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Simidele Davis
Minor Writing 2
Writing 2 Nora, Comparison
March 13, 2013
Loneliness and Thoughtlessness

In the 19th century, a time when women lack many rights, and they are expected to
be housewives and mothers with only the responsibilities of raising their children and
catering to their husbands every need, one woman, after being treated like a doll by her
husband, leaves her family to experience the society that she does not understand. She
leaves so that she may determine for herself whether society is correct, or she is correct.
After Nora leaves her family, there are many things that could happen to her. I believe
that Nora lives a hard life after she leaves her family because of two reasons: she had
never really been alone, and her decision to leave seems to be very abrupt and not well
thought out.
The experience of living alone can largely differ from that of living with others.
Nora appears to be someone who has been around people her whole life and has been
taken care of. She had first lived with her father, while being raised by her mother-like
nursemaid, Helene. After she began to live with her husband, she continued to be in a
nurtured environment, but now with a nurse maid and regular maid. Nora being
surrounded by people who have taken care of her has not given her the opportunity to
experience what it is like to be alone. Noras situation is similar to the situation of
Beatrice of Nathaniel Hawthornes Rappaccinis Daughter. Both ladies have been
nurtured from an early point in their lives, which has shaped them into people who are
used to being told what to do. In the case of Beatrice, she is exposed to poisonous plants
all of her life to the point where she becomes poisonous herself. She is aware of the fact
that she is poisonous, but she does not remove herself from the environment.
Simidele Davis
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English 1150: Introduction to Literature

The second reason I believe why I believe Nora would have a difficult life after
leaving her family is that she abruptly makes the decision to leave her family. After she
reveals the loan to her husband, in the heat of the moment she decides that she is going to
leave. It is understandable that she does not love him anymore and considers him a
stranger, but she doesnt take the time to consider what will happen to her children, or
what will happen to her after she leaves. This is the main reason why I believe she will
not be well off. Early in the play she claims that she does all kinds of odd jobs, such as
sewing, crochet-work, and embroidery. These odd jobs will most likely not bring in
enough income to allow her to live comfortably on her own. Noras behavior at that
moment is very similar to the hesitation-lacking behavior of Dee or Wangero from Alice
Walkers Everyday Use. When it comes to Dee, she is abrupt in coming to the
conclusion that she is entitled to the quilts that her grandmother made. She fails to look at
the fact that she had the opportunity to make a better life for herself where she could
afford to obtain the things that she desires while her sister, Maggie, had stayed with their
mother and is not presented with any options to move her life forward other than
marrying John Thomas.
In my opinion, Nora appears to be in a situation where she will have a difficult
life having to provide for herself in a society that mainly regards women as home-makers
instead of people who are also capable of having a professional career. I also believe that
she will have a difficult time being without the people she cares for and the people who
care for her. Her lack of experience with independence and her abruptness in making
decisions makes is difficult to imagine that she will continue to live a successful life
where she can provide for herself and live comfortably without having to remarry.

Simidele Davis
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English 1150: Introduction to Literature