"Experience of the world does not make us any wiser" In light of this view, consider ways in which writers present the effects of experience on characters

The audience is made thoroughly aware of Nora’s inexperience of the world- through her derision at the central mechanisms of society: “Then the law must be very stupid”, and her inability to hold a “serious conversation”. Nora’s childish behaviour, however, is an act put on to please Helmer, and so it is possible to suggest she has more experience of the world than initially implied, and she initiates the conversation that leads to her leaving her husband at the end of the play. She falsifies her own character in order to please Helmer, moulding her character to his ideal of a perfect wife, in much the same way that Januraie believes he can shape May: “like warm wex with handes plye”. Both the women are portrayed by the male characters as being inferior, due to their lack of worldly experience, and yet both women use their intelligence to gain an advantage at the end of their texts, with Nora leaving her toxic relationship with Helmer, and May committing adultery with Damyan. We are invited to believe that May will be a weak-willed character prior to meeting her, as Januarie is convinced he can mould her into his ideal wife, due to her age:
 “A yong thing may men gye, Right as men may warm wex with handes plye”.
Jnauarie believes May to be weak willed to such an extent that he can reform her, and so the audience is liable to mistake her for having these attributes, despite Justinus’ warnings that this may not be the case; “Paraunter she may be youre purgatorie”. May’s deception of Januarie does cause her to be his “purgatorie” in one sense- she commits adultery with his squire, both betraying him and possibly providing an heir which is not truly his child. Nora leaves her husband at the end of A Doll’s House, in a manner betraying him as this was seen as shameful in the 19^th Century. Nora acts outside of society’s expectations of woman, not abiding by the ideal of ‘The Angel in the House’, and relishes in her little experience of the world: “it was almost like being a man”. Her likening her work to being “like… a man” shows the extreme limitations placed on women, and how they were confined largely to their homes, making Nora’s decision to leave her home, husband and family a much more dramatic exit than it would be perceived to a modern audience. As a result, Nora’s wisdom does not come from her experience of the world, but her experience of the confines of the world. She is not permitted to experience the world, as that caused her to act in a manner that “was almost like being a man”, and so she gains a wisdom in recognising the injustice in the systematic oppression of women in the 19^th century.
Helmer, in contrast to his wife, works in a bank and has plenty of experience of the world, working outside of his home most days. He is enamoured by his work, insisting that he is left to work, before he has even technically begun working at the bank: “you mustn’t disturb me!” This command again reminds us that women were permitted little experience of the world, deemed the inferior sex and so largely stuck in a domestic setting. Helmer “mustn’t” be disturbed, showing how he does not request peace to work, but demands it. Helmer views his work to be of the utmost importance, placing it above his wife, and so implying he is the more intelligent of Nora and himself. However, the audience is alerted to Helmer’s self-delusion throughout the play, and so this brings Helmer’s wisdom into question. His experience of the world has not allowed him to be more intelligent than Nora, and it in fact opens him up to manipulation, through her flattery. Nora flatters Helmer, as so allows Mrs Linde to gain a job at the bank: “She’s mad to come under some really clever man who can teach her even more than she already knows”. Nora flatters Helmer into believing his experience and his position at the bank makes him a great man and teacher for Mrs Linde. This is much like Placebo’s flattery of Januarie, proclaiming that Januarie’s own judgement is better than his could ever be: “that ye been so ful of sapience”. Placebo proclaims that Januaire is more intelligent than himself, and so Placebo refers to Januraie’s own opinions as the better judgement. Flattery placates both Helmer and Januarie in equal measures, and causes their already inflated ideal of their own intelligence to grow. Placebo’s advice- which Januarie choses to believe- leads to Januarie marrying May. Januarie’s marriage to May was one based solely on appearance, despite his claims to the contrary, and so May acts in a manner which is not dissimilar to Januarie’s own actions. He is said to have “folwed ay his bodily delit” and so May’s action of committing adultery in a pear tree is much like how Januarie is said to have acted prior to his marriage to May.