Torvald Helmer of Henrik Isben's A Doll's House
In Henrik Isben's A Doll's House, he makes the observation that women in contemporary society posses no independent self unrestricted from the male's image of them; Isben accomplishes this through the character relationship between Torvald Helmer and his wife Nora.
Henrik Isben sought to show the psychological complexity of realism underneath the surface of a typical urban bourgeoisie or professional class family. Thus in doing so, brings out the central conflict between the idealistic Torvald and this underlying theme demonstrated through Nora.
Ultimately, it is because of Torvald's completely inflexible and self-righteous attitudes towards life and his moralistic values, that Nora is driven from her role of submisiveness in his game of male dominance to seek her own identity.
Hel. (walking about the room). What a horrible awakening! All these eight years-she who was my joy and pride-a hypocrite, a liar-worse, worse-a criminal! The unutterable ugliness of it all! For shame! For shame! ...
