of his treatment and views of her, he failed her and forced her to leave him. He not only treated her unequally but by not standing beside her in her time of trouble he shattered the last of her illusions of him. He destroyed the illusion that he was the model husband. He proved to, not only Nora, but also an entire watching audience, that he is certainly the weak character of the two. (Lowenthal 143) Helmer cannot cope with his destroyed illusion, while Nora is capable of handling her disillusionment.When Nora is faced with the cold reality of the inner feelings of Helmer, she does not move into hysteria, but instead moves into calculated action to stand up for herself (Finney 100). Nora sees the criminal action being, not that she forged her fathers name, but that she was treated as a doll and not an equal by both her father and her husband and that she is bringing up her own children in the same fashion (Northam 107). Once Helmer showed his real self and ended the game they had been playing for so many years, Nora cannot go back. Nora firmly believes that despite social obligations and duties, she comes before her family and responsibilities (Boyesen 210,212). She realizes Helmer cannot help her find herself and that she cannot help her children (Lowenthal 143). Nora knows that she cannot be an equal because she does not know herself or anything of life, except for life as others have arranged it for her and shown it to her (Boyesen 213). Life begins for Nora the second she leaves life as she knows it. When she steps out of the door of the apartment she begins her journey to find the truth and to leave the lies and illusions behind (Hemmer 82). She sets out to cure her childishness by going out to learn of life without someone coloring it to their pleasing for her. Noras faults that are present throughout the play are evidence of her childlike nature. Nora constantly is munching on and subsequently hiding candy, she ...
