Money Can't Buy Happiness

It’s Your Choice: Money or Happiness. Although some may view money as just a material object, it is one of the few things that is used on an every day basis. Whether one has enough to spare or not, it is something that many people strive for. The possession of money and the constant struggle people face to get it is something that most certainly takes a toll on the characters of Henrik Ibsen’s play, “A Doll House.” Throughout the course of the play, it seems as if every character makes an important life decision dealing with money, which leads to be his or her tragic flaw. In Ibsen’s play, the three main characters, Nora, Mrs. Linde, and Krogstad all equally demonstrate how people will make insane life choices in order to obtain money. Although these characters all have a different method to their madness, all of their problems seem to involve money. Nora is described as a “sulky squirrel” when she is given money. She reacts like a small child in a toy store when Helmer takes out his wallet to give her money. It is evident that Nora jumps at every opportunity she is given to have sudden wealth, and it is no taboo to characterize her as money hungry. After receiving money from Helmer, she is quick to say that she wants more money as her Christmas present. Right after being posed what she wanted, she hurriedly answers with much hesitation, “If you want to give me something, then maybe you could — you could — you could give me money Torvald” (Ibsen 860). She continues, “Oh please, Torvald darling, do that! I beg you, please.” Nora’s behavior in the scene shows how childlike she is, and how dependent of money she is. She reacts to Helmer in such a way where it almost seems her life is depending on the money. It is unmistakable that money rules everything in Nora’s life. She doesn’t fail to bring up the subject to everyone she talks to. After having just reconvened with Mrs. Linde, she brought it up as one of the first topics in her conversation. She began by

Cited: Ibsen, Henrik. “A Doll House.” Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. Ed. John Schilb and John Clifford. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2009. 858-910. Print.