Dolly the Sheep

I really don't know how much the title relates to A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen, but it was the best of the several mediocre play on word things that came to mind.

First of all, I must say that this story is written in such a way that I find myself disliking Nora. Maybe it is because she seems all over the place in her emotions, but I just find it difficult to sympathize with her, even if the borrowing of money and forgery were done with fine moral justification. What I do find interesting though, is how her and Mrs. Linde's positions fluctuate almost correspondingly. In the begginning of the play, Mrs. Linde is a widow, having had no children, and having worked to support a sick mother and several young brothers. As her mother passes and her brothers age, her purpose for existance seems to fade. Nora, on the other hand, begins the play "holding all the cards." She is kind of happily married, has children, a successful husband, and even (secretly) contributed to saving his life. This gives her a secret sense of satisfaction, a sense of purpose if you will, something Mrs. Linde lacks. Then, in the concluding scenes of the play, we see Mrs. Linde join a family, attain children, and find past love. All this occurs while Nora decides that she wishes to leave her role as a mother and wife and live for herself. This shows for the first time in the play that a woman can have a sense of purpose outside of motherhood and housewifedom (that isn't a word but you get what i'm saying). That, i believe is the redeeming quality of Nora, for she almost surprisingly shows a strength which is not seen even in the more weathered Mrs. Linde. I suppose this makes the play feminist, but even if not, it definitely gives interesting insight into the roles of women in the 19th century and how one can deceive oneself into happiness. I don't know much about the actual role of women in the 1800's, for I always pictured them still being without much independence, so I suppose Nora should be looked up to, even after all the deception she deals in.