A Doll's House

Nora has not always been a feminist; it is throughout the play A Doll's House that she changes the way she reacts when interacting with others. She is introduced as a subordinate, submissive woman who tends to allow others to walk all over her. These "doormat" characteristics are especially prevalent beginning in Act I, where Nora keeps to herself and is used as a puppet by Torvald. For example, Nora states, "Yes, yes, as you wish, Torvald," in response to her husband's orders (Ibsen, 111). As a reader, one would never expect Nora to be as courageous as she is later in the play based on the way she is originally portrayed. By Act II, her capricious behavior is revealed as a result of struggle in her marriage. She does not wear her "happy mask" as frequently, but Torvald is still oblivious
Finally, by Act III, Nora resembles a feministic character when she stands up for herself. Her choice to leave Torvald illustrates her independence, capability as a woman, and her inner tenacity. These components collectively allow Nora to finally disclose who she is without Torvald regulating every aspect of her life. Upon her leaving, Nora proclaims, "You and Daddy have wronged me greatly. The two of you are to blame for the fact that nothing has come of me" (Ibsen, 182-183). This scene is where Nora entirely uncovers her emotions, because she is finally unafraid. It is utterly apparent that Torvald has mistreated her, and by leaving him, she is enforcing feminism and doing what is best for herself. This is iconoclastic, because Ibsen has taken a typical marriage from the past and brought the possibility of a woman fighting for her equality to light. This denies the norms, because women in the past were not feminists. They were considered lesser, and that was that. Nora's character represents a breakthrough for womens' clout, and for feminism