As referred to in the title "A Doll's House", the word "doll" shows the problematic loop of fulfilling each other's desires by seeing each other as an object and control over them. For example, Helmer sees Nora as an object to fulfill his desire physically, and psychologically to control and Nora’s father sees Nora as a doll-child who seems to be very silent and never voices her need, and is always submissive. The resistance is significant because she stands up for herself, communicates with the oppressor, and is not afraid to show anger and disappointment for patriarchy. The resistance is significant because she stands up for herself, communicates with the oppressor, and is not afraid to show anger and disappointment for patriarchy.  In a patriarchal society, women are always subordinate to men and don’t have power over them, however, Nora is different, in order to change her situation, she is against a man who has more power physically, and socially than Nora with courage and desire to become free in her way. 

A patriarchal society has inevitably oppressed women, as A Doll’s House demonstrates the control by men in the three aspects, finance, physical, and psychology. But the three resistances are developed with a strong sisterhood, self-revelation, and the confrontation of the problematic system. The resistances are incredibly significant because it shows that there is always a way out from the unspeakably empty life, and there is always a choice to leave patriarchy behind.