Nora's flaw (until she finally had enough) was her insatiable need to seek acceptance from the outside, instead from herself.
Her entire life she lived pleasing her father to obtain his love and affection; then she did the same with her husband, and with society as a whole. Sure, this was expected of women of her time, but the character she let others make her become was a game of negotiation for approval.
Since a "tragedy" is made of the battles of the protagonist against circumstances then the circumstances which enabled this behavior on Nora's part surely put her on the losing end, considering that women were seen as caricatures, and as "dolls" to be played with.
Hence, when Nora finally noticed that, during all those years of seeking approval, acceptance, and love she was never seen with humanity, her negotiations ended in cold. She literally realized how much of a game she had been playing, and she simply turned around from it all, and made something of herself (or so we hope).
I don't see Nora as a tragic heroine in the classical sense; however, her primary flaw is her deceptiveness. Nora cloaks her every thought and deed in lies, regardless of whether there is any real benefit in the charade. She is almost a compulsive liar. Nora does not hesitate to commit forgery and then lie to Torvald about how she got the money from the loan. She lies to him about household expenses. Deceit appears to drive all of her actions.
To what extent is Nora a tragic victim in A Doll's House?
Until Nora comes to the realization that her husband is a source of oppression in her life, she can certainly be seen as a tragic victim. She is dehumanized and infantilized by her husband on a daily basis. She internalizes this treatment to such an extent that she does not understand her own strength or independence. Nora is a victim of her husband as well as of her own complacency in her oppression. However, once Nora suddenly understands that she has the power to change her situation, she is no longer a victim of her circumstances. One may argue that she is not a tragic victim because her story does not end in tragedy. However, tragedy and victimhood can be just a part of someone's life, be it a beginning or an end. They can be a moment, however long or brief. Nora can be viewed as a tragic victim for a portion of her life and then can be viewed as a valiant and brave individual.
To what extent is Nora a tragic victim in A Doll's House?
I don't think Nora is a tragic victim at all! In the end, after Torvald has revealed to her that his personal honor is worth more to him than her love for him, Nora tells him, "you neither think nor talk like the man I can share my life with." He has, all of a sudden, become a "strange man" to her, and she feels that she cannot stay another night in the house with him. She refuses to...
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compromise, and she insists on having her own freedom and granting Torvald his. She returns his ring and demands her own in return. She returns the keys and leaves the children in the care of her husband and their servants. Had Nora submitted to Torvald's request that they continue to live together "as brother and sister" if need be, if she had agreed to return in any way to a life that she no longer found fulfilling or acceptable, this would be tragic. Instead, she abruptly ends her marriage and goes off into the night, alone and independent.
To what extent is Nora a tragic victim in A Doll's House?
Nora is a tragic victim primarily because she is the "doll" wife to Torvald. She has no real identity of her own and is never taken seriously by her husband. She is simply this "porcelain doll" that acts on command and is there for everyone to admire her beauty. This is an illustration of the reality of 19th century Europe, where a wife was regarded as property and not as an equal partner. To make things worse for Nora, she is forced to lie to Torvald because she is trying to be this perfect "little" wife he desires. He not only treats her as his prized possession (similarly to owning his home and other valuable possessions), he further humiliates her by treating her like a child. He "lovingly" refers to her with pet names such as "singing skylark," "little squirrel," and "little spendthrift," while patting her on the head like she is his daughter instead of his wife. As a result, Nora believes she is totally dependent upon her husband to survive, that is of course, until the end of the play.
This reason this Nora is a tragic victim is because she is a product of the time period and the social attitudes that repressed her true desires loving her husband as an equal. It is not until she realizes his "fakeness" and deceit that she has the power to take control of her life and leave her husband. Most readers sympathize with Nora and are routing for her to get a backbone, as she does when she leaves Torvald in the end of the play.
In modern domestic tragedy A Doll's House, to what extent can Nora, the protagonist, be classified as a true tragic heroine?
One opinion regarding questions like this is that it is not necessarily agreed that this play is a tragedy, and thus it is hard to consider the characters tragic in any traditional sense of the word. Maybe it is just an interpretation, but although the ending of the play is obviously sad, some critics side with Mrs. Linde in thinking that the confrontation that Helmer and Nora have is necessary and healthy for their relationship. Nora's decision to leave and the slamming of the door gives the play a hopeful ending. We are presented with a Nora who has gained self-knowledge about her character and the role that she has had in her life, both as a daughter and as a wife. Now, Nora desires more self-understanding, independence and control, which she thinks is impossible to attain whilst still married to Helmer. The path that awaits her is very unsure and uncertain, but because she has grown so much some find it a path that is very inspiring and hopeful. So therefore some do not think Nora can be conceived of as a tragic heroine.