A Mere Product of His Society/Torvald in a Doll House

A Mere Product of His Society

Torvald Helmer’s behavior towards his wife, Nora, thoroughly demonstrates how

men of his era treat women as nothing more than insignificant items to be possessed and

shown off. In other words, he is a stereotypical nineteenth century bourgeois male who

lives his life according to society’s norms. He is smug, pompous, self-righteous,

hypocritical, selfish, and a bit thick-headed. He has worked so hard to provide for his

family and to rise to his present comfortable place in the social hierarchy. Therefore,

since his greatest fear is losing that place, he is inordinately concerned with appearances

and with maintaining a spotless reputation and a great deal of respectability. He thinks he

loves his wife, but what he loves is an idea of his wife, an idea of her as a pretty doll that

he can play with or a child whom he can manage and protect. The more Nora depends on

him, the more important he feels. Th...