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A doll house by henrik ibsen play essay
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A doll house by henrik ibsen play essay
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Ethical and moral issues abound with the lines of Henrik Ibsen’s play, The Dollhouse, revealing the tragedies and rebirths of two key players and the spiritual destruction of a third. Within the turn of events covering a mere two or three days observers are shown the harsh reality of society in 1879 Europe and the inequality of treatment of both women (wives, in particular) and children considered possessions and not viewed as people. Deceitful wife (a phoenix in the end), narcissistic husband (considered his wife and children as property), lustful (howbeit dying friend), gold-digger friend (who married for money), and a fearful blackmailer (having a past that haunted him) each in his or hers own way violate the 19th , 20th , and the 21st Centuries’ viewpoint regarding ethics and morality creating the atmosphere of a well thought out soap opera of the past century; providing fodder for heated discussions regarding the right and wrong perpetrated by the players both morally and ethically. Society as a whole was vastly different 125 years ago with much turmoil with social and political change.
The mid 1800s to the early portion of the 1900s was a time of much political unrest as the industrial age cranked up into full operation having a hand in the growing unrest of equal treatment for slaves, women, and children being forced to labor in unsafe environments and conditions. Hand in hand with the slavery issue rode the desire for the vote and equal treatment of women in the United States while across the Pond in Europe women took to obtaining equal rights and a verbal voice in politics. Having for centuries been considered mere chattel and subject to the whims of their husbands women had absolutely no rights for their own bodies, co...
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... so jeopardized her life to save a man that did not truly love her but rather loved that he could control her as a puppet on a string; Torvald Helmer.
Barrister Torvald Helmer possessed neither a heart or compassion for others unless it was beneficial for himself and his future. Morally bankrupt and ethically unsound in his dealings within his own home. Broken and incomplete as the curtain falls on the final act of a marriage of control and censorship as Nora becomes reborn as the Phoenix from the ashes. Henrik Ibsen exposed the faults of society in the 1800s and he himself was censored and forced to capitulate and write a false ending for his play. Which could bring up another societal fault: censorship?
Works Cited
Schilb, John and Clifford, John. Making Literature Matter, an Anthology for Readers and Writers. Fifth Edition. Bedford/St. Martin’s. 2012. Print.
Gilman, Charlotte. The Yellow Wallpaper. Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. By John Schilb and John Clifford. 5th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012. 954-967. Print.
Schilb, John , and John Clifford. "Orientation ." Making Literature Matter An Anthology for Reading and Writing. 5th ed. Boston, New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. . Print
Levine, Philip. ”What Work Is.” Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. Ed. John Schilb and John Clifford. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012. Print.
Glaspell, Susan. Trifles. Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. Ed. John Schilb and John Clifford. Boston: Bedford / St. Martin's, 2000. 127-137.
In Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll House, a drama written in the midst of an 1879, middle-class, suburban Europe, he boldly depicts a female protagonist. In a culture with concern for fulfilling, or more so portraying a socially acceptable image, Nora faces the restraints of being a doll in her own house and a little helpless bird. She has been said to be the most complex character of drama, and rightfully so, the pressure of strict Victorian values is the spark that ignites the play's central conflicts. Controversy is soon to arise when any social-norm is challenged, which Nora will eventually do. She evolves throughout the play, from submissive housewife to liberated woman. It seems as though what took women in America almost a century to accomplish, Nora does in a three-day drama. Ibsen challenges the stereotypical roles of men and women in a societally-pleasing marriage. He leads his readers through the journey of a woman with emerging strength and self-respect. Nora plays the typical housewife, but reveals many more dimensions that a typical woman would never portray in such a setting.
Schilb, John and John Clifford. Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000. Print.
Schilb, John, and John Clifford, eds. Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. 5th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. 866. Print.
Weintraub, Stanley. ""Doll's House" Metaphor Foreshadowed in Victorian Fiction." Nineteenth-Century Fiction 13: 67-69. Web. 6 Jan. 2011.
Glaspell, Susan. Trifles. Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. Ed. John Schilb and John Clifford. Boston: Bedford / St. Martin's, 2000. 127-137.
Glaspell, Susan. Trifles. Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. Ed. John Schilb and John Clifford. Boston: Bedford / St. Martin's, 2000. 127-137.
When attending a masquerade, a person is expected to wear a mask. In fact, it’s looked down upon if a mask isn’t worn. But, what if for some people that mask never came off? In A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, each character has constructed their own metaphorical mask that they set firmly in place every morning when exiting their bed. Each character: Nora, Torvald, Kristine and Krogstad all have masks that they put in place when speaking to each other. Throughout most of the play, it is clear that all of the aforementioned characters have multiple facades that they use when speaking to one another; often switching quickly as they begin speaking to someone else. Henrik Ibsen’s use of the masquerade serves as an extended metaphor to show the masks that the characters use in their everyday lives.
Glaspell, Susan. Trifles. Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. Ed. John Schilb and John Clifford. Boston: Bedford / St. Martin's, 2005.
In Henrik Ibsen’s play, A Doll House Ibsen describes the perfect family and the conflicts within. Ibsen examines the normal lives of the Helmer family through the eyes of the wife, Nora Helmer. She goes through a series of trials as she progresses through the play and with each trial she realizes something is missing in her life. Ibsen examines the struggles within the house.
Henrik Ibsen paints a sad picture of the sacrificial role of women throughout all social economical classes in his play “A Doll House”. The story is set in the late 19th century and all minor female characters had to overcome adversity to the expense of love, family and self-realization, in order to lead a comfortable life. While the main female protagonist Nora struggles with her increasingly troubled marriage, she soon realizes, she needs to change her life to be happy as the play climaxes. Her journey to self-discovery is achieved by the threat of her past crime and her oppressing husband, Torvald and the society he represents. The minor female characters exemplifying Nora’s ultimate sacrifice.
Krogstad is one of the most complex characters from Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. Initially, Krogstad appears to be the villain of the play. Nora owes Krogstad a great deal of money. Krogstad uses the existence of her debt to blackmail Nora, threatening to inform her husband of her debt and her forgery if she does not use her influence to secure his position at the bank. Krogstad serves at a catalyst which brings about the central conflict of the play. However, Krogstad has other roles as well. Krogstad is a foil to Nora. He had been the exact same situation that Nora is in now. He had forged a signature to save the life of someone dear to him. Krogstad is also a foil to Torvald. Whereas Torvald continues to advance in society, Krogstad is at risk at losing his livelihood and reputation. In an unexpected twist, Krogstad becomes the hero of the play by the end. When love and hope is restored to him, he withdraws his threats against Nora and forgives her debt, saving Nora from suicide or from a life of ignominy.