Honor in the Dishonorable

Honor is an interesting word. Because of my exposure to court through mock trial, I first think of a judge upon hearing this. Then images of knights and chivalry flash through my head. Inevitably, I get “Honor to Us All” from Mulan stuck in my head, leading to images of Japanese samurai. I remember my sister’s graduation from Case and how she graduated with honors. Finally, I end with vague ideas of doing the honorable, or right, thing. I say it is interesting because, for all its different usages it, honor is a very unclear and intangible concept, yet to many their it is the most important they have.

This idea is illustrated in this quotation from Helmer to Nora: “But nobody sacrifices his honor for his love.” He is willing to give up his wife, his love, over his honor, yet I am not sure he even has it to sacrifice. One of the definitions Merriam-Webster gives for honor is “a good name or public esteem: reputation.” Helmer certainly has this. He is moving up in the world and the bank gives him the position of manager. Clearly he must have a good reputation and name if the bank trust him with such a position. Another definition Merriam-Webster gives for honor is “a keen sense of ethical conduct: integrity.” It seems that once again Helmer has this. After all, he fires his friend Krogstad for his dishonorable conduct and forging of signatures. But he does not apply this same code of honor to himself. When he reads Krogstad’s letter and discovers Nora’s forgery and Korgstad’s subsequent blackmail, he is willing to do anything “to keep the whole affair quiet” at “whatever the cost” for the sake of his so-called honor. He may have the honor of a good name and reputation, but it is clear that he does not have honor when this is put at risk. Because in defense of his honor Helmer was willing to do anything, even the dishonorable.

Then we have the characters of Mrs. Linde and Korgstad. Society would consider both dishonorable. Mrs. Linde, a widow, is a poor woman struggling to make ends meet with no good name or reputation to help her. Korgstad, a widower, is the only parent for his children, has a disreputable name for forgery in his past, and blackmails Nora for her forgery. Neither of these characters have the first definition of honor, but they do have the second. Mrs. Linde’s sense of right and wrong, along with her loyalty to her friend, causes her to go to Korgstad, getting him to release Nora from her debt while also ensuring that the truth comes ourt. Korgstad, after realizing the absurdity of his blackmail, owns up to his mistakes and corrects them as best as he can. While both Korgstad and Mrs. Linde are dishonorable in society’s eyes their final actions are far more honorable than Helmer’s.

Sophocles once said that “Honor isn’t about making the right choices. It’s about dealing with the consequences.” Mrs. Linde and Korgstand may not have always made the best decisions, but they dealt with the consequences of them as best they could and eventually with honor. The same can not be said about Helmer. The two dishonorable outcasts had more honor than the honorable bank manager in the end.