Nora Dramatic Irony

Moreover, a very intriguing ironic parallel can be drawn between Nora and Torvald, when Torvald finds out about Nora’s forgery, he exclaims “Now you’ve wrecked all my happiness—ruined my whole future. Oh, it’s awful to think of. I’m in a cheap little grafter’s hands; he can do anything he wants with me, ask for anything, play with me like a puppet—and I can’t breathe a word. I’ll be swept down miserably into the depths on account of a featherbrained woman” (1292), which is a complete role-reversal of the literal control Torvald has over Nora, because all of those years she was his ‘puppet’. A supplementary illustration of dramatic irony is when Torvald says that he will willingly sacrifice his happiness and dignity if some danger were to threaten …show more content…
Nora counts the remaining hours of her life after the rehearsal because she thinks she is going to sacrifice herself, before her husband would sacrifice himself for her. Both sacrifices never occur and the theme of the play is a twisted irony to the separation and uncertainty of life. Torvald’s “helpless little thing”, Nora, ironically becomes stronger, confident, independent and serious in life. Torvald’s so imagined possession, his little doll, his beautiful treasure becomes ironically a complete stranger to …show more content…
Nora's epiphany occurs when the truth is finally revealed. As Torvald unleashes his revulsion against Nora and her crime of forgery, the protagonist realizes that her husband is not who she thought he was at all. Torvald has no intention of taking the blame for Nora's crime. She thought for certain that he would selflessly give up everything for her, like she given up so much for him. When he fails to do this, she accepts the fact that their marriage has been an illusion. In this moment Nora’s eyes and mind finally become clear of any delusions she once possessed. Nora was dominated and controlled by her father before marriage and afterwards it was her husband dominating her. Torvald never treated her as an equal. She had existed for her husband and she had always expected that her husband would come to her aid when she was in trouble. She had been waiting for miracles to happen. Nora feared that Krogstad would expose everything and that their family would come undone. Contrary to her expectation, Torvald behaved like a hypocrite concerned more with societies idea of morality and a notion of social prestige, not with his wife's welfare and care. He came out in his true colors. Nora realized that her husband didn't see her as an individual. She wanted to dissolve her ties with him by abandoning him and the children. She thought her duty toward herself was above her duty as a