Davis 1

“A Marriage On Rocks: Can It Be Saved?”

When a marriage is on rocks, one can’t help but think, “Can this marriage be saved?” Mr.

Trovald and Mrs.Nora Helmer have been married for several years with several children. Trovald is a

successful man, trying to make his way to the top of his career; Nora is a housewife who stays home and

is pampered like a doll. After years of a marriage built around lies, miscommunication, and deceitfulness

can this marriage be saved?

To start off, Mr. Helmer, who is a successful, determined employee/boss at a bank whose wife

recently separated herself from Mr. Helmer. Mr. Helmer treated his wife, Nora, as if she were a doll,

often pampering and patronizing her with names such as “My little skylark” and “My little pet”. Some

may think his name calling his attempt being “playful” with his wife, but I believe it shows a sign of

inequality in this marriage. What other reasons would a pampered woman leave her successful husband

and children to make her own way?

Now a look at Mrs. Helmer’s side of this marriage, several years ago, Nora found herself in an

underhanded situation when her husband was ill and needed costly medical treatment. Nora did what any

good wife would do, right? She made certain that her husband received his urgent medical treatment, but

failed to tell him what means she went through. Of course, the truth was eventually unraveled in a series

of ill-fated events that left Nora questioning her marriage. Did years of compulsive, unjust lying and

sneaking around to keep her unlawful secret to herself annihilate her husband’s respect for her; or did her

actions just reveal what kind of man Trovald was and what kind of woman Nora could really be?

After having a look at both sides of this marriage, one must ask “can this marriage be saved?”,

and the answer to this question is, yes, this marriage can be saved. Both Nora and Trovald want the best

for their family. For this marriage to be saved both Trovald and Nora need to improve their
 Davis 2

communication skills with one another. Trovald has always communicated to Nora as if she’s a naive

child, only enforcing her childlike behavior. If Trovald begins to talk to Nora like the intelligent adult she

is, she wouldn’t feel the need play the role of a doll. Now, if Nora begins to tell her husband what she

really feels, perhaps they can find some common ground to stand on. Nora shouldn’t view all of the past

events as “the end of her marriage” but rather another fresh start on her relationship with her husband.