Adh Essay

Juma !1 Myra Juma Mrs. Morris English IV Block F 5 November 2018 Torvald is...okay, I guess In Henrik Ibsen’s the play, A Doll’s House, many characters are morally ambiguous but the main one is Torvald. A morally ambiguous character behaves in a way that discourages readers from identifying them as purely evil or purely good. Torvald is a morally ambiguous character because sometimes what makes a reader see him as evil is that Torvald is full of pride and ego, but readers might view him as good when he treats Nora well. One trait that makes Torvald morally ambiguous is his good which comes from him treating Nora so well. In Act one, Nora comes home with loads of shopping bags. Torvald arrives and being a good husband Torvald gives her more money. Torvald says “Now, now, the little lark’s wings mustn’t droop. Come on, don’t be a sulky squirrel. Nora, guess what I have here.” (Ibsen 7). Nora responds with “Money!” (Ibsen 7). This shows us how well Torvald treats his wife, Nora. Torvald’s good comes from when he treats Nora like a princess. No average husband simply throws money at his wife. Another example is in Act three when Torvald is basically praising Nora for how beautiful she is after the party they were just at. Torvald says “Why shouldn’t I look at my dearest possession? At all that loveliness that’s mine, mine alone, completely mine?” (Ibsen 67). Torvald keeps praising Nora about her beauty. He compliments her beauty multiple times and spoils her throughout that scene. One can say Torvald is morally ambiguous because of the good that comes out of him when he is with Nora.

Juma !2 Torvald is morally ambiguous because his evil comes from his pride and ego. For example in Act two, Torvald explains to Nora that he can not give in to everything she says about his work otherwise people at the bank will think he only goes by what his wife tells him. Torvald says “...What if it’s rumored around now that the new bank manager was vetoed by his wife —” (Ibsen 42). This shows that Torvald does not want people thinking less of him, so Torvald is only thinking of his ego and reputation. Readers may view this trait as evil for Torvald to care this much about his ego. Another example is when Nora appealed to Torvald by boosting his pride. Nora uses Torvald’s pride to get Kristine a job at the bank by saying that Kristine is “terribly eager to come under a capable man’s supervision...” (Ibsen 23). Torvald is acting as if he is above women because he is a man. This evidence shows that Torvald enjoys when Nora addresses his pride. Torvald likes when Nora “hypes” him up using his pride. Also, in Act three Torvald finds out about Nora’s big secret. Nora borrowed money from Krogstad so that her family can move to help with Torvald’s sickness, but Krogstad used that information against Nora in hopes that Nora can get him his job back at the bank. Torvald hates borrowing money from other people so Nora never told Torvald. Nora thought that when Torvald would find out he would swoop in, take the blame, and save her but instead he was only worried about what would happen to his reputation. Torvald says “...They might even think that I was behind it—that I put you up to it. And all that I can thank you for—you that I’ve coddled the whole of our marriage. Can you see now what you’ve done to me?” (Ibsen 73). Torvald is worried about what people would think. He is not even worried about Nora and frankly does not even care about her reputation. When Krogstad sends a note back to the Helmer’s saying how he is going to forget everything Torvald responds with “...I’m saved. Nora, I’m saved.” (Ibsen 74). This shows us that

Juma !3 Torvald cares only about his reputation and he is too prideful to take the blame for Nora. When readers witness Torvald’s pride and ego come out they may view him as evil, but he does have some good in him which is what makes Torvald morally ambiguous. What makes a morally ambiguous character is that the character is not completely evil or completely good. Torvald is evil in a sense that he has and cares too much for his pride and ego, but he is good in that he loves Nora in a way all husbands should love their wives. Torvald is morally ambiguous because he is not all good and not all bad. Torvald’s ego and pride are traits that readers find annoying at times and see Torvald as a bad person, but Torvald also treats Nora like a princess which appeals to readers soft side, especially females. Torvald is a morally ambiguous character since he is not completely evil nor completely good.