The Importance of Money

Importance of money

When it comes to perspectives on money and wealth, people are categorized in two ways: people who prioritize money first or spend money like it's nothing. Money is a financial system built around 650 B.C. to determine someone's wealth or ability to barter goods with currency. Historically, there has been a list of currencies, including a seashell, metal coins, and gold or silver; however, as time passed, people started to make paper money lighter and more useful for carrying and transactions. In "A Doll House," by Henrik Ibsen, the narrator and the characters talk about money a lot, creating a narrative that revolves around money. Nora, Helmer's wife, spends money recklessly, but Helmer only uses money when he has to. There certainly is a disparity between Nora and Helmer in how they think about money.

The way Nora spends money reflects her behavior and reveals her thoughts in the book. The way she borrowed money when they were destitute without even asking her husband shows how much she doesn't care about money, thinking that money is something she can easily borrow and give back later. In the first scene, Nora tells the salesman, "There is a shilling. No, keep the change" (pg. 4), which shows her disregard for the value of money. At a state which they were at the start of the marriage when they were really poor, Nora had to work with her husband to take care of her life. Normally, money should have been something important for the family at this stage, but Nora, on the other hand, borrowed money for the Italy trip, not telling her husband, trying to keep the truth away for the rest of her life. Nora said she was portrayed and treated as a doll before leaving the house in the book's last scene. However, Helmer could also be described as a doll since he was seen giving Nora money for his life and prioritizing money and promotion first. This nuance can also be seen when Helmer tells Nora that he will get a higher job in the bank he worked in. Nora could be seen talking about all the money she could have and what she could do with the money. In "A Doll House," Nora could be seen saying, "No, not only what one needs, but heaps and heaps of money" (pg. 9). This quote is shown when Nora is talking to Mrs. Linde about herself and how she lived her life, highlighting why people need heaps of money for survival, which is not true. Nora's behavior against money can be seen all around the whole play itself and always by different characters talking about her. In "A Doll House," Helmer says, "Do I need to tell you that? Are they not your duties to your husband and your children?" (pg. 64), showing what Nora really thinks about her family not caring much about her family but caring a lot about money. This contrast between money and family is shown throughout the book.

Nora can be seen in two different ways throughout the book as a person who does not care about money and who cares more about herself than her family or husband. Money could be seen as her way of living life and what she values the most in her life. The book, in various ways, shows how Nora could be using money carelessly and also how much she values it. As Nora doesn't really care about her family but cares about money, this leads to Nora leaving the house after Helmer confronts the fact that Nora carelessly borrowed money and realizes her inconsiderate perspectives on money. Every scene or incident throughout the book could be seen as a problem caused by money itself. This shows how much money was involved in Nora's life and how much it has ruined her life.