A writer’s work is based on imagination. A writer often has to kill parents, diagnose characters with a terminal illness, create a storm, and make the impossible happen in order for his characters to carry the message. A good literary example were one can see how a character is thrown into a difficult situation to carry out the writer’s purpose is Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House.
In A Doll’s House there are various examples of irrational predicaments in which the main character, Nora, is put in to carry out the novel. The first example seen in the novel is Torvald’s sickness in the beginning of their marriage. Ibsen had to put Nora in a desperate position so that she could borrow money. Ibsen chose the most perfect and most often used by writer’s predicament: a sudden and serious sickness to a loved one. The irrationality of this predicament is not that it is a sickness but that Torvald got the sickness out of overwork.
Nora quickly reacts to save her husband. In response to Torvald’s sickness Nora goes to Krogstad to borrow money but Krogstad, like all men of the time, demanded that before they could make a deal, Nora had to get her fathers permission and signature. But before Nora could get his signature she was put into another bizarre predicament; her father died suddenly. Nora was now forced to forge, her father’s signature in order to borrow the money from Krogstad. The forgery placed Nora into even deeper trouble because the deal between her and Krogstad was now illegal.
Another odd situation that Nora is placed in by Ibsen is that Torvald is now Krogstad’s boss and wants to fire Krogstad. This situation is too much of a coincidence but at the same time it is the only way that Krogstad is forced to tell the Torvald the truth. If Torvald had not have found out the truth and threatened to be exposed to society, Nora would have never found out that Torvald did not really love her. Torvald was merely fascinated with Nora’s beauty and lady like ways, he never really loved her. What Nora really wanted to see was if Torvald loved her even after she had humiliated him publicly. Nora wanted to know if Torvald love toward her was superficial or deeper.
Even though the predicaments previously mentioned seem irrational they are essential to the development of the play. Nora’s reaction towards Torvald’s sickness, his expensive recovery, her father’s sudden death and Krogstad’s threat all lead Nora to her awakening. If none or just one of the predicaments had not happened the play would have not lead to Nora’s awakening. After Torvald’s betrayal Nora realized that all her life she had been treated like a doll. Nora realized that Torvald loved her like a toy; to play with, for entertainment, for pleasure but never for her intellect or personality. All her life, beginning with her father, she had been treated well for her looks and the amusements she could provide. But now, after finally realizing that amusement was all she aroused in the hearts to the people that she loved, Nora realized that she wanted more. Nora now going to step out of her dollhouse into the real world to learn about life.
No matter how silly, irrational or bizarre a scene in a literature work is, the author is sure to have a rational motive to have written it. If Ibsen had not put in Nora in any of her irrational situations she would have never stepped out of her dollhouse.