The Symbolism of Door as the Trigger of Psychological Transition on "A Doll's House" by Henrik Ibsen

THE SYMBOLISM OF DOOR AS THE TRIGGER OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TRANSITION ON "A DOLL'S HOUSE" BY HENRIK IBSEN

Marsal Sintung

Basically, a door is a moving structure installed on a wall or surface which ease the circulation between or among rooms surrounded as a separator. The presence of the thing is absolute in human being, but not in literary works. It may refer to more than just a moving structure revealed by the writer and it is applied, for example, in “A Doll’s House” by a Norwegian playwright, Henrik Ibsen.

The work “A Doll’s House” tells about Nora, who is the main character of the story, forges her father’s signature in order to take a loan for her sick husband, Torvald. She lives as a woman who is able to adapt her actions through every situations until the story ends with her determination, for she thinks his husband does not love her anymore instead of her efforts to build a good family through sacrifices.

Ibsen gives revelation through the role of objects around the characters, and the door in the play is one of the most important objects which reveals the characterization of Nora. Every use determines her psychological condition. Before talking about the role of the door, it is required to analyze the acts when Nora uses it as Ibsen wrote:

ACT I

1. Nora showed up using the front door after bought several Christmas needs.

2. Nora used the door to Torvald’s study to find out.

3. Nora opened the door for her children after their outdoor activities.

ACT II

1. Nora used the front door with worries to find out who would come or what happened outside.

2. Nora opened door for Doctor Rank.

3. Nora locked the door when Krogstad came to the house complaining his disposal.

4. Nora used the door to find out if Krogstad put his blackmail into the house’s mailbox.

5. Nora opened the door for Torvald and Doctor Rank so they could see her wearing the Tarantella’s attire.

ACT III

1. Nora went out leaving Torvald through the front door.

Below is the explanation about the role of doors as objects of transition of psychological condition for Nora reacting her surroundings:

1. The door as the trigger of cheerfulness and enthusiasm. This revelation can be found in Act I, starting from the beginning of the act. Nora was narrated entering the house after she bought some Christmas needs. Happily, she hummed while carrying the things, then helped by the porter then the maid. She gave tip to the porter, in that situation where she was feeling cheerful and was thinking the Christmas celebration for the family.

2. The door as the trigger of loyalty and amorousness. After she had done with the things for Christmas, while she was having her macaroon, she went toward her husband’s study to check if he was in using her ear instead of opening it. Implicitly analyzed, she had amorousness and passion to Torvald as her husband, especially from the conversation of both using ‘twittering bird’ and ‘little squirrel.’

3. The door as the trigger of childishness and family-oriented character. The story told that Nora had a serious conversation with Torvald, Christine, and Doctor Rank, but the appearance of her children turned her from serious into a cheerful and enthusiastic, childish woman – a drastic change of behavior management. The purpose is not just about to adapt with them, but also to show the adults that she could be a someone which was pleasant to a younger generation, followed by her dancing with one of the children and complements also a cheerful kiss when she welcomed them through the front door.

4. The door as the trigger of worries and discomfort. This happened several times in Act II with Krogstad as the cause. His threats made Nora opened the door for times just for checking his coming and the blackmail. During this situation, Nora became a coward, even the feeling was carried out until her respond to Torvald and Rank at the moment she was about to try the Tarantella attire and the practice.

5. The door as the trigger of pleasantness. Nora always tried to become a good fellow to everyone, but the notable case was to Doctor Rank as the friend of her husband. She could professionally muffle her worries from the threat of the day and became a good listener. Even, Nora could keep the conversation professional as a colleague without ruling out pleasantness when Rank started to get into a deep but awkward conversation.

6. The door as the final use – the revelation of true identity and portal of change. This use of door is the first and the last use of Nora written on the play in Act III which took the situation when Nora left Torvald forever.

It was written that Krogstad had put the blackmail into the Helmer family, although he was about to take it back since he, near the end of the story, was happy after Christine was willing to rejoin him (the truth was they were once romantically-involved). For the sake of both Torvald and Nora, Christine persuaded Krogstad not to take the mail back so there would be nothing hidden anymore. The mail made Torvald so furious to Nora with swears and insults, and she felt so guilty as if she was not deserved to be in the family. But what Torvald felt after Krogstad sent the letter of clearing the case turned into a great happiness; this was the point where Nora revealed who she really was through the transition of her psychological condition.

Torvald’s emotion expressed to Nora torn her out. Thereupon, in a greater depression than the previous one she got from the first, she finally realized that he did not love Nora with all he was. Torvald treated Nora as his wife like a doll, just like she got from her father in her previous life (that is why Ibsen gave this work ‘A Doll’s House). She was pampered, considered not wise enough to spend money as if she was not able to do the duty of a wife while in fact she ran things greatly and professionally - from her case forging her died father’s signature to loan for her sick husband, maintained the house, raised the children, being a faithful wife, everything she had done so everyone would be satisfied with her presence. Unfortunately, those great things were not realized by Torvald, and worse, he thought that by pampering Nora was the enough, appropriate respond for all her hard works.

Nora made her choice to leave him forever for she thought Torvald loved her no more. Her identity revelation was clearly expressed through her dialog after the anger of Torvald. While she was about to leave the house, this was the moment where door took its position as the trigger of psychological condition transition. The leaving Nora, through the door, gives the symbol of the true independence, firmness, and professionalism also a critic personality. All these behaviors was once and for all ended with a door slam as the end of the story, as the symbol of integrity, that she was not a someone who could be treated like a doll anymore.

That is all about the magnificent work of Ibsen titled ‘A Doll’s House.’ His brilliance was expressed through the placing of functions of door through the play; he enriched the revelation in Act II, then he made the one last use at the end of the story in Act III, as if he wanted to emphasize the essence of characterization.

The conclusion is that a litterateur may freely create uncountable, unexpected ways of characterization through dialogs, situations, even objects. Ibsen had brilliantly done it through the objects scattered in his play, which its presence took an important role and most of the people would not realize it much – the door. 

(December 2014)

Dedicated to all Literature students, especially in University of Sam Ratulangi

*You don't write because you want to say something, but you write because you have something to say - Francis Scott Fitzgerald*