Nicknames In A Doll's House

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Picture this! You are a married woman in a middle class nuclear family in the 19th century. Your husband refers to you with degrading nicknames and thrives on your dependence on him leaving you with absolutely no freedom. In this situation, what would you do? Object and ask him to stop? Or, pander to his needs? Nora from, “A Doll’s House” by playwright Henrik Ibsen, does the latter. The use of nicknames in literature is an important tool in which the author provides insight into the attitudes of the characters toward each other and “A Doll’s House” is an example in which these attitudes and illumination can be evidenced, more specifically through the character of Torvald Helmer. He refers to his wife, Nora, as “Squirrel” (Ibsen,3), “Skylark” …show more content…
The use of names like, “Squirrel” (3), “Skylark” (4), and “Spendthrift”, (3) provides evidence of how Torvald means them to be endearing but have a disgusting ulterior motive behind. By classifying her within such a network of names, he not only asserts his power over Nora but also dehumanizes her. When he implies that Nora is comparable to the little birds that like to fritter money, Torvald suggests that his wife is an innocent and child-like woman who is charmingly oblivious to the fundamentally male intricacies of money management and financial responsibility. Although Torvald accuses Nora of being irresponsible with money, he gives her more in order to watch her happy reaction. This act shows that Torvald amuses himself by manipulating his wife’s feelings. Torvald also has his concept of the perfect family and his interpretation of that does not allow for any interference from his "little spendthrift" (3) whom he berates for spending and then promptly gives her more money. This indulgence he sees as his way of showing his "love" (41). With every term of affection, the word “little” (3) is always incorporated. Torvald views himself as the emotional and intellectual superior of the household. To him, Nora is a child-wife, someone to watch over, to instruct, nurture and censure. He never considers her an equal partner in the relationship. In Torvald’s defence, Nora is a willing member in their dysfunctional relationship. She understands that her husband sees her as an innocent, child-like persona, and she struggles to maintain the façade. Nora uses the pet names whenever she tries to persuade her husband: “ If your little squirrel were to ask you for something very, very prettily--?” (38) The both use these names to manipulate one another for their own benefit, an obvious red flag in every relationship. The
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