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Analysis of the dolls house
The role of women in the doll house
Gender roles of the 19th century
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In A Doll House, Henrik Ibsen scrutinizes conventional roles of men and women in the nineteenth century. Throughout the play, Nora illustrates the conventional feminine standard of the period. She seems to be powerless and confines herself through patriarchal expectations, which imply that a woman’s social role is a wife and/or mother. In turn, the masculine perception measures feminine conduct during that period. Finally, Nora makes a decision to leave her family to become independent. She does this in order to advance and proclaim her personality through social identity. However, her endeavor is rather a manifestation of her selfishness than her insubordinate spirit. This means that none of the gender parties in this play can be considered …show more content…
Isben shows how Nora’s proposal of a perfect life progressively renovates when her secret unravels. Promotion of Nora’s husband to bank manager in the town makes her persuaded that she will live a worry-free and careless life. Contrariwise, Nora’s notion of a magnificent life totally changes as her long-kept secret becomes unprotected. The establishment of a new life makes Nora excited, yet, the ideal life starts the transformation when an old friend, visits Nora’s home. Mrs. Linde is searching for employment and has come to Helmer’s household for benefit via Nora’s husband. Torvald delightedly offers Mrs. Linde a job, but Nora is worried this is a step closer to the revealing of her secret. Nora become conscious of her husband’s decision to offer Mrs. Linde a novel job as the story unravels. She sees the reimbursements of assisting Mrs. Linde with getting a job, as Mr. Krogstad, who holds her secret, blunders an employment …show more content…
At the launch of the play, Nora is going home from a shopping trip and gets to her house with an “armload of packages” (Ibsen, I, Prologue). There is also a boy following her carrying a Christmas tree. At the apartment, Nora informs Helene, a house maid, to obscure the tree from the kids until it gets decoration. As Torvald gets to the apartment, Nora asks him for cash to “hang the bills in gilt paper” (Ibsen, I, 40) for the Christmas tree decoration. In the play, this Christmas tree indicates Nora’s fixation with cash. Nora did not anticipate anyone to view the tree decoration to show off the new wealth. In the past, Nora decorated the tree on her own, and spent the whole day doing so. Presently, she cannot do that, as it will make her think poorly; therefore, Nora spends a lot of money on decorations and presents for the tree. Nora belongs to a sophisticated social class and this makes her spend a lot of money. She pays double for the same item as she tells the boy escorting her to keep the change. The situation shows the lack of justice and Nora confirms this by insisting, “We can borrow until then” (Ibsen, I, 15), while Torvald’s income will not be there for three months. Nora claims that beforehand, they saved each penny they got with from odd jobs Torvald had to increase their
The Christmas tree is an important symbol because it represents Nora’s life. The beginning of Act 2 states that the tree was tattered and stripped of ornaments, just like Nora’s life was falling apart.
Nora is the pampered wife of an aspiring bank manager Torvald Halmer. In a desperate attempt to saves her husband's life Nora once asked for a loan so she and her family could move somewhere where her husband could recover from his sickness. Giving the circumstances she, as a woman of that period, by herself and behind her husband forged her dad signature to receive the loan. Now, Nora's lender (Mr. Krogstad), despite her paying punctually, uses that fault as a fraud to pressure her so she could help him to keep his job in the Bank where her husband is going to be the manager. Nora finds out that Torvald would fire Mr. Krogstad at any cost. At learning this, Nora trembles for she knows Mr. Krogstad will tell everything to Torvald. She remains confident; however that Torvald will stand by her no matter what outcome. His reaction though is not what she expected and therefore here is when she realizes that she "must stand quite alone" and leaves her husband.
In Ibsen’s play A Doll’s House we encounter the young and beautiful Nora on Christmas Eve. Nora Helmer seems to be a playful and affectionate young woman full of life and zeal. As the play progresses, we learn that Nora is not just a “silly girl” (Ibsen) as Torvald refers to her. She learns of the business world related to debt that she acquired by taking out a loan in order to save her beloved Torvalds life. Although Krostad’s blackmail does not change Nora’s whimsical nature it opens her eyes to her underappreciated potential. “I have been performing tricks for you, Torvald,” (Find diff quote perhaps?) she exclaims in her confrontation with Torvald. She realizes that she has been putting on a facade for
The Christmas tree in itself is symbolic and it means the play takes place during Christmastime. Ibsen uses Christmas tree to mainly construct the character of Nora. The Christmas tree symbolizes the feelings of Nora. At the start of the play, Nora enters the room carelessly and her mood is festive. The Christmas tree, a festive object used for decorative purposes, represents the function of Nora in her household who is pleasing to look and who adds the charm to their home. Nora dresses the tree just as Torvald dresses her up for the Stenborgs’ party. Like other married women during the period, Nora is simply decorative and is not allowed to make familial decisions. Nora instructs the housemaid, “Hide the Christmas tree carefully, Helen. Be sure the children do not see it till this evening, when it is dressed” (Ibsen 793), the same as when she tells Torvald that no one can see her in her dress until the evening of the dance. The Christmas tree also imitates the psychological state of Nora when it is described to be “…stripped of its ornaments and with burnt-down candle-ends on its disheveled branches” (Ibsen 812). This describes Nora when she receives the bad news from Krogstad; as a result her min...
Nora Helmer, the main character, has a seemingly unfulfillable need for money and a high social status. A good example would be how the play begins with Nora returning home from shopping for the Christmas season. She has many items and even bought a Christmas tree. Nora then tells one of the maids to hide the tree so that she can decorate it be...
Nora loves her husband very much, even to the point of idolizing him. As she first enters the home with the Christmas packag...
It is through these stage directions that Nora’s playful and slightly immature character is revealed. In Act One many of the stage directions written for Nora is her ‘shrieking’ , this overly excited, erratic behaviour is a common theme from Nora throughout the play and emphasises her immaturity and lack of sincerity, most likely stemming from not having the opportunity of independence. A slightly comical action of Nora’s in the play ‘A Doll’s House’ is when she ‘stuffs the bag of macaroons in her pocket and wipes her mouth’ . This could be compared to a child attempting to hide evidence from their parents either in guilt, or in fear of being caught doing something forbidden; for Nora this is brought about by the strict rules of Torvald. Nora also appears very whimsical and is found to be ‘lost in her own thoughts’ and ‘hums ‘. It seems as if she is blissfully unaware and oblivious of the troubles and misfortune her family is receiving and this highlights her role, not as an equal partner in the family but rather a doll on display. However it is not just the stage directions of Nora that give rise to her childish actions. A significant moment in the play that reveals why Nora acts like a child is when Torvald questions Nora about purchasing macaroons. The stage directions state that he is ‘wagging his finger at her’ , this is an action similar to one a parent would make when telling off a
Nora and Torvald lack one of the key elements needed to make a marriage work. Good communication allows you to better understand your partners needs and to unite as a team to solve problems or comply. When Torvald got sick and the only thing to save his life was to move to the south; Nora found a way to procure the money and forged her father’s signature to obtain the loan. The most heroic action of her life is an unforgivable crime in the eyes of society. Nora has kept this a secret from Torvald. “A man who has such strong opinions about these things! And besides, how painfully and humiliating it would be for Torvald, with his manly independence, to know that he owed me anything! It would upset our mutual relations altogether; our beautiful happy home would no longer be what it is now.”(12) To pay back the loan, Nora has worked without her husband’s consent, staying up late nights copying, to earn money and saving a bit from what Torvald gives her. “Whenever Torvald has given me money for new dresses and such things I have never spent more than half of it; I have always bought the simplest and cheapest things.”(13) Without trust, honesty can never be obtained. There was poor communication throughout their entire marriage and only at the end, after eight years of being married d...
The theme in the play is widely centered on independence, as Nora shares her experiences with it during the beginning of the play. In Act I, it is Christmas Eve and Nora is decorating the house while Dr.Rank and Mrs. Linde visit the household. Nora and Mrs. Linde began talking, and Nora starts to reminisce about the time when she and Torvald had first gotten married and she was required to work to earn extra money because they were having financial difficulties. Nora looks back on that moment and has fond memories although the working world is seen as a “man’s” world; she reveled in the independence to make...
The characters of this play help to support Ibsen's opinions. Nora's initial characteristics are that of a bubbly, child-like wife who is strictly dependent on her husband. This subordinate role from which Nora progresses emphasizes the need for change in society's view of women. For Nora, her inferior, doll-like nature is a facade for a deeper passion for individuality that begins to surface during the play and eventually fully emerges in the ending. An example of this deep yearning for independence is shown when Nora tells her friend, Kristina Linde about earning her own money by doing copying. Nora explains, "it was tremendous fun sitting [in her room] working and earning money. It was almost like being a man" (A Doll's House, 162). Mrs. Linde is an inspiration to Nora, because Kristina has experienced the independence that Nora longs for.
Torvald is the only one in the family who works and provides for his family who needs to survive in their lifestyle. Because of this, Nora must always go and ask for money from Torvald, hoping for his acceptance of her using his income. Nora also had no possessions to her name because when a woman got married, all her possessions were considered under the control of her new husband.... ... middle of paper ...
The beginning of the play portrays the Christmas tree as being well put together and beautiful, the same way as the protagonist, Nora. Her relationship with her husband Torvald can be considered to be picture-perfect, a fact that can be contributed mostly to her subservience. As long as Nora knows her place in the home and remains compliant, their relationship seems wonderful. Nora’s blind obedience at the opening of the play is evident as she adorns the tree with beautiful flowers and candles, promising to “do everything [she] can think of to please,” even offering to sing and dance for his pleasure (Act 1). This exemplifies the way Nora still works to maintain the appearances of both her family and her tree, dressing the tree so that it is “splendid” and also promising to do Torvald’s bidding to ensure his contentment. It also establishes a correlation between the ...
If the Helmers disagree on spending money on Christmas gifts, then the same argument would surely occur over borrowing a large sum of money. Ibsen leaves it up to his reader to fill in the blank for this syllogistic foreshadowing. In reply to Torvald’s reprimand, Nora reminds her husband of his new, higher-paying promotion, and of the always-available option of borrowing money, if the need arises.... ... middle of paper ... ...
Nora opens the play acting like a child, loving her financial status, and is very obedient to Torvald. In Act I, Nora only cares about Torvald’s pocketbook to receive lots of money from him. In this act, Torvald is buying gifts for the kids and Nora is completely dependent on his bank account. Christmas is the time setting of the play and holidays are a time of giving, not receiving money. This is how Nora visions it. Torvald labels his wife as “my little lark mustn’t droop her wings like that. What? Is my squirrel in the sulks?” (882). Torvald treats his wife like a money-loving child who doesn’t seem equal to him. He is like a grandfather throwing money away for his favorite money-loving grandchild. Nora acts like Torvald’s possession than an equal partner. Nora’s beginning part shows an awkward relationship between the two and certainly tells us that they are a questionably happy couple.
...he house in the beginning of the play was only a decoration to her and the family. Both the tree and Nora, served as knickknacks and their purpose was to beautify the living space. Although the Christmas tree does not have an expiration date, but at some point is thrown away after it fulfills its purpose during Christmas time. Ironically so, Nora also has an expiration date in the marriage; she is “thrown” away by Torvald when he found out she paid his debts and his recovery in Italy, but she voluntarily left.